New Book - 100 UK Graffiti Artists

'Simply opening these covers commits you to being dazzled by 100 of the UK's top "writers" and street artists, immersing yourself in the styles, past and present, which make UK street art great. Upon its arrival in the UK from New York in the 1980s, graffiti rapidly spread across the island, infecting the youth like a stylistic virus. Out of the early days came names that would become part of UK writing legend, such as Mode2, Zaki Dee 163, Choci Roc, Goldie, and Robbo. Alongside works by these pioneers, we sweep across the whole of the UK, taking in Scotland and Wales, running through the nineties and right up to the modern day when more advanced, technical graffiti, wheat pasting, and stenciling are the new media on the street. This collection includes works by Aroe, Skore, Xens and Kem, Mef, and more. Guiding us through this review is Steam 156, who was there at the start and is still as passionate as ever. This is a must-have collection for graffiti writers and fans around the world.'

 

 GET BOOK HERE
www.100ukgraffitiartists.com

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Sickboy and Word to Mother Show TONIGHT

Exclusive Sneak Previews

Sickboy &Word to Mother

Presents

Paranoia on Paper

Thursday 13th December (TONIGHT)

Address: 73 Kingsland Road London E2 8AG

 

http://thesickboy.com/blog/

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LSD Magazine interviews artist ABOVE

Driven by an unrelenting nomadicism that echoes the ephemeral essence of street art itself, Above is driving the power of art as a way of life ever deeper into international consciousness and the global landscape. Monumental wordplays up to 100 metres long, site specific subversion's slamming into straight up heists, raw, charged stencils and the circumnavigating arrows juddering out of walls in electric colour all sizzle in his perpetual wake. Oscillating between the abstract, the sociopolitical, the elementally human and the wry conceptual flicks writ giant, Above is on a serious mission. Skewring injustice on a grand scale from the diamond dealers of South Africa to the bespoke suited, Wall Street pimps of industry, when he goes - he goes BIG.

Denial may be an option. Ignoring him....not so much. Sticking a massive indictment of blood diamonds up on the wall of the biggest diamond exporter in the Southern hemisphere - just class. Chiseled by the endless road, windswept into new cycles of ideas and shaped by a constant flow of experience, Above lives his life firmly outside the box and that spirit - that dynamism, bursts unyielding out of his art. From the arrows that became his trademark, pushing ever higher to the vibrant funk of his dancers to the imprinted words sculpted from paint, concrete and restless neurons, he is always pushing for the next epic piece, the next slippery idea trapped in a vice of expression. We managed to catch up.

How much do your nomadicism and the ephemeral nature of street art feed back into each other. 

Well I am nomadic and constantly travelling due to that simple fact you just stated; that art left in the streets is ephemeral and not permanent. Say I’ve been to London putting up lots of street works in 2010. Everyday thereafter the works start to decay, get buffed, stolen, crossed out or if lucky actually survive to live another day. If I return to London in 2012 I might not find any of my street actions still on the street so it evokes me to return, and to take it a step farther and keep spreading the circle of my artworks in new cities and countries around the world. Time makes things grow old so for me I feel it’s important to keep my feet moving and my hands busy making artworks.

How much does the arrow represent a personal journey and how much is it just a great template for street work 

The arrow symbol for me is a constant reminder for me to ‘Rise Above’ my challenges, adversities and keep pushing myself. I have high ambitions and with those high ambitions comes equal if not more challenges. If the road to ‘success’ was easy then everyone could do it, so the arrow symbol and desire to push through difficult situations and keep persevering. The arrow as an icon is quick, easy to digest and understood regardless of what country I am in. It’s one of the oldest symbols known to man and if you think about it on your day to day life you probably see an arrow symbol some 100+ times per day. I enjoy a great deal traveling so the journey and more over the process of the journey are all the excitingly random aspects I enjoy.

