I'm not so into the scrawls and scribbles of tags, which don't take much skill and are more like a dog widdling on a tree to mark its territory, but there is some phenomenal stuff out there. And it feels like people are leaving signs and messages for you to decipher around the city, which makes your movement around London that much more entertaining.
I also flukily ended up in the graffitti hotspot of London. From all over the world they all flock east to spray, paint, sticker and wheatpaste the walls around here. My street art folder is getting huge, but what really pleases me is that the graffitti-ists are starting to get back to me on Flickr.
I know they are just normal regular people who happen to have a fetish for going out in hoodies late at night and posting things illegally on walls, but to me they are artists, it's like Michelangelo getting in touch to say thanks for noticing me. They like the fact that I've snapped their work, I feel all star-struck, it's a big love-fest all round.
Recommendations? Here are the people rocking my world:
Dave the Chimp
Swoon
Sten
Dr D
Banksy (do you really need a link?)
Plus various anonymous artistes to be found here.
Dave the Chimp on Roman Road
9 comments:
d'ya think any of them might be interested in holidaying over here for a week or two? the place could do with a little brightening up.
Whatever happened to proper, old-skool graffiti like "MAN UTD ARE ALL GAY CUNTS"?
Talking of which, my heart was warmed the other day when I spied, on the supporting pillar of a Bangkok flyover, a badly spray-painted cock and balls, with lots of spunk shooting out. It resonated the fact that, whatever the superficial social, geographic and ethnic differences, deep down, all 14-year-old boys across the world are exactly the same in their utter ghastliness.
Rosie - get your spray can out!
Tim, didn't you know that a badly spray painted cock and balls is high art these days? It was probably just an homage.
Old style graffiti is still found in public toilets. I was in one the other day and someone had written "If you like cocks call Jerome..." and he'd left a landline number.
I wanted to ring it:
"Hello?"
"Hello, can I speak to Jerome, please?"
"What's it about?"
"I like cocks"
"Okay, I'll just see if he's about..."
Agreed. Love looking at your snaps. I saw a lot of cool stuff when I was over in Paris. Wish I could paint/draw/whatever. Lousy fingers.
'Oy Jerome, there's another bloke here on about cocks...'
Thanks Del. Me too. Oh well, music is your medium...
I think you will enjoy this.
Oooo, that's truly amazing and mind-boggling. How did he do it, how how how how?
With great patience, I imagine. There's one bit where the sky seems to darken and lighten in the space of only a few frames, so it must have taken a monstrous amount of time.
Post a Comment