Art Of The State Blog - London

Cans Festival Part 3

Editor — Tue, 06 May 2008 06:18:00 +0100

Well the Cans Festival is over now and the installs are supposed to be in the process of being removed as I type. The graffiti on the walls in the tunnel may yet last another six months or six hours. Who knows, certainly not me.

Well done to the organisers for putting on such a first class show. It must have cost a small fortune to get the tunnel cleaned up, the exhibits moved in, hire all the staff and do all the paperwork and insurance and whatever else there is to do with organising such a large event. Luckily for us we just turn up and walk around for free. Which is nice.

So much good work to see, apart from the obvious contenders I especially liked the Vhils face sculptures and the madness that was the free for all wall area.

If you didn't get down there heres some flicks of what you missed. I'll be adding a full review of the cans festival to artofthestate shortly.

Banksy CCTreeV

Pobel Watering Can

Vhils Face Sculpture

Banksy Tagger Leopard

Snub stencil

Cans Festival Part 2

Editor — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:18:00 +0100

So the location is now known and it's in Leake Street very close to Waterloo station in London. It's the site of a couple of previous Banksy pieces (one of which is still partially visible). I don't know what the tunnel is like now but when the chimp detonator piece below was there (before it was removed by Network Rail) it was the type of place you couldn't walk through fast enough. The next few days promise to be very different!

The Cans Festival

Editor — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:49:00 +0100

Start shaking your cans, check your face masks, sharpen your best scalpel knife because the Cans Festival is on this weekend. Promising a huge array of artists working only with stencils there's also going to be an opportunity for anyone to turn up with their own stencils and decorate the walls in the designated area. Outside of this area normal British legal system rules apply.

Full details are on thecansfestival.com. Event location will be announced at 10.30am on Friday 2nd May on the cansfestival website. Event runs in London this weekend 3rd, 4th and 5th May 2008.

Artists listed so far are:

Bsas Stencil / Run Don't Walk / James Dodd (dlux) / Tom Civil (civilian) / Vexta / Prism / Daniel Melim / Altocontraste / Bandit / Roadsworth /3D Del Naja / Artiste-Ouvrier / Blek / Sten / Sadhu / C215 / Lucamaleonte / Lex / Orticanoodles / Kaagman / Dolk / Pobel / M-City / Vhils / Btoy / Coolture / Schhh / Borbo / Sam3 / Faile / John Grider / Logan Hicks / Pure Evil / Dot Masters / Dan / Eelus / Banksy

and maybe you?

Eine goes large again

Editor — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:37:00 +0100

Eine makes the 'Mother' club in Old Street exciting for a change and creates hell in Hackney Wick.

Original work on three sides of a building, stitched here to make it easy to see the whole thing.

Fresh out of the can

Editor — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 21:36:00 +0100

New work by Cept found on the Roman Road, Bethnal Green.

The Economy - Sharp downturn predicted

Editor — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:29:00 +0100

Seen on a main route into the City of London on a prime spot for getting noticed by investment bankers as they head to work:

Dave The Chimp

Editor — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:32:00 +0100

There's not nearly enough Dave The Chimp on artofthestate so here's the first part of correcting this. Mighty Mo provides the aerial monkey street onlooker.

Dave The Chimp street triptrych!

Hello again

Editor — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:29:00 +0100

After 800 odd posts I've been taking a break from the blog thing for a while. You'd think in that time I would have come up with a whole load of new ideas but no, it's still going to be London, graffiti, punk and just plain weird photos.

So what;s happened since I last posted? A quick recap will appear over the next few days but I guess that this new Banksy in Newman Street, off Off Oxford Street, London was the main event:

Nick Walker has a new show opening this Thursday (i.e. today) at the Black Rat Press gallery entitled V for Vandalism. Earlier in the week he was in London projecting images onto Big Ben and the Bank Of England. Pictures soon.

pure evil gallery - 'The Krah'

Editor — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:07:00 +0000

The Krah exhibition

Thursday 22nd May to the 4th June at the Pure Evil Gallery.

108 Leonard Street (Shoreditch), London Ec2A 4RH

Nearest tube station - Old Street

David Choe at Lazarides

Editor — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:28:00 +0000

David Choe has a solo exhibition, 'Murderous Heart', on at both branches of Lazarides at the same time. Based on what's going on outside both the London and Newcastle locations the shows inside should be very good indeed. With thanks to Wallkandy for the pictures.

David Choe at work in the passageway off Greek Street, London:

Newcastle Lazarides shop window by David Choe:

How to be anonymous - make sure everyone can see you

Editor — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:41:00 +0000

At last years Brit Awards (and the winner is...some Brit School old boy/girl) Dr.D completerly redid the billboard directly opposite the Earls Court venue with a comment on Cold Play and Clear Channel advertising. Finally there is now a video of how this work got pasted up right under the noses of two watching coppers which is great viewing. To see it in full on Youtube click on the link below.

Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtzsHUDGSgo

Catch of the day

Editor — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:50:00 +0000

Two new Banksy pieces in London.

Where In London #1

Editor — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:00:00 +0000

Just a bit of fun - where in London is this?

Those Banksy additions in full

Editor — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:46:00 +0000

Close up shots of recent additions to two Banksy pieces.

Shafton Road Artist

Pollard Row Yellow Lines

Elbowtoe - Shoreditch

Editor — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:42:00 +0000

Work by elbowtoe in Boot Street Shoreditch, just catching the last of the sun.

Dface Che

Editor — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:40:00 +0000

Dface Che found in Curtain Road - it's a paste up so it's probably not survived the weekend....

Toasters go large

Editor — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:36:00 +0000

Been around a while but still looking fresh - Toasters piece from New North Road in East London

Arofish solo show

Editor — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:48:00 +0000

Arofish has a solo show entitled 'scrapped' coming up soon at the New Cross Gallery:

All of which gives me an excuse to post this piece of recent Arofish work, 'Plague Doctor' found off Old Street.

Maida Vale Sand Creature

Editor — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:18:00 +0000

With thanks to Nancy for the picture of the mysterious Maida Vale Sand Creature:
"There have been road works outside our office on Clifton Road, Maida Vale, for the last month or so. They have been coming to the end or their work and re laying the bricks. Last night they had left a pill of industrial sand, this morning it has been transformed into a giant lizard/dinosaur type creature!"

More Banksy pieces lost

Editor — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:07:00 +0000

Posted over on the PC Advisor blog by Simon Jary is an interesting and saddening article about the demise of two long running Banksy pieces - the Clerkenwell Cash Machine and the Gallery Attendant near Arsenal's Emirates stadium. Both have been in part roller painted over and then a rough stencil put over the top with the words 'all the best". I actually prefer this treatment to the cut out and keep Ebay brigades looting London at the moment. Street art should die in situ if it's going to go....

In recent weeks several other pieces have acquired metallic painted extras - trainers on the Pollard Row painter and a dollar signed ball and chain on the Bethnal Green artist.

Pics below:

Clerkenwell Cash Machine (picture Simon Jary - PC Advisor)

Gallery attendant near Emirates stadium (picture Simon Jary - PC Advisor)

Pollard Row painter, new shoes (picture by Matthew).

More Broadway Market hits

Editor — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:39:00 +0000

Pure Evil paste up, Invader 100 tile and C6/Dotmasters 'bagsy' stencil. There's a great video about Dotmasters here and a wealth of interesting stuff on their own website c6.org

Feltham Tales #1

Editor — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:26:00 +0000

I can see what's going down. The two guys on the other side of the room are quite obviously intending to come over to fix me up. One has already suggested I keep inhaling the drugs he offered. I willingly accept his advice. The other guy I've never spoken to but already he's looking like he's sizing me up. I know their intention and I decide there and then that the less I know about it the better. I take hit after hit until I go dizzy as they come over and tell me "it's time"...

...And that's when they shove my arm back into my shoulder. Three hours earlier I'd slipped off a steep grassy bank (don't ask) and felt my arm go numb. Then start throbbing. Then really begin to just plain hurt. Then I'd noticed that my shoulder felt different and that my arm seemed longer. Realising that made it really fuckin hurt. You can hardly put your own arm back in - that only happens in films - and so it was off to hospital. Dislocated shoulder.

Cheers guys, it's getting better all the time.

Daffy Duck Break Out

Editor — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Found in Shoreditch - possibly by Miss Buggs

C6 Dotmasters

Editor — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 07:00:00 +0000

New stencil work by the Dotmasters - I wonder who they are referring to....

Mighty Mo going large

Editor — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:52:00 +0000

Mighty Mo has a new monkey, a very large monkey indeed. Found near Old Street

The Invisible Art Club, Hackney

Editor — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:50:00 +0000

Work by the Invisible Art Club - looks like Kid Acne, Cyclops, Sweet Toof, Discreet and more.

Toasters back in town

Editor — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 08:57:00 +0000

So good to see some recent Toasters hits around town. It's been too long....

Sticker appeal

Editor — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:53:00 +0000

Bartyhq needs your sticker designs for an upcoming zine he's planning. Send your creations to BartyHQ via post or via Flickr - more details here.

Girls on top

Editor — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:45:00 +0000

'Girls On Top' is an all female graffiti art exhibition starting on February 3rd at the Frisson Gallery in Canterbury, Kent. Artists on show are Evea, Luna, Clear, Lyns, Mira, Akit, Anala, Chock, Peach and Sabe.

Roving reporter

Editor — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:44:00 +0000

So I took these on my journey home from work today. They are of the plane crash at Heathrow (in which, I'm pleased to say, nobody was seriously injured).