2010-2019 A Decade of Street Art Sculpture

At the beginning of the 2010 decade, a decade forever tainted by lack of a decent single word to define the period, the street art of Darius Downey, Ronzo and even the occasional Banksy sculpture (pickaxe phonebox) notwithstanding, there was not much sculptural street art to speak of. As a more benign accepting tolerance of street art developed in the 2010s we began to see a broader range of artists willing to put work on the streets and a growth in street art exploring the third dimension.


Unknown Stainless Steel Bird On Perch, Brick Lane 2013
(edit: Brilliant reader Lucy identified artist as Metalbird, thanks Lucy)


Someone who frankly could have been included in several of these 2010s flashbacks is Ronzo. Ronzo did a variety of sculptures of various sizes including spoof coats of arms, weird cockroaches and fake fossils but what tickled people’s appreciation of naughtiness most was the time Ronzo went round drilling into pavements to install “Pity of London”, his own version of the City Of London’s guardian dragons. Its magnificence can be relived on the Graffoto post "Crunchy: the Ronzo Credit Crunch Monster”


Pity Of London, Ronzo, Aldegate 2010



City Of Ronzo Coat Of Arms, 2011


Someone who has been in many of these decade reviews already is the brilliant, thoughtful, inspiring Jonesy.  These are the ultimate in unshouty sculptures and it was impossible to decide which ones to include in a list of favourites, so here are just a few:


Hear No Evil, Jonesy, Brick Lane 2019



Radiation warning, Jonesy, Shoreditch, 2019



Glitter bust, Jonesy, Seven Stars 2014



Pesticide, Jonesy, Old Truman Brewery 2018



Griefing Oil, Jonesy, Brick Lane 2012



Methane Permafrost, Jonesy, Seven Stars 2015


Dan Witz was also mentioned in the review of political street art through the 2010s but his two campaigns in London had such a strong installation element it is a pleasure to feature him again here;


Dan Witz, London West End, 2013


Spanish street artist Arte Es Basura / Art Is Trash visited London several times during the decade and his art embraced painting, sculpture, salvage, installation and performance. Art Is Trash is truly epic, outrageou, quick and one of the most inventive street artists of the decade.


Robbo RIP tribute, Art Is Trash, Shoreditch 2014



Art Is Trash


London has its own amazing trash sculpturist who spent most of the decade using the moniker Sell Out. Sell Outs trash installations typically followed a more political or contemporary news relevance such is this one shortly after Madonna fall off stage performing at an awards ceremony


Madonna Stage Dive Malfunction, Sell Out, Brick Lane 2015


In 2017 The UK nearly buckled under the stress of shortage of broccoli but one man wasn’t going to give in to Spain’s attempt to bring the UK to its knees with a broccoli blockade. Broccoli man Adrian Boswell mocked the broccoli crisis with a series of broccoli street art installations.  Ongoing.


Broccoli Man, Shoreditch 2017



Broccoli Lane, Adrian Boswell, Spitalfields 2019


Goddess of the crochet art installation is New York based Polish artist Olek. Olek suffered outrageously at the hand of the British legal system after fending off unsolicited approaches from a Russian in a bar which under any interpretation today would be categorised as a sexual assault but unfortunately her assailant happened to have immense wealth and political connections. This sadly curtailed Olek’s appetite for visiting London but she did at least produce some great art during the year long period she was under curfew and prohibited from leaving London.

“Injustice Anywhere”, Crochet panels, Olek, London 2012



Crochet clad bike, Olek, London 2011


Another artist who did some wonderful combined crochet and knitting was 8armstohug from Cologne, some of her charming octopi lasted several years. This octopus in its octopus tank just scream 9 on the cuteness scale,


Stop Worrying, 8armstohug, Shoreditch 2018


Just as the decade counter was about to turn over another 10 years, Lost Hills came in with one of the most novel sculptures of the lot. It’s not just that these were large, lurid fluffy creatures but more that they had eyes that glowed in the dark, a genius bit of hacking of technology available at every garden centre.


