London Calling II

On a few square meeters you'll find works of Invader, Donklondon, Otto Schade, Roa, Phlegm and more

When it comes to street art, nowhere else is like London. I just love to walk around in the eastern part and look. And every time I come, there is something new, something fresh in the streets. The street art scene is renewing it self continuously.

Murals by Faith47, Ian Stevenson and Rone

I walk around for hours, visiting places and spots I've been before, and check out new spots. East London is probably the most popular place in the world when it comes to street art, both for famous artists and new talents, and street art photographers, as my self, which try to follow the devolopment.
 

Dale Grimshaw

'Rat looking out' by Roa

 Miss Van and Ciro Schu

The streets of London have become an important outdoor exhibition scene for artists that promotes their work and activities in their studios, galleries and on internet. Making a living of their work. Thousands of bloggers, facebookers and instagrammers post their art directly from the streets every day, and thereby gives the artists free and valuable publicity.

Murals by Alexis Diaz, Martin Ron and Roa

Hhuge Shepard Fairey "Obey Giant" mural

In addition street art in London have become part of the tourist industri. Official and commercial intersts use street art as part of huge advertising campaigns to attract tourists. A numerous of agencies offer guided 'Street Art Tours'. Street art in London is big business. Good sites for updated info about street art in london are Street Art London, Inspiring City, LDN Graffiti, Alternative London and Global Street Art.

The Control Tower (Nuart 2013 outside)

The best thing about Nuart is the outside works around the city of Stavanger.  Brilliant stuff is made around in town. The surprise this year, was the M-city work on the control tower at Stavanger airport (Sola).

Roa Nuart 2013

The line-up this year:
DAL EAST (CN), ROA (BE), M-CITY (PL), FAITH47 (ZA), HUSH (UK), VHILS (PT), ERNEST ZACHAREVIC (LT), C215 (FR), DOT DOT DOT (NO), DOTMASTER (UK), STRØK (NO), MARTIN WHATSON (NO), DAVID CHOE (US) AIKO (JP).

C215 - Christian Guemy (self portrait) Nuart 2013

Martha Cooper from US was specially invited. She's been photographing Graffiti and Street Art since the 70's. Street Art artists and enthusiasts all over the world owe her a lot for her journalism and photos.  

Hush Nuart 2013

AIKO Nuart 2013

Dotmasters Nuart 2013

The state of stencil and stensil art was a theme on the festival this year and three norwegian stencil artists: Strøk, DotDotDot and Martin Whatson presented their works.

Strøk Nuart 2013

Martin Whatson Nuart 2013

DotDotDot Nuart 2013

Stencils plays an important part in the street art movement and is made in different styles and degrees of complexity. However, it's not the complexity that makes the street artist good. Drawing skills is an advantage, but I think it's the idea, the expression and placement that matters. The works by Strøk was fresh and interesting.

Vhils Nuart 2013

Ernest Zacharevic Nuart 2013

This year I was impressed by Ernest Zacharevic's works both inside and outside. The works of the Lithuanian, based in Malaysia, interacts very nicely with the environment.

David Choe Nuart 2013

DALeast Nuart 2013

Faith47 Nuart 2013

M-City at Stavanger Airport Nuart 2013

Roa: London Calling

I love Shoreditch, the main place for Street Art and Graffiti in east London. Street Artist from all over the world have left their works for us to see in the streets like a big open air gallery. The big bird on the picture is made by Roa. Roa makes big, mostly black and white, art works of birds and fury animals on derelict buildings. Alive, dead or sleeping animals, sometimes slaughtered or "x-rayed". Raw, provocative and weird murals placed very visibly in the city environment. Roa comes is from Belgium and became known in the UK when when the local council wanted his painted Rabbit removed from a wall in the Hackney area in 2010. A campaign by local residents forced the council to change their mind. Read more in The Guardian article here.

I took this picture in London february 2012 and was astonished by this and other art works in the area. Roa has a very distinct and different style in the street art world and reaches a broad audience. Even if his weird and naturalistic figures seems misplaced and sometimes brutally displayed, they are beautiful, graceful and spectacular. They strum archetypical strings burried deep in our minds. See some more of his art work here!

Along with Roa comes "London Calling" with The Clash!  (Click on the link or the "play" button on the box below to play the song).