"graffiti" in Weblog

The likes of Banksy and co. have been making statements on our walls for some time now but klisterpete and akay have really outdone themselves with this one. Painting’s one thing but how about erecting a tiny Swedish cabin between two busy roads?

Anyone been to Old Street lately? If you have you’ll have spotted giant letters springing up all over the place… The work of Eine, who’s been writing in the area for years now.

I’ve been trying to figure out what these letters spell for a few weeks now and I’ve finally been sent a link that explains it all. You need to go to the news section…

Also check out the news story about Rowdy. To steal a quote: “I felt I had to put a lobster in there to make the whole thing a bit more welcoming”.

It’s been a while since I last posted a graf link but I’m back with a good one. ni9e. It’s not exactly graffiti-based but there’s plenty in there, and it’s damned clever too. Highlights for me include printing “USPS does not acknowledge the authority of the Bush administration” on USPS cards and putting them back in the post office, and the graf taxonomy images - close-up comparisons of single letters from multiple tags. I’d seen the typographic illustration Flash stuff before but it just doesn’t get boring so go check that out too.

We’ve quite used to Banksy’s escapades over here in the UK. He’s been active in Bristol, Shoreditch and Hackney, amongst others, for quite some time now so I guess the next logical step had to be the US. The Beeb picked up his guerilla hangings in various New York galleries and he’s helpfully posted photos of the unofficial installations on the Banksy website. Top job!

For more info, go check out the Wooster Collective site. They’ve got a short interview with Banksy, pictures of him in action and a highly entertaining piece from Reuters.

I’ve not got time to look around 123 Klan’s site properly but the little I’ve seen looks awesome! Top notch graf from France, with some hot design work to boot.

I was discussing the Spoonfed iPhone app with my friend Ian from Songkick a few weeks ago. I’m rather taken with the immediacy of its listings and have used it to find last-minute things to do when I’m bored. At the time I agreed with Ian that what people really want from a gig-related iPhone app is the ability to share the experience with other participants.

Since then though, I’ve put some thought into it.

Yes, I use my iPhone to settle arguments in the pub about who directed the Thin Red Line or whether Jordan really ran for Parliament. More interestingly though, I also use it to check my email when I’m on the sofa watching TV or play Last.fm when I’m cleaning the bathroom.

My iPhone isn’t just my internet access device when I’m on the move - it’s become my default internet device. It’s no longer about mobile; it’s about convenience.

It’s a fairly subtle difference but it gives quite a different lens through which to view iPhone/Android apps.

Do I want an app to let me get information when I’m on the go? Yes, most definitely. But I also want to get content when I want it, regardless of where I am.

Do I want an app from Songkick to let me review gigs while I’m at the venue? Yes, most definitely. But I also want (and am coming to expect) to get listings when I want them.

I’m having a little trouble finding my way around the Wooster Collective site but that doesn’t seem to matter. Every page is packed with lovely pictures by the likes of Mysterious Al, TLP, D*Face, Flying Fortress, Jace and Jon Burgerman, along with dozens of others I’ve not heard of before but will be keeping an eye out for in the future.

I went down to Santa’s Ghetto at the weekend to check out some pieces of work by the likes of Liam Howlett, Banksy, Shok1 and Insect. It’s another great exhibition - in a more fitting venue than last year - featuring crumbling cement, low lighting, camo nets and bare brickwork, but with significantly less space. If you’re anywhere near Tottenham Court road you have to go take a look.

There was a photo of a Banksy piece there I hadn’t seen before - of birds in the act of destroying a CCTV camera! Brilliant, thought I, before promptly fogetting about it. By chance I was reminded today by Dick’s Daily photo, which was accompanied a link to The Birds on Banksy’s site. Great project!

Not much to say about this one except that minigraff is great! Street art with a cute twist…

On a little aside… Anyone ever wondered what the radioactive pink sticker characters were doing on bus stops across East London? How about the posters out Shoreditch way? Well, turns out that’s be Shok1’s latest side project, Shock1ng Pink… Pretty dark but very cool.