Day. Lost Hills, Brick lane, 2019



Night. Lost Hills, Brick lane, 2019


You might not “Adam and Eve” this but the maligned and distressed life size (Italian) figures just off Brick Lane have been there for over two years, enduring on a wall that used to be regularly buffed but whose accretion of art possibly says something about the triumph of tolerance over scarce financial resources.


Adam and Eve, UrbanSolid, Brick Lane May 2017


Elephants in many different guises have had representation on London streets throughout the decade including campaigns such as The Elephant Parade in 2010, Olek’s support of the Elephant Family in 2013. Perhaps the most curious is the Elephant Sculpture campaign to have elephants recognised as sentient beings and given equivalent legal rights to humans.


We Are people, Elephant Man, Old Street 2017



Elephant Man, Hackney Wick 2018 (eyeballs may or may not be a subsequent addition)


One of the most impressive perhaps even iconic sculptures in Shoreditch was "Portal",  CityzenKane's relief sculpture tribute to his son sadly departed very young, in certain conditions the sculpture actually wept.


CityzenKane, Shoreditch 2014



CityzenKane (detail), 2014


Skully’s art appeared infrequently, in part due to the act that skully is now based on the far side of the planet. The skulls were exciting anonymous artefacts in the noughties but some did appear during the early years of this decade and amazingly, some still survive.


Skully was the first street artist we spotted incorporating growing plants into their art, when these daffodils erupted from a skull in Spring 2015.


Skully, Blackall Street Shoreditch, 2015


The abstract concrete castings of 3x3x3 first excited us back in 2011. These are usually buggers to find and usually just a few are added on the streets each year. 3x3x3 has also put up ironmongry tags which in their own crumbling oxidised way look as brutal as his concrete sculptures.


Abstract concrete thing, 3x3x3, Buxton St, also feat Arrex Skulls and C3 (detail), 2018



Iron tag, 3x3x3, Shoreditch 2013


Also working in concrete was Spanish artist Isaac Cordal. His figures perched on walls, poles and in puddles looking resigned, contemplative and generally accepting of their fate, apart from the bankers of course.


Isaac Cordal, Brick Lane 2010


Lovepiepenbrinck spent a substantial part of the decade subverting the urban landscape with her small piggy sculptures. These kind of popped up and usually disappeared, a few survive though and I was utterly gobsmacked this autumn when a small child on a tour bent down and looked into a tiny knee high fissure in a posh Hoxton street and spotted a piggy, hidden for years and years and possibly never chanced upon by anyone else.


Very Well Hidden Piggy, Lovepiepenbrink date unknown, discovered 2019


This is the ultimate in art that is not pandering to audience of fans, what were the chances of that one being discovered by the public, it is one of those artworks a street artist puts up and then smiles as it survives undetected for days/weeks/months/years (delete according to implausibility). Lovepiepenbrinck never gave exact locations, it was a treasure hunt but a piggy was never at the end of the rainbow.


Lizard Piggy, Lovepiepenbrick, Shoreditch 2014


This compilation of favourite street art sculptures from the about to disappear decade is woefully inadequate is so many ways, the most frustrating perhaps being that it would possibly take another 10 years to sift through all the photos and produce comprehensive list of all the ones worthy of merit. For fear of blight through omission, this post will close with a volley of other wonderful sculptures which have been the source of immense delight over the past 10 years.


Tribal Sculptures, LDashD, Brick Lane 2018



Small faces in great places – Homage to Stik’s Brick Lane Couple, Jace, 2017 (this photo), 2018, 2019 (re-installations)



3D D-Dog, D*Face, Shoreditch, 2016



“He Left Me Hanging”, text based sculpture, Mobstr, Brick Lane 2016



“Up Yours Sarkozy”, Gregos, London 2015



Rae (NY), Shoreditch, 2013



Kinetic “running legs” sculpture, 616, Shoreditch 2013



Concrete Cameras, Chinagirl Tile, Brick Lane


It would be remiss not follow up with another artist working in concrete, the east London genius of Floating Concrete, already featured in the decade 2010s review of political schizz.


