We’ve mentioned before how we’re happily headquartered in London’s ‘Tech City’, and while the area is definitely the spot for startups & tech industry heavyweights, it’s also home to a strong street art scene. While this seems natural to residents & workers here, just because it’s always been that way, it may be an interesting contrast to outsiders.
The reason for the amount of street art here in the Old Street/Shoreditch area is because this neighborhood was at one time quite inexpensive, and therefore easy to rent property & little care was placed on whether or not a building was ‘defaced’. Those days are long past, as anyone renting office space here can attest, but the artistic impression made here back then remains.
Street art has become a well-respected medium by large swathes of the population, who appreciate the beauty that it can add to an otherwise derelict cityscape, the statements it can make, and the thoughts it can provoke.
Many well known street artists have work displayed in the area surrounding our office. These artists have work displayed worldwide, so you may even see something in your hometown!
Some of the big names in the Old Street area include Banksy, who also has work in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. He has multiple pieces scattered through the Shoreditch area.
ROA is an artist known for painting animals (in various states of decay or distress) that are native to the cities where they are illustrated. He has work in Chicago in the United States, many European cities, and quite a lot in the Shoreditch neighborhood. His style is very distinctive & stands out among more colorful street art.
Stik is a wildly popular street artist in London who has gone from living in a homeless shelter to being able to make a living off his art. Much like Banksy, he is secretive about his identity. His emotive stick figures can be seen dotted around East London, and some have sold for upwards of £6k.
Ben Wilson uses an incredibly unique medium to create his street art. Discarded chewing gum is heated, spread, and painted over to create amazing miniature works of art. He has some lovely work near our office, and we’re always looking for more.
We’ve put together a map to show you some of our favorite pieces nearby. Log into Google & feel free to add pins yourself as you find new & interesting work! Specifically we’ve highlighted art done by ROA, Banksy, Stik, Thierry Noir, and Ben Wilson.
Want to explore around with some skilled & knowledgeable guides? We know of a great guided tour in Shoreditch for street art, put on by Street Art London. They actually meet up very near our office!
We’ve got lots of great properties in the Shoreditch area, the Tech City neighborhood, and the Old Street roundabout: this lovely 1 bedroom flat for £2k a month, this shared room in Whitechapel for £464, and a private double room in Brick Lane for £1600 a month.
image courtesy Flickr