I've always been a bit partial to well-executed street art and I love the fact that it's become an accepted art form in it's own right. I'm not talking about the fat-marker scribbles produced by callow youths in hoodies with a snarling hound charmingly named Killer. I'm talking about the sort of art that leaps out at you from the urban landscape and makes you think, smile or weep. Effective art should always provoke a strong reaction.
This is one of my favorite bits of street-art. A bit obvious, maybe, but it makes me laugh.
I'm still kicking myself that I was fool enough not to snap up a Banksy when I had the chance... There I was at one of the first street-art exhibitions in London supporting an old mate of mine who'd pulled the whole thing together. There it was, hanging on the wall in front of me - the Banksy Monkey. I loved it, I had my cheque-book in my bag... and I bottled out. What a fool. I really should have said b*llocks to the council tax bill and bought myself a bit of wall-mounted pleasure instead. You live, you learn.
As an aside, I've just stumbled across the new iPhone app, Banksy Locations which shows you where the secretive one's pieces are in London. Not quite sure what I make of this - half of me hates the gimmick whilst the other half thinks it might be kind of cool but I haven't yet quite figured out how or why. And no, before you ask, I haven't and I won't be downloading it myself.
It's not just all about Banksy though. Check out the latest from Paintshop Studio; a London-based 'creative collective' which fuses graffiti art with graphic design. Nice. Fresh. Different. Fun. I like it.
This is one of my favorite bits of street-art. A bit obvious, maybe, but it makes me laugh.
I'm still kicking myself that I was fool enough not to snap up a Banksy when I had the chance... There I was at one of the first street-art exhibitions in London supporting an old mate of mine who'd pulled the whole thing together. There it was, hanging on the wall in front of me - the Banksy Monkey. I loved it, I had my cheque-book in my bag... and I bottled out. What a fool. I really should have said b*llocks to the council tax bill and bought myself a bit of wall-mounted pleasure instead. You live, you learn.
As an aside, I've just stumbled across the new iPhone app, Banksy Locations which shows you where the secretive one's pieces are in London. Not quite sure what I make of this - half of me hates the gimmick whilst the other half thinks it might be kind of cool but I haven't yet quite figured out how or why. And no, before you ask, I haven't and I won't be downloading it myself.
It's not just all about Banksy though. Check out the latest from Paintshop Studio; a London-based 'creative collective' which fuses graffiti art with graphic design. Nice. Fresh. Different. Fun. I like it.
Comments