Egoman, Floating Concrete, Old Truman brewery 2018


All those other artists who put up busts, hands, penises, vaginas, angels, abstract mirror shards, gargoyles, insects, birds, trash sculptures, mosaics, luchadore masks etc etc – thank you for your erections.

Links:

This series of reviews started with street art at the beginning of the decade: Graffoto 10 year Review Intro

Next as a review of 10 years of murals

On Christmas Day we slipped in an unscheduled flashback A Decade On - King Robbo

Then came Political Street Art of the 2010s Decade

Other links:

3x3x3 Graffoto Blog: "To The Power Of Three"
616 Street Art Old and New
Show review Art Is Trash "Police and Horse"
Adrian Boswell Broccoli Man on Graffoto
CitizenKane "Portal" making of

 D*Face Autobiography Review "One Man and His Dog"
Graffoto Blog: Dan Witz - Empty The Cages
Gregos: A Street Art Face Off
Jace Small Face homage Stik In Time
Olek, Injustice, Anti Slavery International, Dirty White Cotton on Graffoto

Rae show review "Nocturnal Trips"
"Crunchy: the Ronzo Credit Crunch Monster” on Graffoto
Street Artist Sell Out installations

All photos: Dave Stuart

Political Street Art of the 2010s Decade

The second decade of the 21st century witnessed tumultuous political events. A web of local and international issues emerging from recent and historical influences with consequences for individuals and societal groupings have echoed in the street art spotted by Graffoto. Austerity, migration, foodbank poverty, ethnic oppression, democracy, corruption, patriarchy, nepotism, cronyism have all been the subject of barbed political street art around London.

Good writing practice is to start off with an idea, develop a plan then fill in the content; Graffoto finds that approach way too systematic and normally has no idea at the beginning what the content will be at the end. An attempt to structure this post into a series of political themes was immediately frustrated by Donald Trump going pan-issue. There is hardly a niche in the political agenda where Trump has not been demonised as a pariah to street artists and for most, simply being anti Trump says it all.


K-Guy Top Trumps, Jan 2017


How many pieces of pro Trump street art do you think we have observed in London? Brace yourselves for a shock, the answer is none.  Not fake news.


Uberfubs, Dump Trump August 2017


Kennard Phillipps produced what was either a Trump faced drone or a drone arsed Trump, either way, “not here” thanks.


Kennard Phillipps courtesy Flying Leaps, July 2018


A glorious piece of Bambi stencilism meant we will never forget that cringey moment when Donald grabbed Theresa by the hand and flaunted the first international visitor of his presidency in front of the press.


Bambi, Islington, Feb 2017


Fanakapan used his amazing painting skills to link Trump’s German origins with certain political tendencies


Fanakapan, Mein Trumpf, Dec 2017


The artist then known as Sell Out saw a similar connection in a fascist nightmare of Hitler, Trump and May as winos.




Sell Out


The recent British general election confirmed something that politicians first understood from the American presidential election in 2016, what you said in the past or what skeletons you might have in the closet no longer matters. A point satirised nicely by Rider and in this instance conspiring with an adjacent Subdude label for neat emphasis.


Grab This, Rider, Shoreditch 2018


Street art’s political output is huge, street art can respond incredibly quickly to contemporary events and it comes from activists and ordinary citizens who otherwise might not have a platform for political wisdom and calling out power on its frequent aberrations and abuses. Simple strong emotion doesn’t always need complex imagery.


Fuck Trump – artist unknown, many suspects


Loretto got a lot of exposure for his beautifully executed band of despots


“The Psychos”, London 2018, Loretto


Climate and environmental concerns escalated through the decade as leaders signed up to up to the Paris COP 15 agreement, only for the “It’s a hoax” leader of the western world to withdraw America in 2018.


Tar Sand Nightmare, Jonesy, Shoreditch 2012


Banksy started the decade with art reflecting concerns on climate issues and it ended with his Venice refugee child unintentionally becoming a siren call illuminating forthcoming climate disaster as Venice floods immersed the child up to her waist.


