Tag Archives: Tour

Novelondon

Novelondon street art: Street art from the artist Novelondon has appeared around Shoreditch within the past fortnight and there is nothing we love more than delicious new art from an unfamiliar artist.

Novelondon vs The Rolling Stones

Novelondon’s new street art combines characters and text with the unmistakable influence of Spain’s Miro. The Rolling Stones and The Beatles lyrics feature.

Novelondon vs The Rolling Stones

Pasteup paper street art of simple blue bug like characters from Val Jones aka Novelondon influenced by Miro with Beatles lyrics

Novelondon vs The Beatles

Pasteup paper street art of simple red bug like characters from Val Jones aka Novelondon influenced by Miro with Rolling Stones lyrics

Novelondon vs The Rolling Stones

Pasteup paper street art of simple Green and blue bug like characters from Val Jones aka Novelondon influenced by Miro with Bob Dylan Lyrics

Novelondon vs Bob

There is great consideration given to placement, colour coordination with the background looks superb.

Pasteup paper street art of simple red, green and blue bug like characters from Val Jones aka Novelondon influenced by Miro

Novelondon in Shoreditch. August 2022

Pasteup paper street art of simple colourless bug like characters from Val Jones aka Novelondon influenced by Miro with Jimi Hendrix lyrics

Novelondon in Shoreditch. August 2022

A particular favourite seems to tip its hat to Rothko with its placement over graffiti removal colour washes.

Pasteup paper street art of simple blue and green bug like characters from Val Jones aka Novelondon influenced by Miro against a Rothko like background of grey and pink

NoveLondon in Shoreditch, August 2022

Links:

Novelondon instagram

all photos: Dave Stuart

Best Of Shoreditch Street Art Tours Kiss Of Death

Should this Shoreditch Street Art Tours post start with an apology to the spraycan virtuoso Jim Vision? Perhaps.

Last night we held a short notice online virtual ramble through some of the art that provided great food for thought on the Shoreditch Street Art Tour in 2021. With the benefit of being able to show slides from the past, we were able to look at the waxing and waning of Jim Vision’s Jerome St mural which concluded with the photograph shown at the top of this post mural taken 2 days earlier on 29^th December. This is the story of that mural and it ends with the dramatic update based on what we found today!

The history starts in 2020 with a curved wall pretty heavily battered with graffiti of varying styles and levels of accomplishment. The artistic highlight on the wall was probably back in 2014 with a beautiful paste-up from the French street artist Ludo.

Street Art in Shoreditch by French street artist Ludo

Ludo, 2014

Street Art in Shoreditch by Spraycan artist Jim Vision

Wild! Featuring Noze, Lap406 Oct 2019

Forward to 2020 and Jim Vision secures consent to paint the wall with permission and has claimed the spot as his since, painting a couple of portraits as part of his admirable “Colourful Women” series. In the artist’s words this was “celebrating all women of colour with their vibrancy and strength, at the same time addressing an imbalance in the representation of women of colour on walls. This first dates from early Summer 2020.

Jim Vision, June 2020

The next portrait on this wall came complimented by a pod of killer whales. In this next early December 2020 photo we see the mural in great condition with 8 killer whales swimming through, to the right is a cluster of illuminations and the background is an abstract veil of almost luminous vertical streaks.

Jim Vision, 2nd Dec 2020

Just a few days later the negative spaces in the margins have been targeted with graffiti, including sundry tags and a nice piece by Lap in the background:

Jim Vision, lap406 , 22nd Dec 2020

Things are relatively unchanged by July 2021, a throw has gone over the cluster of lights to the right, a couple of tags and Lap in the background appears to have been painted out. Still the augmentations are occurring away from the main subject:

Jim Vision July 2021

By October there is fascinating development in the artistic interactions taking place on this wall, Jim Vision covers up new tags with the creative and playful expedient of adding Orcas where the tags were. Now the pod has grown to 20 killer whales and something a bit albino, or perhaps a 21st whale with only its white parts turned to us:

Jim Vision Oct 2021

Halfway through December heavy tagging appears in quite aggressive spots at the centre of the portrait and a green tag close to the front of the face where the white whale was. Ours is not to cast judgement!

