Tag Archives: Tours

Top Blog For Street Art and Graffiti in Shoreditch is……..

Judging by the “vote me” messages in my email inbox it must be the time of year when bloggers seek “blogger of the year” titles.  Shoreditch Street Art Tours is proud to announce it has been blessed with its first (publishable!) accolade this season, our blog tops ShoreditchInshort’s  5 best blogs they would recommend concerning Shoreditch.   Wooo hooooo, we are pleased and honoured, thank you very much Julie, author of that very discerning blog.

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Face the facts! Avem, Mr.Farenheit, Anna Laurini

We like to illustrate our blog posts with relevant and beautiful photographs but a screengrab of our own blog on this occasion would be a bit, well, tcky and redundant.  So, as we love Shoreditch’s street art AND a new issue of Very Nearly Almost magazine is launching this week, we thought we would celebrate with some of the photos submitted by NoLionsInEngland to VNA which didn’t make the cut.  We won’t be betraying any confidences if we say that for each edition, VNA’s content gurus looks through about 20 or so images we select and generally publishes 4 or 5 in the magazine.  This leaves us with a number of photos which then generally don’t see the light of day but are too nice to be totally forgotten.  Enjoy these photos, more information about the launch of issue 29 of Very Nearly Almost to follow shortly.

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All photos: NoLionsInEngland


London, Street art, Shoreditch, tour, tours, walk, walks, Dan Witz, PETA,” People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals”, “Empty The Cages”, sculpture, installation,cow,pig,chicken,rooster

Dan Witz street art in London

New York based street artist Dan Witz has recently visited London to create a politically charged emotive street art campaign. Dan WItz started painting delicate realistic hummingbird on the streets in the 1970s and is now known for eerie street art featuring despairing oppressed humans incarcerated behind doors and gratings.

 

London, Street art, Shoreditch, tour, tours, walk, walks, Dan Witz, PETA,” People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals”, “Empty The Cages”, sculpture, installation,cow,pig,chicken,rooster

Danger of Death

Empty The Cages is a new PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals) campaign for which vegan Dan Witz aims to raise awareness of the cruelty inflicted on animals in the quest for more efficient and cheaper meat production to feed the worst parasite this planet has ever witnessed – mankind.

London, Street art, Shoreditch, tour, tours, walk, walks, Dan Witz, PETA,” People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals”, “Empty The Cages”, sculpture, installation,cow,pig,chicken,rooster

These pieces have been placed mainly in the Kings Cross and Clerkenwell areas of London. The pieces stand out for their accomplished finish, their coherent message and the daringness of their placement.

London, Street art, Shoreditch, tour, tours, walk, walks, Dan Witz, PETA,” People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals”, “Empty The Cages”, sculpture, installation,cow,pig,chicken,rooster

A full description of the merits and meanings of this street art campaign can be found on our sister blog Graffoto

 

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All photos: NoLionsinEngland


London, Shoreditch, Street art,tour,tours,walk,walks,guide,guided, street artist, spraycan,paste ups, paper, Skeleton Cardboard

Street Artist Skeleton Cardboard Brings Day Of The Dead Early

A burst of activity by English street artist Skeleton Cardboard resulted in the discovery of a number of new nuggets by several Shoreditch Street Art Tours over the weekend.

 

We found the above painted doors yesterday morning on a route which we hadn’t explored since Saturday morning. A pair of skeletons exhort us to abandon various false media, perhaps we have to learn from their example, look where too much TV, too much responding to the junk mail, living on the never never got them!
Skeleton cardboard is not one of those globe trotting street art mega stars who gets high profile permissioned murals where ever he goes round the world, he has been doing small and generally witty pieces on Shoreditch walls and we can see a clear trajectory of improving street art over the past two years or so.

 

Just a couple of weeks ago Skeleton Cardboard had a solo show in Monty’s Bar on Brick Lane. The walls were peppered with dark, day-of-the-dead skeletal characters who mocked those stern proclamations prohibitions issued by various authority figures or found on product packaging which we are expected to read and heed. “Nothing of value stored in here” or “invalid if opened” takes on a darker meaning when juxtaposed with a grinning skull on a dancing skeleton.

London, Shoreditch, Street art,tour,tours,walk,walks,guide,guided, street artist, spraycan,paste ups, paper, Skeleton Cardboard

A couple of tour groups over the weekend also found new paste ups of skeletons painted on found vintage magazine paper. The magazine in question was a supplement to Amateur Gardening, a respectable gardening periodical it seems and the content was Percy Thrower’s picture guide, to what isn’t stated but we guess gardens. There is no date on the paper but Percy Thrower passed away in 1988, he bestrode the worlds of TV and horticulture like a garden centre goliath but those were days when a man mimicking various bird calls was prime time TV.