“I Don’t Believe In Global Warming”, Banksy, Camden London Dec 2009



Refugee Child, Banksy, Venice 2019



Refugee Child Not Waving But Drowning, Banksy, Venice 2019. Photo courtesy Banksy Instagram


Extinction Rebellion took a much more radical approach to forcing climate action up the political agenda and in doing so inspired a very decentralised and usually anonymous art culture.


Extinction Rebellion, Oxford St / Regent St intersection closed 5 days, April 2019



Extinction Rebellion, Shoreditch 2019, Artist Unknown


Jane Mutiny executed a stunning medley of endangered species literally disappearing right before our very eyes.


Jane Mutiny, Shoreditch 2019


The Extinction Symbol itself was designed by an East London street artist right back at the beginning of the decade


Extinction Symbol, Brick Lane, 2011


Greenpeace initiated a three pronged campaign to raise awareness of the destruction of rainforests in Papua New Guinea by commissioning legal murals around the world; having activists paste up colourful images of Birds of Paradise and encouraging other artists to join in putting up their own versions. More details on Graffoto here. The coordinated global pursuit of political objectives for a specific geographic issue using a combination of commissioned and illegal street art was pretty punchy.


Non permissioned paste up, Shoreditch 2018



Matt Sewell, permissioned mural, Shoreditch 2018


The politics of overseas countries, like those Papua New Guinea rainforest concerns, is often the subject of art on London’s streets. Visiting artists and activists and also the local ex pat communities all use our outdoor gallery for protest signalling and awareness enhancement.


Turkish Murderer, HKG, London 2014


In 2019, Subdude produced art supporting the Hong Kong pro democracy movement whilst at the same time making fun of Chinese imperialism, art which usually was disfigured by parties opposed to those sentiments. The great Unknown Street Artist placed up a flowing illustration supporting the pro democracy side featuring the umbrella symbol of the movement.


Subdude



Subdude opposed



Artist unknown


Greece subcontracted the economic management of its economy to Germany in return receiving multiple debt bailouts.


Greek Flag Sold, artist unknown, Shoreditch 2015


Regional political stress has resulted in humanitarian crisis in many parts in the past decade leading to migrations fraught with danger, uncertain outcomes and inhospitable receptions en route. Immigration has been a key issue in recent Australian elections and Adelaide artist Peter Drew made a huge impact with his “Real Australians Say Welcome” campaign against treating refugees like criminals. When he was living in London he produced satirical paste ups riffing on issues of immigration and colonialism, highlighting with some humour the fact that the majority of non aboriginal Aussies hostile to immigration owed their prescence to an earlier wave piece of social engineering.


“Stop The Boats”, Shoreditch 2013, Peter Drew


The situation in Syria since 2011 led to civil war by 2013 and massive displacement and a humanitarian crisis, an issue not missed by street artists in London


“ Syria You Are In Our Thoughts”, DON, (Jan 2014)


Denial of basic human right to education featured a couple of times in large murals in London.


“Education Is Not A Crime”, Dave The Chimp, London 2016



“Education Is Not A Crime”, Wasp Elder, London 2018


No other artist in the world has the power to illuminate a political cause with quite the effect that Banksy achieves. How many of us would not have seen the footage of French police tear gassing refugees in the Calais camps otherwise? Empirically my gut feel is not many of us.


Tear Gassed Cozette, Banksy, London 2016


The slaughter of Charlie Hebdo cartoonists and writers in their office in Paris was perceived both as an assault of freedoms of the press and an attack on artistic expression, consequently #JeSuisCharlie got major support from street artists.


Tom Blackford, Camden, 2015



Cept, Shoreditch 2015



Artist(s) unknown, Brick Lane, 2015


Intense single issue focus can lead to street art spots seeing large volumes of campaigning street art, such as the cause to end knife crime, of which there is a crazy amount in London.


