Monthly Archives: December 2014

Christmas Morning 2009 – Robbo bests Banksy

Christmas morning, five years ago this very day, Robbo trumped Banksy in the first and most effective riposte in what was to become one of the art world’s most legendary feuds.

London, Graffiti, Robbo, Banksy, wallpaperer, Regents Canal, feud,art,street art

King Robbo RIP

down the canal ina wet suit on Christmas morning ho ho ho” wrote Robbo, not a prolific social media botherer, early Christmas morning 2009 on Flickr.

Banksy’s insult to the the world of graffiti and Robbo in particular was wittily turned on its head to become Banksy’s tribute to Robbo. The full story, noting the date on which I wrote the original coverage, is worth reading here.

London, Graffiti, Robbo, Banksy, wallpaperer, Regents Canal, feud,art,street art

Banksy wallpaperer

Rest In Peace Robbo, you will never be forgotten, particularly on this day

All photos: NoLionsInEngland


Borondo,London,street art, shoreditch,artist,painting,graffiti,murals,2014,in action,

2014 – A Great Year For London Street Art

This was a super year for street art in Shoreditch.   At about this time of year (You lie!!!! Its usually mid January by the time its finished – ed) Graffoto does a look back over the beauty, the excitement, the highlights and occasionally the sadder moments in the past year of London’s street art.

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Robbo by Adnate

It won’t be spoiling any surprises if we tell you the one picked out as the favourite is Borondo’s upside down face by the canal in Hackney Wick (not in Shoreditch!).  The problem with reviewing such a beautiful burst of creativity is what to leave out.  Just for fun, here is short slideshow of some of the great pieces which appeared this year and what they all have in common is that Shoreditch Street Art Tour groups came across the artist(s) creating these.

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Pop over to Graffoto for a broader summary, a different collection of wonderful art and a few thoughts.

all photos: NoLionsInEngland


Shoreditch, London, Street art, stencil, Bambi, Michael Brown, Ferguson, Missouri, “Don’t do it”, “Just Do it”, “Don’t Shoot”

Bambi Hits Shoreditch Against Ferguson Missouri Cops

London street artist Bambi has created a powerful new stencilled piece of street art on a ”virgin” (bare brick, un-painted) wall in a high profile location in Shoreditch.

The subject is Michael Brown, though the image looks more like Obama (the ears?) repeated 5 times in a manner which ironically is a bit reminiscent of Warhol’s multiple gun toting Elvis image . The wall is right opposite Cargo night club and sits facing a couple of famous Bansky images, which also reminds us that Bambi has been often acclaimed (without foundation) as the female Banksy.

Shoreditch, London, Street art, stencil, Bambi, Michael Brown, Ferguson, Missouri, “Don’t do it”, “Just Do it”, “Don’t Shoot”

Bambi is an interesting artist in so far as she collects column inches by the gazzillion (have a few more on us) yet shuns the normal street art capitol of Shoreditch in favour of North London locations such as Islington and Camden. Her repertoire is dominated by popular contemporary female icons and a dry sense of hmour and this has been sufficient to win her a loyal fanbase stretching way beyond the normal “scene” collectors”.

Shoreditch, London, Street art, stencil, Bambi, Michael Brown, Ferguson, Missouri, “Don’t do it”, “Just Do it”, “Don’t Shoot”

“DON’T SHOOT” screams large blood red stencilled lettering repeated across Obama’s portrait and the logo on his clothing reads “Don’t Do it”. 100 yards away at the corresponding location on the next alley, Nikelab’s Shoreditch  premises proclaim “Just Do It” on a railway bridge wall in huge letters.  The raised hand brings some ambiguity to the image, is it “stop”, or is it a greeting?

The text around the images reads

“You abuse your powers again and again

Another innocent unarmed soul is murdered in your name

Filthy blue lies flow and flow

You shot him six times for just jaywalking home

Left in a pool of blood on the street

But you think it’s just another day on the beat

Come on justice must be done or anarchy will bite you on the bum

Bambi”

 

Update: It seems Bambi returned to make her message clearer by repeating the poetic refrain on the black surface of the building next to her stencil artwork. It wasn’t there in the original photographs, indeed it wasn’t there when we passed on Sunday at lunchtime but lo, come Monday lunchtime there was the fresh addition right under a sign warning “You are being filmed, if you graffiti our building you will be prosecuted”.

Shoreditch, London, Street art, stencil, Bambi, Michael Brown, Ferguson, Missouri, “Don’t do it”, “Just Do it”, “Don’t Shoot”

The clearer surface means we can now update the text above where it wasn’t legible before.

Sadly, the cops aren’t learning much as the news comes through today that Graffiti writer Delbert Rodriguez Gutierrez died in Miami yesterday after being mown down by a cop in a car.  The president of the Miami Police union was reported to have said “..for every action there’s a reaction. If he would have not been committing a crime and then running from law enforcement, this could have been avoided.”

The owners of that particular wall aren’t keen to join in the street art fun and by Tuesday evening, the fresh work had been buffed – painted black. They have previous in hiding their sense of humour under a bushel, this retort by Smif 6 years ago didn’t last long either.

Shoreditch, London, Street art, stencil, Bambi, Michael Brown, Ferguson, Missouri, “Don’t do it”, “Just Do it”, “Don’t Shoot”

all images: NoLionsInEngland