Art and stuff

One of the things Ted and I enjoy doing together, whether at home or on trips, is wandering around different neighbourhoods and finding fun and funny street/graffiti and public art. When travelling, this is even more interesting because it has the added benefit of sometimes getting us a tiny bit outside the major touristy spots (which we always unabashedly enjoy) into other fun spots.

London, it turns out, is quite the hub for street artists (Banksy, anyone?) -- there's even a street art collective. There are blogs and websites dedicated to mapping some of the blocks street artists tend to regularly work and we were able to find and take snaps of neat examples. Turns out some of the fun pieces that caught our eye were done by well-known artists which we figured out after the fact.

Our hotel happened to be right next to Leake Street, one of the only areas where graffiti can be legally done. Although street art can be found all over London, the East End and the Shoreditch neighbourhood are particular hotspots for this. There are some great markets in these areas as well (Old Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane, for example) so depending on where one is, one can mix it up a bit between gawking at walls while taking in the urine-scented atmosphere of some sidestreets and tunnels and looking at handicrafts, vintage ware, and artisan foods.

As for the street art we came across -- sometimes it was an obvious political and/or social commentary, sometimes it was just plain incredible, and sometimes it just made me smile.

This guy made me laugh and was seen near Camden Market.

By ROA. Seen near Brick Lane. Plus, I love pigs.

A medley.

Dolus.

Very topical. John D'Oh.

A giant ROA piece in the Shoreditch area.

Leake Street tunnel. Street artists were actively working while we walked through.

Banksy. Near the Mayfair area.