Jim Vision, tags, 19th Dec 2021

Then, on 29th Dec, a new killer whale appears to be likely to see in the New Year, its placaement jumping through the earring brings to mind the cruelty involved in keeping these beautiful beasts in captivity in sea life parks. This was the state of play at the conclusion of the timeseries presented in the “The Best Of Shoreditch Street Art Tours 2021” virtual tour last night (New Years Eve):

Jim Vision, 29th Dec 2021

New Years Day, this morning, look what we found:

New Years Day 2021 Jim Vision with Slak & Cuso

Gonna take a lot more whales!

Jim Vision instagram

all photos: Dave Stuart

A Decade On – King Robbo

Christmas Day 10 years ago the notorious Robbo vs Banksy spat went to another level. Robbo, RIP, headed out very early Christmas morning, crossed the Regents Canal at Camden directly under British Transport Police HQ and painted the perfect riposte to Banksy’s Wallpaperer.

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25th December 2019 KING ROBBO!

Early that Christmas morning I noticed a photograph on Flickr of Robbo’s new iteration of this piece posted by Robbo’s WRH crew mate Doze. The genius was immediately apparent from that photo. I whizzed straight down to the canal, took some photos and “Banksy vs Robbo WRH, WD – Checkmate” was posted online before Christmas lunch was served. It remains to this day the most read post on Graffoto.

Before Robbo’s Christmas morning adventure, the art on the wall consisted of a workman by Banksy wallpapering over some graffiti, which was actually over an ancient Robbo piece.

Banksy Wallpaperer, 19th December 2019

For context, Banksy vs Robbo was an intense feud with ancient origins but for roughly a 6 month period it raged spectacularly at several locations along Regents Canal in Camden as each artist attacked the other’s art with a succession of insults.

“It’s tongue in cheek, it’s all a laugh, it’s a giggle” Robbo told Graffoto about 10 months later when we met for a beery one on one unpublished interview in his local near Kings Cross. Robbo also said in reference to the art Banksy was producing at the time “A couple of things I like, the graffiti wallpaper, that was a good piece, so was the global warming, that was a good piece. I appreciate art, I’m an artist. I’m a graffiti artist that’s my main flag but I am an artist”

Robbo exhibition opening night, Pure Evil Gallery, Sep 2010

Robbo mentioned how he didn’t have much to do with social media so his mate put up the photo on Flickr, then early afternoon Robbo received a call to tell him the piece had already been picked up by a blog. Robbo said some kind and appreciative things about the Graffoto coverage so on the 10th anniversary of that event it is a pleasure to remember that exciting piece of art.

Robbo RIP, Tribute by Adnate (Aus) in Shoreditch. Sep 2014

Graffoto Christmas Day 2009: “Banksy v. Robbo – Checkmate”

All photos: Dave Stuart

Banksy Painting at Sothebys

Banksy’s most spectacular painting to date is on display at Sotheby’s Bond St, London HQ and beautifully staged it is too.

Devolved Parliament is being auction this week when London opens its galleries, museums and park tents to an international art fair. This painting first appeared in public in 2009 when with staggering panache and secrecy, traditionally mutually exclusive features, Banksy took over the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery for his largest show. The show was brilliant, our fanboy tribute/review appeared on the Graffoto blog here.

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Banksy v Bristol Museum and Art Gallery 2009

This painting was at that time called “Question Time” and it was a nightmare to view and photograph with the lighting and the crowds.

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Banksy Question Time (photo 2009)

This time the lighting is awesome and the staging is superb with it set up to look like the House of Commons benches extend into the room, I am sure there will be lots of selfies coming out of that space this weekend.