London, Shoreditch, Street art,tour,tours,walk,walks,guide,guided, street artist, spraycan,paste ups, paper, Skeleton Cardboard

Good street art pops off its background and Skeleton Cardboard has certainly found a couple of gorgeous locations for placing these paste ups.

We have previously found free art by Skeleton Cardboard on the streets, see here


Shoreditch, London, Street art, street,art,Nathan Bowen,graffiti,walk,walks,tour,tours,fish,soldiers, builders, marker pen

New Nathan Bowen Shutter In Shoreditch

Street Artist Nathan Bowen was on the streets of Shoreditch this afternoon painting in a location which has seen a few high profile murals from him in the past. This time, his trademark builders and soldiers are off on a fishing trip.

Shoreditch, London, Street art, street,art,Nathan Bowen,graffiti,walk,walks,tour,tours,fish,soldiers, builders, marker pen

Starting with a whitewash background, Nathan set to work with marker pens in a fast and furious style which echoes in the terse appearance of his figures .

Shoreditch, London, Street art, street,art,Nathan Bowen,graffiti,walk,walks,tour,tours,fish,soldiers, builders, marker pen

Work In Progress 2014

The fish is a change for Nathan, it has lovely colours in its scales and fins but it looks like the fishermen are going to get a surprise when they land this monster.

Shoreditch, London, Street art, street,art,Nathan Bowen,graffiti,walk,walks,tour,tours,fish,soldiers, builders, marker pen

Nathan kindly allowed the Shoreditch Street Art Tour to watch him in action and take some picies. It was a particular meaningful moment for one of our Californian guests (not pictured!) who had been to the fortnightly Sclater Street Stalls last Saturday and bought a small piece of art by Nathan Bowen, that piece now will certainly become a bit more special.

Shoreditch, London, Street art, street,art,Nathan Bowen,graffiti,walk,walks,tour,tours,fish,soldiers, builders, marker pen

Work In Progress 2014

Nathan is no stranger to this spot, we found him painting there back in 2012.

Shoreditch, London, Street art, street,art,Nathan Bowen,graffiti,walk,walks,tour,tours,fish,soldiers, builders, marker pen

work in progress 2012

Nathan often allows his figures to interact in a dialogue with existing art, in 2012 he amused us when Australian artist Lush painted a split unicorn over a Bowen composition on this spot, Nathan responded by adding some furious characters riding the unicorn.

Shoreditch, London, Street art, street,art,Nathan Bowen,graffiti,walk,walks,tour,tours,fish,soldiers, builders, marker pen

Nathan Bowen v. Lush

So, yesterday we wrote about the Spanish artist Pez who painted his “happy fish”, today we have Nathan Bowen’s characters out for a day of fishing, what’s next, is Columbian street artist Stinkfish in town?

all photos: NoLionsInEngland

links:

Nathan Bowen website

Nathan Bowen Twitter


Shoreditch,London,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walks,Jonesy,spraypaint,shutter,linoprint , sculpture, environment, environmentalism, politics

Jonesy Paints Stunning Shutter In Shoreditch

Jonesy has been one of our favourite artists for a number of years and spotting artwork by him has been a favourite game on the Shoreditch Street Art Tour. He has sprung a surprise by painting a shutter, not something we have seen before from this passionate artist and craftsman.

Jonesy is a master craftsman and awe inspiring artwork in the past has included bronze castings set into walls and atop street sign poles, linoprints and paintings in pastel and oil.  His art resonates with concerns over non renewable fuels, nuclear waste and genetically modified organisms.

Shoreditch,London,Street Art,Tour, Street artists,Jonesy,Sculpture,Three,3x3x3,T.wat

Jonesy: cast bronze plaque,

In his most recent wave of artwork over the past few weeks, we have seen a number of linoprints on heavy art paper (none of your nicked-from-work photocopier paper), carved wood panel creations and a stunning sculptural installation.

Shoreditch,London,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walks,Jonesy,spraypaint,shutter,linoprint , sculpture, environment, environmentalism, politics,

sculpture

Shoreditch,London,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walks,Jonesy,spraypaint,shutter,linoprint , sculpture, environment, environmentalism, politics,

Jonesy: Carved wood, paint

Shoreditch,London,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walks,Jonesy,spraypaint,shutter,linoprint , sculpture, environment, environmentalism, politics,

drawing

Shoreditch,London,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walks,Jonesy,spraypaint,shutter,linoprint , sculpture, environment, environmentalism, politics,

Linocut print A/P

This morning on a pleasant cycling interlude we found this totally unexpected shutter painted by Jonesy.   We have never seen anything worked directly on the surface like this before from Jonesy but its real impact is simply in its painterly beauty, nevermind what surface it is on or whether this was spray cans or emulsion and roller, this is just a beautiful work of art – with a message.