How much have your travels connected up local experience with global currents – political, social or economic 

I have always aimed towards having my artworks be as site specific as possible. Whether it be a hung arrow, a word play painting, or a full colour stencil it’s important for me to connect and relate the piece to either the city, country or particular environment it’s painted on. For instance the most recent wordplay I did was in Johannesburg, South Africa on the exterior of the southern hemispheres largest diamond exporter. Since I decided to travel to Johannesburg to make a wordplay statement that was social and political against the illegal and unjust blood diamond trade the enables African wars. I hijacked the wall as I had permission to paint “ Diamonds are a woman’s best friend” but I lied to them and added “... and a man’s worst enemy!” This piece would not have had the impact if it were not site specific and executed in the manner done. So to answer your question, yes travels keep my mind and imagination active to incorporate as much as possible the current global, social and political events partaking in that specific city and country.

How aware were you of the Occupy movements as they developed – and how much did they inspire you to get involved however you could.

I had first heard and knew about the Occupy movements in early October, 2011. I was in San Francisco and leaving for Miami the next day. On the plane flight I read an article in the San Francisco chronicle that was very informative. 1 week later already in Miami I searched for a creative spin on some ideas I had and furthermore the wall which I could manifest this idea. As time went on the numbers and mainstream attention of the Occupy movement grew immensely to a worldwide issue. Cities from all around the world were experiencing protest, marches and upheaval from the citizens. Like the previous question answered I aim to make my street works current, social and political so the occupy movement was a great platform to make a bold statement.

Have bankers hung themselves or did everyone else get hung but them. 

Well seeing how the appropriated proverb usually goes: Give a fool enough rope and he’ll eventually hang himself.” I reckon that it’s the banker that hung himself.

READ FULL INTERVIEW ISSUE 9

http://goabove.com/

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LSD Magazine interviews Does Loveletters (issue 9)

Whipping together dazzling dynamics, razor sharp lettering, penetrating dimensionality and an extraordinary depth of colour, Does’s hypnotic flows are truly a breathtaking window onto the power of the letter form. Gorgeously nuanced detail and geometric spins wrap themselves sensuously around melting angles and jagged bursts of serpentine shape. Twisting, turning and sinuously curving, Does has an amazing ability to bend staccato lines and sharp cuts into an unfolding sense of freeform whole. Cracking perspective’s rigid mirror, much of his work almost feels like an epic modern remix of cubism. Starting out life as a professional soccer player, Does rapidly evolved into a master of the graffiti art form. 

Founding the Loveletters crew with Nash in 2006, the crew has set sublime standards of spray, now laced with immense poignancy from the passing of Dare. Today, both the crew and Does himself are a global force. Does paints monumental pieces the world over, injecting a scintillating rush of mesmerising funk and glittering flow into every last drip. Loving his precision incisions into the frontal lobe, we caught up with Does for a word...

What does the power of the letter mean to you?

Letters offer a strong basis from which you can experiment freely and discover many different forms and shapes. While I experiment with forms and shapes, I always try to stay true to the basic form. 

What were your early experiences with letters 

When I was fifteen I started taking my sketches to the wall and play around with letters. I mainly did tags and throw ups back then and it was more about vandalism than anything else. I also started a mini crew with my best friends and we had lots of fun together. I did my first real piece in 1997, my best friends were patrolling for me. 

How much of a graffiti scene was there in your home town when you were younger When I was younger?

The Campina factory was a place in Sittard that many writers from all around Europe visited to leave their mark. I never got to paint these walls unfortunately, it was before my graffiti days. In surrounding cities there used to be quite a big scene, but from what I know the scene died down after a major arrest. Nash, Tumki and I are all from Sittard, so although the scene is quite small nowadays, we certainly make the most of it!

Tell us a little about your time as a professional soccer player and how that reconciled with your growing interest in graffiti..