Banksy Devolved Parliament (photo 2019)

The painting is being hyped up to set a new Banksy record. The last time the hyperbole reached such feverish levels was exactly year ago in, guess where, Sothebys! It was that infamous Girl With Ballon/Love Is In The Bin shredding stunt. Remind yourself of that moment that made Banksy the best known living contemporary artist at the moment/in history/today (nuff hype).

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“Love Is In The Bin”, Banksy, 2018

This Banksy is identified in Sotheby’s catalogue quite categorically as the one that was exhibited in Bristol in 2009 but there have been a few subtle tweaks. The lights in the chamber have gone out, much like our hopes of a proper orderly outcome to the political farce currently playing out daily in this sceptic isle.

Banksy Devolved Parliament detail (photo 2019)

Also, in 2009 we had a Labour (sort of leftish) Government led by Tony Blair and in the 2009 “Question Time” on the then labour benches which are to the left as you look at those photos, there was a chimpanzee holding a tumescent banana which curved upwards. The catalogue notes that the present owner acquired this painting from the artist in 2011, by which time we had a coalition Conservative/Lib Dem (fairly “right” though nothing like as rightwing as now), Banksy had reworked that banana so that it droops, it curved downwards.

Banksy Question Time detail (photo 2009)

Banksy Devolved Parliament detail (photo 2019)

Just one more thing, the catalogue informs us that the painting comes “from an important private collection” – apart from what it says about Banksy’s direct sales client base, vague bollocks like that truly marks the art world clambering up its own self important fundament!

Viewing:

Sothebys, 34-35 New Bond St, Mayfair, London W1S 2RT

SAT, 28 SEP 19 | 12:00 PM – 05:00 PM BST

SUN, 29 SEP 19 | 12:00 PM – 05:00 PM BST

MON, 30 SEP 19 | 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM BST

TUE, 01 OCT 19 | 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM BST

WED, 02 OCT 19 | 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM BST

THU, 03 OCT 19 | 09:00 AM – 12:00 PM BST

Links:

Girl With Balloon/Love Is In The Air review on Graffoto

Banksy v. Bristol Museum and Art gallery, 2009 on Graffoto

Banksy website

All photos: Dave Stuart

Autumn Leaves – Street Art Announces change of season

This week saw knobbly knees being tucked into jeans for the first time in about 3 months, Summer is definitely over and Autumn brings with it a fresh leaf fall. This leaf is courtesy of Sean Worrall and it is a gorgeous specimen from his #artdrops project.

Suzanne from LA was the lucky person who retrieved this from the wall – just, tip toes required!

This particular leaf is number 11 of the 2019 #artdrops series. We love the Extinction Symbol in support of Extinction Rebellion on the back.

On his Facebook page Sean says:

“43 paintings [] will make up the month-long #43Leaves piece. 43 paintings on found recycled unwanted material picked up off the streets. Material picked up, cleaned up, painted on and then left hanging back out on the street for people to just take should they wish to”.

Thank you Sean for your characteristic generosity of spirit.

Nice to know another one of Sean’s leafs is taking up residence in a location far far away. Sean’s free art #artdrops have featured on the Shoreditch Street Art Tours blog quite frequently in the past, check them out here

Links:

Sean Worrall website

Sean Worrall Facebook

All photographs Dave Stuart

Happy Christmas, Maybe

Here is how a few street artists have wished yuletide greetings to anyone who tears their eyes away from the bright lights and window displays to observe their seasonal street art.

I’m sure many of us emphasise with Benjamin Irritant’s swipe at excessive Christmas consumption’

Benjamin Irritant – Hysterical Mass Consumerism

Inkteractive has gone a little bit robust with the fond felicitations, lets hope the weather is a good as captured in the instamatic polaroid pic.

Inkteraktiv MERRY FCKN XMAS

Inkteraktiv MERRY FCKN XMAS AGAIN YOU FCKRS

The MisFortuneTeller has a new business line selling Christmas Unicorns as the healthy alternative to Turkey, bloody GM research!