Shoreditch,London,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walks,Jonesy,spraypaint,shutter,linoprint , sculpture, environment, environmentalism, politics

Jonesy shutter “Missing Link Hydrogen”

By the way, the “How To Build A Universe” is a relic of a previous piece of work by Edwin. It is possible to see a link between Jonesy’s new piece and Edwin’s old headline.


Casino In London

A few weeks ago I made an exciting trip to Sheffield where I saw loads of great street art on the streets and in derelict buildings. Some was by artists whose work I knew well but it was great to come across so many artists that were completely new to me. One of those exciting discoveries (for me) was Casino.   On today’s Shoreditch Street Art Tour what did we find hidden away behind a rather colourful oft painted building – a fresh new piece in London by Casino! It’s a small world.

Shoreditch,London,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walk,spraycan,art,casino,Sheffield

Casino In London

Here is one of the Casino pieces I found in a derelict building in Sheffield.

Shoreditch,London,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walk,spraycan,art,casino,Sheffield

Casino on an abandoned derelict dry ski slope, Sheffield

Casino is also present in the company of EUG in the large exciting wall in Sheffield.

Shoreditch,London,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walk,spraycan,art,casino,Sheffield

EUG/BOOMS and Casino in Sheffield

No doubt your appetite to see more about the street art, graffiti and murals in Sheffield has been whetted so I recommend checking out my post on Graffoto for a whole heap of photographs of Sheffield’s colourful walls.

all photos: NoLionsInEngland


Shoreditch,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walk,spraycan,art,meeting of styles

Meeting Of Styles UK 2014

Meeting Of Styles is an international celebration of the art of the spraycan, graffiti and music. Since 2002 Meeting Of Styles spraycan art jams have taken place in 16 countries.

This coming weekend is the turn of Shoreditch to host the Meeting Of Styles UK 2014 event. With over 60 artists taking part and by our own crude estimate possibly 400m of walls being decorated, this is going to an exciting and colourful show by some of the World’s top exponents of spraycan graffiti art.

Shoreditch,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walk,spraycan,art,meeting of styles

Pref ID, Inkfetish 40HK, Meeting Of Styles 2009

We went to our first Meeting Of Styles event in 2008 when it was held on the roof and walls of what is now Village Underground on Holywell lane and Great Eastern St. That was back in the day when you never saw street art or graffiti being created live in the daytime so it was incredibly exciting to mingle with artists and watch this incredible graffiti being created, all in the ambience of super cool party with great music and great drink.

Shoreditch,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walk,spraycan,art,meeting of styles

Meeting Of Styles 2008

Shoreditch,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walk,spraycan,art,meeting of styles

Meeting Of Styles 2008

Artists lined up for this year’s Meeting Of Styles UK include

JIM VISION | ZADOK | TIZER | GENT 48 | MASAI | DANK | 2RISE | WRIST | HICKS | PARLEE | REPLETE | ELPH | ASTEK | VODKER | TWESH | ANDREA | OTWO | 3DOM | SEPR | CHEO | SOKER | EPOK | TITLE | SOLO1 | BRK | AEON | SNOE | WISHER | INKIE | SI MITCHELL | SPZERO76 | SQUIRL | CAPTAIN KRIS | PUBLIC SPIRIT | AR | IZER | PARIS | DEP | CHU | ODISY | VIBES | LOVEPUSHER | CRIMEAN | JASIK | INK FETISH | AMUK | SIREN | CENZ | CANDY | VENTZA | BRAVE1 | PREF | FPLO | DIE DIXONS | STIKA

Shoreditch,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walk,spraycan,art,meeting of styles

Pref ID, Inkfetish 40HK, Meeting Of Styles 2009

The event is free and will take place over Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th July, party central will be Rockwell House, Hewitt St, EC2A 3NN. Details of the festivities are available on the facebook event page.  The Shoreditch Street Art Tour will almost certainly be swinging by some of the locations  to maybe catch some live painting

Shoreditch,street art,graffiti,tour,tours,walk,walk,spraycan,art,meeting of styles

Vibes, Towns RT

all photos: NoLionsInEngland


Banksy v Roa – the World Cup’s got nothing on this!

Who would win in a fight between a Roa hedgehog and a Banksy rat?  We might find out as there’s a fascinating week in prospect in the world of London galleries who show artists who are more at home on outdoor walls.

 BANKSY: The Unauthorised Retrospective, Curated by Steve Lazarides

London,Shoreditch,street art,walks,walking,tour,tours,Banksy,Roa,Trust.Icon,stencil,art

Banksy canvas: Avon and Somerset Constabulary; image courtesy Sothebys website

Steve Lazarides in conjunction with, or thanks to, or despite Sotheby’s is staging a “selling show” of Banksy print and canvas artwork. Steve Lazarides is famously known as the svengali who co-piloted spaceship Banksy to enormous heights until the relationship ended a few years ago. “He’d hate it. It’s about as far removed from something he would contemplate as you could get” says Lazardis though it’s probably not as far off the Banksy Christmas card list as a show exhibiting Banksy’s street works in a boutique hotel basement.

