Tag Archives: Walks

New Years Day New Free Art by Sean Worrall

Last night I was picking photos and writing words to go in a review of 2015 street art that had caught my eye when I saw on Sean Worrall’s facebook page that he had been out hanging a few pieces of free street art, also known as found art or art that the artist does intend you take home and treasure in Shoreditch. I am going to have to re-write what I wrote last night because on the Shoreditch Street Art Tour today we found several pieces of Sean’s #365artdrops project.

London, Shoreditch, street art, tours, walks, found art, free art, #365artdrops, Sean Worrall

#365artdrops number 239

#365artdrops is a project that Sean has run throughout 2015 and a number of the free pieces of street art he has left on the street have gone home with guests of Shoreditch Street Art Tours.

#365artdrops 258

The two pieces above are both going to a new home in Sydney, Australia. This next piece was destined to decorate family premises in Spain.

#365artdrops 357

An interesting aspect of Sean’s project is that he has no control over what happens to his #365artdrops once he steps away from it. Some of it may end up in skips, one piece I know of found a home hanging in the toilet of a Shoreditch café and a number have actually ended up travelling the world, a long way from their original liberation from skips and bins on the streets of London.

#365artdrops 357

Sean has just published a blog post about the completion of his #365artdrops project and promises a more comprehensive review of the project soon, it will be fascinating to get his insight into what impacts the project has had on him as a person and an artist. Well done Sean Worrall for keeping up that project throughout 2015, we will miss the excitement of these chance discoveries.

Sean updates his Facebook page and a photo album with the latest news on his #365artdrops project here: https://www.facebook.com/sean.worrall1

For previous works of art from Sean’s project which were found, photographed and written about on blog posts, click here

All photos: Dave Stuart aka NoLionsInEngland

Shoreditch Free Art Finds New Homes

Street artists have been in generous mood leaving Free Art for people to collect and a couple of guests on this morning’s tour found themselves going home with new found art pieces.

First, Tindra found this curious burnt matchstick painted on glass which she hopes she can take home to Sweden.

London, Shoreditch, street art, tours, walks, found art, free art, Imaginary Friend

“He Tells me To Do It” – painting on glass

“He tell’s me to do it” [punctuation: artist’s own] – Some pyromaniac is blaming the Imaginary Friend, this will look great in a plain frame with the wall behind being set alight by the match.

Then Jennifer became the proud owner of the latest in a substantial line of free art by Sean Worrall deposited on the streets under the aegis of his #365artdrop project.

Sean Worrall #365artdrops

Part 312 of 365 is going to find a new home in Missouri, USA.

Delighted new owner Jennifer

Sean Worrall “Please Take” #365artdrops

Previous #365artdrop discoveries by guests were mentioned on blog posts here: http://bit.ly/1M2nEnf

Sean updates his Facebook page and a photo album with the latest news on his #365artdrops project here: https://www.facebook.com/sean.worrall1

All photos: Dave Stuart

Awarded Certificate Of Excellence

Shoreditch Street Art Tours is delighted to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious and prized Tripadvisor 2015 Certificate of Excellence.

This award is testament to two things, the most important is our wonderful guests who have chosen to share their appreciation of the Shoreditch Street Art Tour activities with the public through Tripadvisor. The second, and we blush here, is down to the quality of the tour.

London, Shoreditch,streetart,tour,walk,guests,guided,

Tripadvisor Certificate Of Excellence

At this moment a quick glance at Tripadvisor shows that since its first review appeared in July 2013, Shoreditch Street Art Tours has received 601 reviews and a massive 587 – that’s 98% – of those are 5 out of 5 stars. The other 14 of course are all 4 stars.

The art always changes, the route may changes, the message often changes but the quality of the experience is unwaivering.

London, Shoreditch,streetart,tour,walk,guests,guided,

photo: Ron de Vos (guest)

We thank all the guests who have provided feedback through Tripadvisor and the other locations where independent reviews can be placed, here are just a few snippets from recent Tripadvisor reviews:

“I brought along my husband who didn’t have a previous interest in the subject and at the end he said, “This is the best tour I have ever been on in any city”. ” – Annie Y, 16 May 2015

“Don’t skip the Tate. But this is even better. ” – Gutflam5, 15 May 2015

“with Dave’s expertise, we were able to understand and decode the messages hidden in the work” – Maria V, 12 May 2015

Certificate courtesy Tripadvisor

Group photo: Ron de Vos

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

In London:

je suis charlie

Pure Evil je suis charlie

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

je suis charlie Graffiti Life

More details on Graffoto blog

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.

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.

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

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

All photos: NoLionsinEngland

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Work In Progress 2014

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

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.

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

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.

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.

sculpture

Jonesy: Carved wood, paint

drawing

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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!

Trust.Icon (photo: nolionsinengland)

Tears Of A Clown

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

Graffik Gallery,

284 Portobello Road,

London, W10 5TE.