The MisFortuneTeller – Have A Unicorn For Christmas

Some artist really entered into the Christmas spirit by placing free art out on the streets as lovely stocking fillers for the eagle eyed. On Christmas Eve a lovely Sean Worrall piece found a new home, this one seemed to be some kind of “re-issue” or a rare “number error” piece, the Sean Worrall equivalent of a Penny Black!

Inkteractiv also left a lovely framed piece on the street which Santa should now be conveying to North Car

to a nice home, from Inkteraktiv

Inkteractiv also left a lovely framed Xmas gift on the street which Santa should now be conveying to North Carolina if all goes to plan.

Finally, all that remains is to wish all a Happy Christmas or Seasonal Greetings as appropriate and best wishes to all for the New Year.

Dave

LINKS:

Benjamin Irritant instagram

Inkteraktiv instagram

The MisFortuneTeller Instagram

Sean Worrall website

all photos: Dave Stuart

Summer Is Here – Oops Maybe Not

Sitting at my keyboard, fresh in from a perma-drizzle that looks set for the day it is a little difficult to remember that London has had two” Summers” already this year. Twice, barely a fortnight apart, we enjoyed temperatures over 25 degrees and boy did the street artists love that! Lots of new street art has been appearing daily so here is a little update of some of the fresh street art that has caught our eye over the past fortnight. At the top of the page, Shok-1 produced another of his superb X-Ray images.

Ben Wilson aka Chewing Gum Man has been particularly prolific just recently in Shoreditch and he delighted me with the story behind the two characters featured in a new chewing gum pic outside the Bricklayers Arms. Two deliverymen, Lee and Bryan were hefting barrels up from the pub cellar, Ben had a chat with them and concluded, as recorded on the chewing gum, that Lee and Bryan should be paid more!

Shoreditch, London, Street art, Street artist, tour, Ben Wilson, Chewing Gum Man, Jean Peut etre, Jonesy, Howl Owl, Keef, JXC, Travel Mag

Lee and Bryan, Draymen, by Ben Wilson

Ben Wilson explains …

Not far away from that spot is another one of those chewing gum pics where Ben paints the view, no prizes for recognising Rivington Street:

Rivington St Chewing Gum Art by Ben Wilson

Rivington Street

Last week Jean Peut Etre caused much excitement when he was spied by a tour group collaging his pasted images and letterpress prints in several Shoreditch locations seeming always just a few moments ahead of the group.

Jean Peut Etre Collage

One of the greatest pleasures a fan of street art can enjoy is to discover an unexpected piece by a favourite artist and this came to pass the other day. Wandering around Shoreditch on a so-called day off, armed with a proper camera photographing loads of great street art the other day I spotted a fantastic new Jonesy I had not noticed before, an absolutely stunning cast bronze piece. The casting shows what appears to be a vulture nestling in a roundel of blasted twigs, themselves surreally mounted on the leg of a bird.

Jonesy

A subsequent peek on Jonesy’s facebook account revealed that this had actually been in situ since last September, a full 7 months ago. Just goes to show that even when your eye is constantly scanning high and low for new visual disruptions it is always possible to overlook the beauty hiding in plain sight on the streets. This next bronze casting, believed to be more recent was something I was specifically hunting for.

Jonesy

Howl Owl is a regular visitor to these shores and the cute little owls are packed with personality and get up to all kinds of mischief. A veritable parliament of owls came to roost in Shoreditch this week and this particular group set up a sub committee with a clowder of Keef’s cats on a stinky sewage pipe, looking like they contemplating setting off in a pea green boat.

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Howl Owl and Keef collaboration

We mustn’t forget that some street art is done with permission, the weekend before last JXC painted this quality image of Judge Dredd taking out Mickey!

Mickey Mouse justice Judge Dredd style

Finally, it was lovely to receive a link to an article on the Travel Mag online where they select their 7 favourite walking tours in London and kindly featured Shoreditch Street Art Tours, we are honoured and thank them, check out the best in London here.

