Tag Archives: Graffiti Life

Canvas Paintings at Light Of Life exhibition in Shoreditch by street artist David Speed

“Light Of Life” David Speed Gallery Exhibition

Break out street artists are rare beasts.  These are street artists whose appeal grows way beyond the natural base of street art fans leading to popularity and commercial success.  Commercial success doesn’t preclude artistic success of course.

Pink neon street art spraypainted portrait of woman by David Speed

Soundwave, Shoreditch 2021

David Speed started his neon illuminated portraits and animal painting around Shoreditch a few years ago and has achieved such ubiquity that he is one of the few artists, other than Banksy and Helch, whose art is recognised by Shoreditch Street Art Tour guests exploring street art for the first time.

Pink neon street art spraypainted portrait of woman by David Speed

David Speed Neon face, Shoreditch 2018

David certainly wasn’t new to spraypainting at the beginning of this neon pink phase, his double life has him as Director of Shoreditch based spraypainting outfit Graffiti Life.  Lockdown bestowed gifts on David in two ways –the reduced demand for commercial spraypainting services seems to have allowed him more time to focus on personal and artistic development and if you check out his Creative Rebels podcast that certainly comes across strong.  There was also a significant increase in available street canvasses as business fearing a breakdown in law and order went for full plywood cladding as we went into lockdown in 2020.

Pink neon ponies on pandemic lockdown protective plywood by David Speed

Hoxton Ponies, Shoreditch 2021

David’s art exploded across Shoreditch property and caught a lot of attention.

Pink neon "Creation of Adam" homage in Shoreditch painted by street artist David Speed

David Speed neon “Creation” homage, Shoreditch 2019

Pink SKull framed in a bus stop window in Shoreditch painted by street artist David Speed

A long wait, Shoreditch 2021

Pink neon snarling tiger in Shoreditch painted by street artist David Speed

Neon Tiger! Shoreditch 2021

In the street art world, London at least, David is synonymous with this pink neon street art style so it was an amusing irony earlier this year that a mural advert was painted in David’s signature colour combination  by a rival spraypainted advert company.  Many people erroneously identified David as the artist so he felt compelled to put up a deliciously executed take out.

Pink neon spraypainted advert in Shoreditch NOT painted by David Speed

Biting Style, Village Underground 2021

Pink Neon spraypainted advert subverted by street artist David Speed

DS Style, Village Underground 2021

He currently has a self-organised solo show running in Shoreditch, it turns out the neon illumination theme suits canvas and paper as well as it does brick walls.

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A recent project that must have taken a long time to prepare was David’s “drop” of 1000 hand finished prints around the streets of London, to those with long enough memories this was a homage to Adam Neate’s 1000 print drop in 2008.  We came across one of David’s murals on the Shoreditch Street Art Tour that day at which point a guest pulled a pair of prints out of his bag with a flourish and declared “I found these on the street as I was walking to the tour!”  Lucky guy.

Various North, East, South, West

The show is located just a couple of minutes walk from where our morning Shoreditch Street Art Tour ends, so perhaps book a tour this coming Friday, Saturday or Sunday and complement it with a visit to the show.  Admission to the show is free.

 “Light Of Life” show runs until Sunday September 12th.

The Depot | 33 Boundary Street | Shoreditch | E2 7JQ

All photos: Dave Stuart

With all that pink and blue no attempt was made at colour correction in processing the exhibition photos!


Street Art tour, Shoreditch Street Art Tour, Street Art Guide, Goose Island Brewpub, Graffiti Life, Free Beer

Beer! Art! Street Art!

Ever wondered if Chicago is anything like Shoreditch? Ever wondered what a craft 5. 9% IPA might taste like? Thanks to a very unusual mural and beer promotion fusion, you can now investigate both of these (terms and conditions and chance apply!).

Street Art tour, Shoreditch Street Art Tour, Street Art Guide, Goose Island Brewpub, Graffiti Life, Free Beer

Shoreditch Street Art Tour Guests possibly being persuaded to have a beer

To get a free pint of Goose Island beer and possibly win a trip to Chicago, you just have to check out the mural on Ebor Street in Shoreditch where Goose Island have come up with a pretty novel promotional wheeze.  A commissioned mural has been covered with 2500 cans, they giving away 50 cans day for three days.  You take the can down to The Goose Island Brewpub on Shoreditch High Street just a couple of hundred yards away where you exchange the can for a free pint of lager AND you are entered into a draw to win a flight to Chicago.

