Graffiti Art

I have to tell you I am very excited about this blog post. I have been off getting lost and I have found some amazing things during my journeys. While Kensington and the surrounding areas are very nice, clean, and respectable they lack a sort of edge. The buildings while ‘artsy’ are very reserved and you don’t get in to the nitty and gritty of London’s working class. I am staying in one of the wealthiest areas of London and therefore I felt that my experience thus far had been a bit sheltered. This is why I decided to go wander the infamous and poverty stricken east end of London. Having read about this place and its crime and poverty I wanted to see the fire that drove the working class to persevere and make a life for themselves. I needed to see the beautiful result that only comes from a life full of struggles and adversity; oh boy did I find what I was looking for! As I emerged from the tube in to the east end I immediately noticed the trash and filth that could be seen scattered throughout the area. The streets and shops were visibly not as kept up and you could see many a local trying to hustle anyone they could. However, even though I come from a middle-upper class household I am no stranger to places like this. Back home and in my travels I have often frequented these places because they are where you find the inspiring stories and the true heart of a city. As I walked I began to notice graffiti all over the sides of buildings, alleys and various walls all around this borough. This was not the typical gang graffiti that one might see back home in Seattle or L.A. but was instead a mass of beautiful images portraying what people held dear to them. The level of artistic expression in this place was unreal. Due to the level of cultural fusion/borrowing there were beautiful and original interpretations of many characters from movies and games that I grew up loving. On one wall I saw an original portrayal of Buzz Lightyear standing next to a very thuggish looking Woody. Further down the wall there was a beautiful image of the old man from up holding some balloons with letters on them spelling out the word “LOVE”. My God was this place amazing! There was everything from political messages to video game characters from Warcraft and Mortal Combat. Nowhere else in London do you find this level of beauty in the street art. Back in Kensington everything is kept very clean and orderly meaning that any graffiti is usually removed if anyone even dares to do it in the first place. These ‘savages’ that I had read so much about in books written by the west enders had instantaneously transformed in to beautiful poets and artists before my very eyes. This was by far one of my favorite areas that I have been to for sightseeing and I would strongly recommend visiting this area to anyone who finds themselves in London. However, one must remember the level of crime in this area because the beauty of this artwork can make you forget about all of this very easily. Having said this, I will definitely be going back to see what else I can find.