Urbex Photographer Claims NYPD Went After Him Over Instagram Photo

Urban explorer photographer Isaac Wright, otherwise known as “Drift”, says that police put out a warrant for his arrest after he posted an image on Instagram a few months ago.

Wright was arrested at the opening of his solo exhibition “Coming Home” at Robert Mann Gallery in Chelsea, New York City, on Thursday evening. At around 8 P.M., four NYPD officers stormed the opening and arrested the acclaimed photographer who is known for scaling iconic buildings without permission.

In an interview with ARTNews, Wright revealed that while he can’t discuss specific details about the case, he believes that the NYPD issued a warrant for his arrest because he posted a particular photo Empire State of Mind (2024) — taken from the top of the Empire State Building — on Instagram in February. That same photo is now part of his exhibition at the Robert Mann Gallery.

“It’s an open case so I can’t really talk about it, but I’m led to believe that the publishing of the photograph [Empire State of Mind (2024), taken from the top of the Empire State Building] on my Instagram months ago is what caused the police to put a warrant out for my arrest,” Wright tells ARTNews. “The photo in question is included in my show at Robert Mann Gallery.”

Wright, who is originally from Ohio, tells the news outlet that there was an undercover cop “who just looked out of place” observing his images at his show on Thursday shortly before he was arrested. The photographer says he had no idea there was a warrant out for him and was “totally shocked” when cops arrested him at his opening show.

When asked by ARTNews why he thinks the NYPD waited until the opening of his show to arrest him, Wright says: “I think partly it’s about making a statement, but I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.”

Wright explains that the police told him they arrested him at the gallery because, since he still has an out-of-state address, they knew it would be a reliable, static place to find him.

“They were very kind to me, the cops weren’t unfair in the arrest, they were just doing their jobs,” the photographer adds.

Wright has built a devoted following online for his breathtaking rooftop and high-altitude photography and has been arrested many times for illicitly climbing buildings to take photos. He has repeatedly spoken of how climbing and photography has helped him cope with post-traumatic stress and depression after serving in the U.S. army.

This is not the first time police have cracked down on artists and exhibitions this year. In January, Police seized Sally Mann photographs from an exhibition at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas, after a complaint was made about her images. Mann, one of the most famous photographers of her generation, has received both acclaim and criticism for her intimate photos of children.

Cops later dropped charges against Mann and returned the images. Although it was later revealed that the Texan police department investigating the confiscated Sally Mann photographs spent almost $7,000 of taxpayers’ money on a fruitless fact-finding mission to New York City.

Image credits: Header photo via Instagram/ @driftershoots.