Street Art tour, Shoreditch Street Art Tour, Street Art Guide, Goose Island Brewpub, Graffiti Life, Free Beer

Goose: pick a can, any can..

The mural has been executed by the guys at Graffiti Life, known for applying their graffiti skills to painting commercial murals – skills pay bills.   The Graffiti Life guys have awesome skills but in general we don’t gush over adverts on walls where art should be,it is rarely a stop for the tour.  However, this one has novelty and – come on, it’s a free pint of beer!

Street Art tour, Shoreditch Street Art Tour, Street Art Guide, Goose Island Brewpub, Graffiti Life, Free Beer

Got one

Street Art tour, Shoreditch Street Art Tour, Street Art Guide, Goose Island Brewpub, Graffiti Life, Free Beer

Reckon this one has “Chicago or bust” written all over it?”

Now we have seen cans in street art before, notably the brilliant art of Jakuna Melata who came over from Barcelona last summer.

Street Art tour, Shoreditch Street Art Tour, Street Art Guide, Goose Island Brewpub, Graffiti Life, Free Beer

Jakuna Melata, Soho, 2018

We have also seen spray cans painted by artists and left as a piece of free art.

Street Art tour, Shoreditch Street Art Tour, Street Art Guide, Goose Island Brewpub, Graffiti Life, Free Beer

Savant, May 2017

This wall though really is quite novel. Apparently the team is going to be there one more day, Sunday which at the time of writing is tomorrow, They’ll be there for about two hours or until the day’s allocation of 50 cans has been given away. We don’t know which two hours though, so you’re going to have to take pot luck.

Do say “Same again, thank you very much”

(yes yes ok, I did have one of their free beers but other than that there is no association with any other organisation mentioned in this post)

Links:

Graffiti Life instagram

Goose Island Brewpub website

Chicago website

Photographer: Dave Stuart


I Don’t Like Cricket – I LUVITAAAAAAH

It is not often that cricket and street art meet but that did happen today in the home of street art, Brick Lane, Shoreditch when a small but perfectly formed group from the Shoreditch Street Art Tour came across the Cricket World Cup being displayed on Brick Lane.

Shoreditch, Street art, cricket, London, graffiti life, world cup, tour group

ICC Cricket World Cup meets Shoreditch Street Art Tours Group

The gentleman holding the trophy on behalf of the ICC confirmed that he was English (albeit not a cricketer), let’s hope this is not the only pair of English hands to be placed on that trophy next year.

Shoreditch, Street art, cricket, London, graffiti life, world cup, tour group

Mine!

The other street art connection is that a huge mural welcoming the World Cup to the home of cricket appeared on Brick Lane last night painted by the professional spraycan artists Graffiti Life – good job guys!

Shoreditch, Street art, cricket, London, graffiti life, world cup, tour group

It’s Britain; all welcome (photo Chris Howell)

 

Photos: Chris Howell (featured image and where noted above) and Dave Stuart (using Chris Howell’s camera cos he forgot his own phone this morning!)


JeSuisCharlie

Shocked by the tragic events in Paris this week, street artists have been quick to respond.

In France: Jef Aerosol

London, Shoreditch,Street art,graffiti,walk,tour,walks, tours,jesuischarlie,artists, Jef Aerosol

photo: Jef Aerosol

London, Shoreditch,Street art,graffiti,walk,tour,walks, tours,jesuischarlie,artists, Jef Aerosol

photo: Jef Aerosol

In London:

London, Shoreditch,Street art,graffiti,walk,tour,walks, tours,jesuischarlie,artists, Cept

je suis charlie

London, Shoreditch,Street art,graffiti,walk,tour,walks, tours,jesuischarlie,artists, Cept

je suis charlie

London, Shoreditch,Street art,graffiti,walk,tour,walks, tours,jesuischarlie,artists, Pure Evil

Pure Evil je suis charlie

London, Shoreditch,Street art,graffiti,walk,tour,walks, tours,jesuischarlie,artists,Graffiti Life

je suis charlie Graffiti Life

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