Another London: Brick Lane Moments 2

continued from here.

But hey! This is the East End! How could you possibly escape the graffiti and the street art? As much as Brick Lane is a visual, ethnic and cultural entity in its own right, the thread of street art that runs through it ties it with the rest of the East End. Here's what I spotted:

Jeff Soto









Nathan Bowen















An evil Ronald McDonald

And other unidentified ones. (Help appreciated)













Someone does not like New Media:

Brick Lane gives stiff competition to Rivington Street in the graffiti department! If you can identify these works, please do let me know!

...to be continued

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.

Art and Grime at Shoreditch High Street

The East End of London lies just beyond 'The City' - the City of London of the banks and businesses and the investment bankers, the money and the riches, the swanky glass and steel monoliths and the Gherkin...the typical, the most famous imagery of London as the world knows it - just beyond it is the rundown, derelict, grimey borough of Hackney. Known equally for its ghettos and youth gangs as its art scene, Hackney is an Ethnographer's delight. The East End, in fact is one of the main concentrations for London's contemporary art scene and is as littered with studios and 'artsy types' - the 'Shoreditch twats' of popular culture, as it is with crumbling old buildings, juvenile criminals and wastrels and graffiti.

No wonder then, I wanted to click it.

My first 'brush' with Shoreditch was when I was a postgraduate student of city design and social science two years back. I was interviewing Bangladeshi business owners at Spitalfields and Bethnal Green - both just off the Shoreditch High Street. That was an intimidating experience, because I was unnerved by the rough surroundings, the scared or shy Bangladeshi women who refused to speak to me, the dawdling men who glared at me and my voice recorder as I exited the shops, and the repetitive mention of youth gangs by everyone I spoke to. But it also piqued my curiosity about the area because I got a whiff of the underground art , fashion and music scene as I walked the streets that day - more of an intruder than a flâneur then ; but a flâneur today when I walked into Shoreditch High Street with my camera, not to talk or intervene; instead to quietly experience and capture the street and re-tell the story of it here.

click on pictures to enlarge

One of the first things that strikes you as you walk from Bishopsgate towards Shoreditch High Street is the stark and almost abrupt change in the urban views and the environment - right across a simple traffic signal. The glittering, gleaming City towers over Shoreditch like a benevolent giant, yet how far it feels from you depends on which side of Norton Folgate you are.

The second thing I realised was that I wasn't the only photographer around.

And then you see it. The dichotomy of the old and new - the feeble signs of gentrification that are trying to come into their own amongst the derelict roughness, and only barely succeeding.

And then there is the quirkiness of street art - where else but the East End?

Yes - those are real Tube engines!



Right outside the Shoreditch Church, urging you to be...er... rude.

This last picture was clicked on Rivington Street, which turned out to be an exciting bohemian delight. I am saving that for another post!

That's the thing with Shoreditch, every other street will bring surprising signs of gentrification in the middle of the squalor. A large number of old buildings and warehouses have been converted into studios and offices now, from which artists, musicians, designers and fashionistas operate. I need to befriend somone who lives here! There's Hoxton, which is known for it's vintage and cheap fashion market, there's Fashion Street where upcoming designers sell their stuff, there's Spitalfields, Smithfields Market, Bangla Town, Bethnal Green... for me, that means a whole lot of flânerie for the future and for you, a whole lot of pictures and stories.

Do keep dropping in. :)