The Book Shops of Charing Cross Road

I know, Soho is better known for its theatres, throngs of tourists and its seediness. But Charing Cross Road is best known for its bookshops and I've noticed the sheer number of them too, while trying to wind my way through the crowds, trying not get run over by people or traffic.

Last week I had the unintentional pleasure of being in Soho early in the morning, when the workday was only just beginning, most of the shops and cafes were closed and the tourists were presumably still in bed. It was lovely. And because I had my camera on me, I decided it was the perfect time to document these bookshops.

(click on pictures to enlarge)

Any Amount of Books - a treasure trove of secondhand books.



Henry Pordes - yet another antiquarian heaven, and an old and renowned name themselves

Koenig Books - one of the last few remaining design-specialist bookshops on the road

Starting from Leicester Square tube station, these book shops seem to progress towards Tottenham Court Road in a roughly decreasing order of specialism. Most of these bookshops on the east side of the road reside on the ground floor of an old housing estate - and thanks to the landlord revising the rents sharply upwards, a number of these bookshops have had to close shutters recently. One of the latest casualties is Shipley Books:

R.I.P

Then there are the larger generalist stores towards the Tottenham Court Road side.

But the largest of all these is Foyles. This particular branch of Foyles is supposed to be the largest in the UK - and I can personally vouch for their great collection spread over five floors.

Foyles, in fact, was the reason I was at Charing Cross Road in the first place - I was here to drop off my prints for the month-long Slow Exposure Exhibition at the Ray's Jazz Cafe within Foyles. The exhibition went up on Friday, 24th April and will go on until 24th May. Two of my pictures are part of the 28 exhibits but I honestly think some of the other photographers' work is much more worthy and truly commendable! Do go have a look.

As I've written previously, the Slow Exposure exhibition is part of the Slow Down London Festival and Foyles is running several events as part of the festival. I think it's a great concept - something each of one us needs to...well, slow down and give a thought to.

And if you agree with the thought, take the time out - saunter into one of these bookshops and lose yourself in the books. Browse for hours. Do it slowly. :)

Art: the Formal versus the Informal at Rivington Street

The last time I went to Shoreditch, I only peeped into Rivington Street. I caught sight of works by two of the greatest street artists Britain has produced, got excited, started clicking... and ran out of batteries. Plus, it was biting cold and it was a day when I'd been foolishly optimistic about the weather while dressing up. I had to beat a sorry retreat, albeit with a strong resolve to go back as soon as possible - with an extra set of batteries.

I was rewarded with that opportunity yesterday.

Do correct me if I'm wrong, but Rivington Street seems to me to be the mecca of street art in London. The first thing you notice when you enter the street from the Shoreditch side is Eine's famous (or infamous, depending upon how you're inclined to view street art) typography. It transforms the underside of this bridge from a dingy stinky passageway into an art gallery in its own right.

click on pictures to enlarge

On the opposite wall sits one of the entrances to Cargo, the live music bar, flanked on either side by graffiti - by someone whose name I haven't been able to trace yet. (Leads appreciated).

If this looks familiar, you probably saw it here

*Update: The two silhouette pieces above are by an artist called Sam3. Hat tip: Xylo

Cargo's courtyard/garden on the other side of this bridge is a haven for street art - it houses two famous Banksy works on each end, with multiple Shepard Faireys, an Ego Leonard and other street art in between:

Banksy's 'Designated Graffiti Area' - this one is so precious, it is covered with a pyrex sheet.






Shepard Fairey's 'Obey' posters



Unidentified - help appreciated



Ego Leonard's Lego



Banksy's HMV

I moved out of the rear exit of Cargo and into the courtyard (narrow alleyway) of the Black Rat Press and come across more street art - outside the gallery. And here comes the interesting part, if you haven't figured out from the name already, the Black Rat Press is dedicated to showcasing the best of street art and artists from around the world. It houses works by D'Face, Swoon, Brian Adam Douglas, Slinkachu and Nick Georgiou among others. The name of the gallery is of course taken from Banksy's signature black rat that has made appearances in several cities of the world.

Unidentified, outside Black Rat Press. Any help?



Someone left their paints behind



Love the typography

Like Shoreditch, but less so, Rivington Street is a study in contrast - or perhaps it is a study in tolerance of extremes. The street is littered with art galleries showcasing formal, recognised forms of art, while the walls outside these galleries host works by some of the most well-known street artists. The David Adjaye designed Rivington Place, for example, has an exhibition on by well known South African photographer Santu Mofokeng. Right behind the gallery, enclosed in its own parking space, is a famous Stylo and Mear piece from 2001.

Rivington Street is obviously a place for artists, photographers and designers. Old world sentimentalities about art and design perhaps do not fit in here. Every establishment on this street - cafe, gallery, bar, shop - pays homage to eclecticism and acceptance, an almost-rebellious response to the old school. The contemporary parallels of slick stylishness and alternative movements coexist on the same street, a kilometre long stretch of bohemian utopia.

The Bedroom Bar



The Comedy Cafe



The absolutely lovely ArtWords Book Shop - a tiny treasure trove for resources on contemporary visual arts

I don't care what the puritans say about street art. I believe that as much as it can destroy the fabric of a place, not all street art is subversive. Some brings it back from disuse, back into acceptance and back into character from decay and Rivington Street is an excellent example of this. There is a fine line between mindless graffiti and street art, between wasteful self-indulgence and creativity - and instead of trashing all street art as vandalism, I think that line needs to be recognised and that distinction made.

So far this has been one street where I've felt completely at ease wielding my camera around. No one gave me a suspicious look, no curious glances were thrown my way. Instead, passers-by smiled at me, nodded in understanding, invited me into their galleries. I was running out of time so didn't step into many, but I'm so going back yet again. I had a fantastic time clicking this street despite the cold drizzle on my head, my struggle to keep my lens dry, and the failing light.

Oh, and the extra set of batteries helped - I ran out midway.

PS: If you have an opinion on this, I'd love to hear what you think about street art as a legitimate art form in the comments or on email.