MODERN COWBOYS
MIKE WOOD
In his latest project, MODERN COWBOYS, photojournalist Mike Wood documents the little known world of graffiti. Making no judgments about the merits of the work or the actions necessary to produce it, Wood focuses on the lifestyle and the culture of a crew of writers and the bond that unites them. Forging a friendship and gaining the trust of these writers was crucial to Wood’s mission to document how they live. In his attempt to capture the everyday lives of graffiti artists, Wood spent the last three years photographing and learning about them as people and knowing them as friends.

Through MODERN COWBOYS, Wood hopes to show that this tight knit group of friends is nothing more than a bunch of regular guys doing regular guy things, which just so happens to include graffiti painting. Wood says, “Whether they are painting or swimming, they’re making the most of everyday. I spent the last three years photographing and learning how these guys live. We spent cold nights and long days together, from camping along rivers and jumping off trains to hiking through train yards and night swimming in the ocean. I hope my story shines a little light on a lifestyle most know nothing about.”