When writing a recent post about my favourite street art around the world I realised I had never paid much attention to the magnificent work in my own city. I’d always seen it as a backdrop to other activities I was taking part in, like shopping or drinking!
This weekend I sought to rectify that mistake and booked a place on a The London Street Art Tour. The tour covers the ever changing artwork found along East London’s Brick Lane and the surrounding streets of Shoreditch.
Steph, my guide, was an American expat with a clear passion for the subject as well as impressive knowledge of the most prolific and talented artists in the area. She shared her knowledge over the course of an hour and half and the fee to take part was just £10 per person. Below are some of my favourite artworks along with a few interesting facts Steph taught me about them.
Spanish artist Borondo has been hard at work in the East End. We covered a few of his pieces on the tour including the man in stocks seen at the top with the word ‘cheese’ above his head. This piece stood out because it has been painted with house paint instead of spray paint, you can feel the texture on the wall. Borondo’s latest work is a giant mural called ‘Triade’ which was completed on a wall in Sclater Street just days ago. (Pictured below.)
Paul Don Smith uses stencil to portray his combinations of popular characters and classic art. I appreciated the way he used his own hashtag on the work so that all us sharing the picture on social media could credit him correctly! (Check out #PaulDonSmith on Instagram to see the impressive collection.)
It was great to see Melbourne street art being represented in London. I had admired Rone’s work back in Melbourne (he’s the man behind this lady in the sunglasses) and love this glamorous purple lady he’s painted on Hanbury Street too (see picture top right.)
Thailand was also represented in this piece below by Bangkok based artist Alex. The fire hose his characters are holding says ‘Made In Thailand’ – just to confirm!Other names I know to look out for now include Nathan Bowen, who paints the little militia/construction men in one smooth spray and Otto Schade who uses a lot of circle imagery. (See Mickey above and the boys with slingshots below.)
There were some names we all recognised too. Steph took us to see some early Banksy works in the garden of Cargo (drunk there many times and had no idea it was there) and we also spotted a few pieces by Shepard Fairey who the group know from his Obama Hope poster and I recognised from his work at Wynwood in Miami.
After the tour I went for a wander on my own and fell in love with two different shutters, many local businesses have begun commissioning street artists to decorate their properties. I also learned that T2, my favourite Aussie tea specialist, has just opened in Shoreditch –Â so all in all it paid off being in a tourist in my own city for a change.
Find out more about The London Street Art Tour. I discovered the company via Google and would highly recommend the experience.
Which is your favourite of the London street art featured above?
Jayne I was in East London looking at a flat the other weekend and loved the street art – I love how’s it’s constantly changing as well.
Also, the picture you took of the girl with her face in her hands in by my friend Snik who I know from home. This is his site: http://www.visualdirt.co.uk/
O wow – thanks! That was one of my favourites but I didn’t catch the name so thanks for filling me in!
Would love to live over that way, lots of cool co-working space as well as opportunities for coffee and cake 🙂
Well I’d invite you to come for coffee and cake East (when I move that way in the next month, fingers crossed!) but you’re swanning off to Sydney 😉 Haha
Love this post, Jayne! Firstly… it makes me want to go out and a bit more lunchtime exploring. Secondly… it’s nice to see you do a blog post highlighting just how fab and creative our little corner of the world is 🙂
Thanks Nads! Thought it was about time I gave some love to London 🙂
I toured the East End street art by myself the other day and now I wish I’d had a guide to explain all those things!
We def saw a lot more in the time we had than I would have found on my own. You’ll have to come back and do a tour 🙂
Great collection of street arts and i’m very to see this, as well as a big thanks for the photographer who takes this pictures as such a beautiful one.