What you will get are about 70 prints and canvasses by Banksy, supposedly the largest exhibition of his work ever but it will be asurprise if it matches the scale of the epic 2009 Bristol Museum and Art Gallery show (which of course was “authorised” Banksy).

Chances of getting to see the private view are virtually zilch, especially if you are reading this the day after tomorrow. “Go and see it when it’s quiet” said my friend on the inside. The last time anything “quiet” happened with Banksy was back in ‘05 when our whole family trotted along to the Crude Oils show with the live rats and just walked in off the street over the weekend. It may be a little different this time.

11 June 2014 – 25 July 2014

Monday – Friday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 June 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Sotheby’s S|2 space

31 St. George Street, London W1S 2FJ

ROA: ‘PROJECTUM 06’

Roa has to be one of the few street art talents who can rank up alongside Banksy and he has an original show opening head to head in London in the same week as the Banksy retrospective!

ROA first exhibited in London at Pure Evil’s gallery in 2008, a show that propelled him to stardom as we fell in love with these dishevelled, skinned and disembowelled creatures painted on anything but conventional canvas. Stolen Space’s first show in what has now become their home was the cracking 2012 Hynagogia staged before the gallery became the cleaner, whiter two roomed permanent gallery home it is now. This return to Stolen Space sees the Belgian painter create another installation based show which is sure to have us gasping at its unconventional surfaces and grubby dirty creatures. Can’t wait.

London,Shoreditch,street art,walks,walking,tour,tours,Banksy,Roa,Trust.Icon,stencil,art

“Deer”; image courtesy Stolen Space

MAX RIPPON: “Pentimento”

Also opening at the same time in the other Stolen Space room is “Pentimento” by Max Rippon aka NY street artist/graffiti writer RIPO. Expect top quality graphic art with a graffiti twist.

London,Shoreditch,street art,walks,walking,tour,tours,Banksy,Roa,Trust.Icon,stencil,art

max Rippon aka “RIPO”; image courtesy Stolen Space

A huge heap of talent there in those two rooms. Both shows:

13 June – 6 July (private view 12th, 6pm)

STOLEN SPACE GALLERY
17 Osborn Street
London E1 6TD

 

TRUST.ICON: “Tears of a Clown”

Meanwhile, on the far side of town, Trust.Icon opens Tears Of A Clown, RSVP required. Some of Trust.Icon’s street artsuch as this recent location specific single layer stencil image is top notch. Some not so!

London,Shoreditch,street art,walks,walking,tour,tours,Banksy,Roa,Trust.Icon,stencil,art

Trust.Icon (photo: nolionsinengland)

London,Shoreditch,street art,walks,walking,tour,tours,Banksy,Roa,Trust.Icon,stencil,art

Tears Of A Clown

12 – 26 June (private view 6.30 pm, 12th)

Graffik Gallery,

284 Portobello Road,

London, W10 5TE.


Street Artists From Jordan and Bahrain Visit Shoreditch

A few weeks ago Shoreditch Street Art Tours received one of its more unusual assignments when our friend Cedar Lewisohn asked us to guide four street graffiti writers/street artists from Jordan and Bahrain around Shoreditch’s street art.   Wesam Shadid and Mohammed Al Abbar from Jordan and Mahmoud Al Shargawie and Mike Derderian from Bahrain were visiting the UK on a street art study tour funded by the British Council.

Their action packed week took them around London and Bristol and saw them painting in the legendary Leake Street Hall of fame, check out their experience on this short film produced by the British Council.

Chatting with these characters was certainly eye opening, the conditions they paint under in their home countries and the expense of getting paint supplies mean creating art on the walls of their homeland requires heightened passion and self sacrifice, not to mention expense.

London,Shoreditch,walking,tour,tours,Street art,artists,Cedar Lewisohn, Wesam Shadid,Mohammed Al Abbar, Mahmoud Al Shargawie,Mike Derderian,British Council

Cargo’s security not what it used to be, feat Wesam Shadid

Cycling home the next day via Leake Street tunnel I came across the guys again and Wesam did me the honour of putting up my name in Arabic on the legendary Leake Street walls. Thanks Wesam, for me this was a real honour and a privilege.

London,Shoreditch,walking,tour,tours,Street art,artists,Cedar Lewisohn, Wesam Shadid,Mohammed Al Abbar, Mahmoud Al Shargawie,Mike Derderian,British Council,West One

“Dave” by Wesam “West One” Shadid