LINKS

Shok-1 Instagram

Jean Peut-Etre Instagram

Jonesy Facebook

Howl Owl Instagram

Sad Keef Instagram

JXC Instagram

all photos: Dave Stuart

I Had A Dream

Street Art is something we are so passionate about and on the tour and in this blog we celebrate its diverse forms, its infinite sources of inspiration and the myriad messages, effects and displays of beauty that grace our walls. We never underestimate how lucky we are to share this love with so many enthusiastic guests of the tour and it is always hugely appreciated when guests share how much they enjoyed their tour with Shoreditch Street Art Tours.

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photographing Clet Abraham

Today, courtesy of Walkingwomble (The Wombles were characters from a children’s animation on the BBC when I was a kid back in the 70s, they lived on Wimbledon Common and cleaned up rubbish) we have reached a major milestone with our 1500^th review on Tripadvisor. 96.8% of the reviews are 5 star, the highest level in the top ten of the “Tours In London” category. We feel honoured and immensely proud that so many of our guests have taken the time to provide such wonderful feedback on our tours. We never imagined this when we started Shoreditch Strete Art Tours – it was a dream!

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Faith 47 at night

To celebrate this milestone an d to say a big thank you to all of our fantastic guests and to all of the street artists who use the walls in Shoreditch as their gallery, here is a little selection of street art photographed in the past month or so as we pass this amazing milestone mixed in with some shots of guests on tour.

This compelling snog between Catwoman and Batman appeared last week and a famous mouse provides matching rays of sunshine courtesy of Neon Savage.

Shoreditch, Street art, Tour, London, Tripadvisor, Catwoman, Batman, artist unknown

Catwoman and Batman, artist unknown with Neon Savage

Uberfubs has been placing these amazing sequinned pieces art for several years now, many expressing political sentiments.

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Uberfubs

Dr Cream photographs his street art to produce animations and guests photographing street art on the Street Art Photography Workshop get to do it in style

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Capturing Dr Cream

Our street art tours sometimes provide opportunities for glimpsing street art in the moment of creation, occasionally to meet street artists but always thereis the possibility of taking great photographs.

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Reflecting on Roa

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Thatcham Photography Club & JimmyC

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Seasonal trash sculpture installation by Sell Out (featured), Femme Maison

Finally, after several weeks of tours in typical December weather for London, lets remind ourselves that the sun does indeed shine on the tour sometimes, this lovely photo is by tour guest Suzanne Muhaffie:

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Sure – photograph by Suzanne Muhaffie

Thanks again to so many of you for your kind and generous feedback and for uploading photographs of the great street art the artists create in London.

Season’s greetings and happy holidays to all.

Links:

AJ Lavilla (featured photo sticker) Instagram

Clet Abraham Facebook

Faith 47 Website

Neon Savage Instagram

Uberfubs Instagram

Dr Cream Instagram , Youtube

Roa Facebook

JimmyC Website

Sell Out Instagram

Sam Sure Instagram

All photographs Dave Stuart except Suzanne Muhaffie where noted

Small Faces In Great Places

A couple of months ago on another blog we wrote about the nation’s 17^th favourite piece of art, Stik’s couple on Princelet Street. Never static, there have been some developments, evolutions and surprises.

The first bit of news is that unsurprisingly (as Stik had told us when we interviewed him) the couple was restored to its pristine original condition when Stik painted over the elephant a couple of weeks ago.

Study that photo taken 2 weeks ago closely, on the right there is one small pottery face where several months ago there were two. The niqab wearing female next to Stik’s couple got lucky last Friday night and now has found a new partner!

The cautious and often well advised anonymity of street artists sometimes leads to prolonged searches for an artist’s identity and not always one that ends in success, as indeed was the case for me regarding the identity of the face maker. Last week when hunting for the source of a sticker we stumbled across the identity of the artist who makes the small faces, j.ace. Well done j.ace, we love your faces but putting up signed artworks three days after we found your identity – that’s very mischievous humour!

That sticker

More faces by j.ace

Link: j.ace instagram

all photos: Dave Stuart