There seems to be quite a bit of angst-in-need-of-aspirin amongst the street artists of London. As one would expect, the general response to this urban malaise begins with a modicum of empathy and compassion. But that glimmer of empathy quickly morphs into humour and, as ashamed as I think I should feel about that, an insupressable guffaw always takes over. Yes, it is serious – but hilarious – and let’s face it, we know that I am not alone.
After a quick rifle through my photographs, I am surprised to discover the mammoth number of images that focus on despair. They are as prolific as Japanese knotweed spreading through the walls.
These images are shout-outs to passersby. Moments of angst thrown up by artists in an attempt to offload some stress and incite, if not empathy, then thankfully for us – a bit of sympathetic laughter.
Almost all of the following ten images were found on the streets of London. The partial list of known artists include the infamous Banksy, NeonSavage, RIP, TrustyScribe, Minty and Savant.
In the end though, we will all have squatted somewhere along life’s emotional balance beam, and the only obvious advice for stress reduction seems to be …. “just ride it out” because on the upside…. who knows what new and exciting horrors are awaiting us in the morning.
(Personally I would forgo the option of smashing my head on Banksy’s pillar. A beer at Monty’s Bar on Brick Lane, or an Elvis Juice at the Brew Dog, just around the corner would be far more rewarding.)
N.B. My self-imposed constraint on this site is that all the photos are my originals. If you see the work of an artist that you like, please visit their personal sites for a more complete overview of their work.