Artist/activist(s) unknown



Stop Knife Crime, EINE, Clerkenwell London, 2018


Expanded Eye produced infrequent but impressive political street art such as this composite figure symbolising the toxic combination of oil, money, guns and politics and least there be any doubt, which UK party wears blue ties? How impressive is it to drive-by stick half an oil drum to a wall?


Expanded Eye sculpture, Shoreditch, 2013


Aida was a one woman guerrilla girl engine staging art and events addressing many issues. Concern for the plight of artists in rapidly gentrifying Hackney Wick led to a mass art takeover of the disused Lord Napier pub. Among the artists participating were Himbad, Mighty Mo, Donk, Edwin, Dscreet, Aida, Goldpeg, Mobstr, Type (RIP), Rider, Malarky, Goodchild(with apologies to anyone omitted). Notice also a pre Extinction Rebellion appearance of the Extinction Symbol.

Shithole To Penthouse, Hackney Wick 2016


Painter extraordinaire and street artist Dan Witz twice executed brilliant political campaigns in London, highlighting brutal treatment of prisoners held at Guantanamo and then "Empty The Cages" in support of PETA


Dan Witz, Soho London, 2012



Empty The Cages, Dan Witz, London 2014


On the theme of animal welfare, the government sponsored badger cull flared as political hotcake of the day in the rolling agenda leading up to the UK’s 2015 general election, artist Clancy came up with a whole host of clever badger awareness puns all curiously executed on what looked like freezer room insulation and installed up high.  TB or not TB is based on the political argument that culling was necessary to prevent cross species spread of TB.


TB or Not TB, Clancy, Brick Lane 2015


Poverty, inequality and abuse of privilege lead to the global Occupy movement and as usual activism resulted in art, if actually very little else.


We Will Take – OCCUPY, London 2011, artist unknown


The best and the worst has been kept until last, mainly because the issue now at this precise moment in time leads to nothing more than a sense of flat despair and helplessness. Fucking Brexit. Fucking Brexit will take every other serious problem the UK faces and make it twice as bad which is ironic as the country voted for it twice. In the lead up to the 2016 referendum the issue got almost no attention from British street artists. And why would it, at the time who imagined that anyone would seriously contemplate cutting the ties to the rest of humanity, to trade, even to the relative peace which had prevailed since two huge wars devastated Europe in the first half of the 20th Century. Well, only about 16.2 million people saw it that way, 17 million thought this would be a good thing. Street artists have got on the case for the three years since.


Brexit Through The Chip Shop, CodeFC, Shoreditch 2017


The most impressive Brexit artwork unsurprisingly came from the genius of Banksy, a monumental brilliant piece in Dover seen from every vehicle entering the most important sea link to the continent. http://bit.ly/2plxH4w


Brexit, Banksy, Dover 2017 



Bugger Brexit – George Vth paraphrased by Quiet British Accent



“Better Together”, cast concrete figures by Floating Concrete, Brick Lane 2019


In December 2018 then Primte Minsiter Theresa May faced a vote of no confidence in her leadership brought by her own party. She survived the debate but within 2 days Joe Bloggs had put up this brilliant satirical product design.


Maygo, Joe Bloggs, Brick Lane, 2018


Benjamin Irritant’s rabbit interrogates Donald on his achievements but it will also continue to question the Brexiteers about the state of Britain for many years to come.


“Is It Great Again Yet?” Benjamin Irritiant, London 2019


All illegal street art is political to some extent by virtue of its unauthorised hijacking of the public visual realm. No one is saying street art has changed the political landscape or achieved tremendous change, what street art does is provide oxygen, it breathes life into truth. If you do nothing you are complicit. This post features a small sample of artists Graffoto saw do something in the second decade of the century.


If Graffiti Changed Anything It Would Be Illegal, Banksy, London 2011


Links:

Graffoto Blog: Brexit Street Art
Graffoto Blog: Take Back Control - Group Exhibition
Graffoto Blog: Banksy on Brexit - About Time
Shoreditch Street Art Tours Blog: 2015 How Do Street Artists Vote?
Shoreditch Street Art Tours Blog: 2017 General Election Street Art


All photos: Dave Stuart except courtesy Banksy where stated