South London Street Art

by Aquamanda

Aquamanda is the stage name of Amanda Greatorex, a Dulwich-based DJ, singer and musician – this article is part of a series offering up an eclectic playlist of trends, bands, gigs, views and opinions all about music and art with a Dulwich and South London theme.

“A wall has always been the best place to publish your work” (Banksy)

What has happened to our local Banksy art piece? Yes, we had one on Westow Street, Crystal Palace, down the side wall of the library. Obviously someone in authority deemed it a nuisance and ordered it to be rendered over!! When do these images transcend from “vandalism” into “art”. Is it only when they are on canvas, in a posh gallery, much hyped and with a much hyped price tag?

“The people who run our cities don’t understand graffiti because they think nothing has the right to exist unless it makes a profit, which makes their opinion worthless” says the artist, whose identity, even after a few decades of operating, is still shrouded in secrecy.

The great thing about street art is that is done for the purpose of expression – not for the money. Not perceived then as real and worthy art, such pieces are soon erased from public view. In some ways this makes it all the more cutting edge and exiting when you do happen to catch these temporary art works. I was driving round the Crystal Palace triangle one Saturday afternoon recently when Billy,my 6 year old, spotted the smiley faced Grim Reaper. Somewhat unconvinced by my son’s supposed sighting (he was so insistent and I had to admit I was curious), we went round the block once again. And there it was! A couple of weeks later we called by again to take a proper photo (this one taken with camera phone), and it was gone – plastered over!! It’s a real shame that we have lost this piece, all the more now with with Banksy’s ever escalating fame.

So it is to Waterloo then we must go, where this increasing interest in urban art currently has it’s own festival – www.cansfestival.com . Originally for the bank holiday weekend only, the owners of the tunnel, Eurostar are happy to keep this decorated walkway there for at least 6 more months. A global troupe of artists from around the world (Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Spain, USA, Norway, Italy and of course UK) with their stencils and cans a plenty have produced this open air and free exhibition, set in the perfect and favourite venue for graffiti art– around a train station.To be precise, Leake Street, the former taxi run for the Eurostar terminal, just off Lower Marsh Street.

“Graffiti is not the lowest form of art. Although you might have to creep about at night and lie to your mum it’s actually one of the more honest art forms available. There is no elitism or hype, it exhibits on the best walls a town has to offer and nobody is put off by the price of admission”

There is humour, politics, colour, expression and not to mention clever graphic iconography and good drawing skills executed on these walls– like a monthly indie art style magazine, it’s a backlash against the advertising we are force fed all around us and the restrictions on freedom of personal expression. The world has always looked to the UK as a trend leader – embracing our daring creative nature and eccentricities. This should never be surpressed. Graffitti tells us where we are at and what the vibe is now – these urban cartoons are not trying to be timeless classics. These pieces are visual markers of our time and reflect our present day thinking. This is how we feel today.Now you see it ….now you don’t.

“The people who truly deface our neighbourhoods are the companies that scrawl giant slogans across buildings and buses and trying to make us feel inadequate unless we buy their stuff. They expect to be able to shout their message in your face from every available surface but you’re never allowed to answer back. Well, they started the fight and the wall is the weapon of choice to hit them back”

All quotes taken from: “Banksy – Wall and Piece” (publikat, 2006)
Photos: by Aquamanda (with permission)