Ges Loes?

No idea what this is supposed to say but I see it most days on my way to the supermarket. The clock tower is part of a small Sainsburys in the middle of town and whilst I am impressed that someone has gone to the lengths of putting this graffiti there, I am equally disappointed that it is not better done or more profound. I generally think graffiti is a good thing, but in this instance it is nothing more than an eyesore. Bit of a shame really.

Shoplifters of the world unite

Somewhere, whilst lost, in the Clerkenwell area of London I spotted this piece of graffiti. I liked it mainly because it reminded me the song by The Smiths, but also because it was above an H and M advert and so seemed to suggest that everyone should shoplift this particular bikini...

Banksy on the Northern line

Battling my way onto the Northern line the other day threw up this find. It's another paper statement, this time apparently by Banksy. I somehow feel like its cheating using stickers in place of graffiti- I can understand that it's quicker and less conspicuous but there doesn't seem to be any skill involved in stenciling onto a piece of paper then double sided sticky taping it to a wall. Maybe I'm just being old fashioned but it just doesn't have the same impact.

Face in the wall

Thanks to my lovely boyfriend, I spent last weekend (the Saturday of which was my birthday) in Paris. I've been twice before but it still holds a certain magic for me and I really, truly want to live there one day. 

On the Saturday we got to our hotel at about 11am, ate and showered, then headed out up the steps to Sacre Coeur which sits high on a hill and watches over the city. It is such a beautiful walk up all the steps, lines of little local cafes and shops, and behind you the ever minimising view of Paris. One of the things that I always love about visiting Europe is that is seems to revel in graffiti. In England it is a criminal act, its classed as defacing public property rather that brightening it up. Paris is one of those cities which seems to almost encourage it. On the walk up I noticed loads of tags, slogans and (like these eyes) paper stencils. I noticed these eyes because up on the hill is a museum with lots of Dali's sculptures in and they reminded me a bit of his drooping clocks. Whilst admiring them I caught sight of a strange face surfacing out of the wall. It's as intriguing as it is creepy.

Property is Theft

Another find on the way to work. This piece of graffiti is high up above a really run down looking old hotel- which I'm assuming is now a block of flats. Next door a massive development is taking place where lots of new houses are  being built. If property is theft: there's a hell of a lot of thieving going on around here.

Anti-Establishment

I pass this sign on foot on my way to work on a regular basis and am surprised that its graffiti add-on has not yet been removed (it's been there for quite a while now) There is something quite laughable that the fact that the staff of Holloway Prison haven't cleaned this mildly offensive image off their main sign yet. Perhaps it is a Banksy (aren't most things these days?!) or maybe they just find it amusing and cant be bothered to get it scrubbed off. Maybe the authorities do have a sense of humour after all...

Sometimes...

Another Amsterdam graffiti find- this time in the form of a sticker. Not sure I agree with this sentiment- on the contrary I think the More you know the better...but I can understand how some people think the ignorance can be bliss-at least in the short term.

Marker Pen Politics

I love a bit of political graffitti, and I always find it interesting seeing stuff abroad as I think it tells you a lot about what the locals view on current affairs is. This scrawl caught my eye as I walked past an old boarded up entrance. Amsterdam, being part of the Euro, doesn't seem to be keen on the flailing strength of their economy. The pounds not great either folks. Chin up- we're all in the shit together.

Street Style

On the corner of Church Street, Brighton is a prime example of why graffiti is often really under-appreciated. Brighton is covered in amazing street art and a lot of it is actually commissioned by the council. This spot on the corner is one of them and changes every couple of months. I always look forward to seeing what will go up next. Loving the colours in this one and its industrial feel.

Funny Face

Another railway finding.

Pie in the sky (well on the ceiling)

My boyfriend took me to this lovely pub in Colchester the other weekend. Whilst enjoying a pint of ale we sat under this sign inside. After admiring it for a while I noticed that someone had written pie on the adjoining wall. Wonder what type of pie they were referring to...

Down the rabbit hole

If there's anywhere where you have to take the strange and fabulous as the ordinary, it's Brighton. So far it's been my favourite place I've lived and I can definitely see my self going back at some point in my life. This picture was taken in the North Laines of the side of a shop selling Alice-esque whimsy. Brighton seems to have a lot of Alice in Wonderland inspired shops and pubs, The Mock Turtle cafe, The White Rabbit pub and Curiouser and Curiouser the jewellers just as a small example. It's a pretty odd place to live, a sort of fantasy world and it often feels like you went to a festival and never quite left. I loved this piece of graffiti because it encapsulates that and also because it's just really well done.

Super boy to the rescue!

This week I spotted a slightly fuzzy looking super boy in mid flight above a mini cab garage. He caught my eye as I wandered along Old Street and my initial reaction was of how striking the colours were. Why his direction of flight is into a wall I don't know but from now I am on the lookout for more super heros.

sunlit stairwell

The Kunsthaus Tacheles (Art House Tacheles), Berlin

This photo is of the stairwell of an old department store in Berlin which, now disused, was being squatted by artists. The inside walls were adorned with graffiti as well as the various resident artist’s work. Whilst wandering between rooms I crossed the landing and looked up and saw the light flooding in.