 I entered into a talent development programme when I was 10, was selected for the national team at the age of 12, signed my first contract when I was 15 and made my debut in the fist team at the age 16. I started tagging around my 15th birthday. I guess I needed some kind of relief from all the routine and discipline. I had always been drawing a lot without a particular purpose. When I discovered graffiti I really stared to take the drawing very seriously as I felt that was my basis. Throughout my soccer career I continued to draw a lot. Especially during my darker moments, which where mainly related to knee injuries, drawing really helped me to stay positive. 

Is playing soccer professionally as glamorous as people believe?

It can be glamorous when you are successful. When you are being bashed in the press or when the team is not delivering, the glamour fades very fast.

How did you start to move into more complex pieces?

You get to a point where you have the basics under control. With the basics I mean letter shape, colour combinations and the balance and flow in a piece. From that moment on I felt like experimenting more and more. That has led to more complex pieces. 

When did you start to really play with colour combinations?

 In my view, I really started to go crazy with colour combinations when I lived in Sydney. Whereas I was used to doing collaboration walls with Nash and Tumki, I was suddenly on my own and unrestricted in using colours and shapes. 

Where is the balance between the legible and the abstract?

The balance is in the shape of the singular letters. You can add many elements to a letter without bending it out of its basic shape and balance.

Does Loveletters Website

Does Loveletters Facebook

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW

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LSD Magazine issue 9 - Chasing Dragons - May 23rd 2012 (23 23 23)

LSD Magazine Issue 9 - Chasing Dragons
May 23rd 2012 (23 23 23)

Issue 9 of LSD Magazine is out now. Bursting at the digital seams with sizzling art, searching interviews, slamming music, a dash of politics, a twinkle of humor and a whisper of
quantum physics – another epic issue is LIVE

http://bit.ly/LeWDuS
FREE
Wayne Anthony & Sirius 23

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INTERVIEWS

P183 / JFB / Above / Don / Slamboree / Dal East / Does Loveletters / Jaguar Skills / Blek Le Rat / Gavin Hammond / David Kaiser / Unique 3 / Max Zorn / Arun Ghosh / Arcadia / Nice Up The Walls / Neosignal / Logan Hicks / Bill Ayres / ADW / Urban Knights / Astro / Global Street Art / Stylus Rex / Brian Barnes

CONTRIBUTORS

RSH / Auntie / Matt Dopamine Goddard / Douglas Rushkoff / Carne Ross  / 51 / Gyrus / Julian Vigo / Robert Williscroft / Ronan Hickey / Ian Milne / Hudson Zuma / Prem Nick / Claude London /  Walls of Milano / Bombers Dream / 4foot2 / Dave Desimone / Isaac Cordal /  Gen Duarte / Left Coast Letters / Mr Klevra /  Spider Tag / Miss Kaliansky /  Ron Copeland

FEATURED ARTWORKS

UNITED KINGDOM

PUBLIC SPIRIT  / PROBS  / INKFESTISH   /  DONK / SHOK1  / STIK  / YARN BOMBING / SWEET TOOF / CARTRAIN  / CEPT / BEN SLOW  / ACE  / PAUL LISTER  / NATHAN BOWEN  / GRIMSHAW  / NEONITA  / DAVID WALKER / MR FAHRENHEIT

SORN  / OWED  /  JASIK  /  FLITH  / AMUK  / AVK1  /  EBEE 

Canada

WYSPER  /  SKAM   / REN   / RCADE   / HEMPS   / ARTCHILD  

USA

RIO  / KORG  / KOSHER  / MSK  / RISK  / REVOK  / HOLY  / RAZOR / BLOCK 
ROYAL  / THE SIGN GUY  / DOVES  / RON COPELAND  / CYRCLE

Spain

CERE  / ERIC il CANE  / ESCIF  / RADHGE  / STN  / DONG  / ONLY ATEME  /
RO  / DEIH  /  SPIDER TAG   /  PEZ  / ISAAC CORDAL

Italy

CODEFC / FRODE  / REFRESHINK / CENTINA  / KRIO  /  GIORGIO J  /  SEACREATIVE  / MCITY  / EMILONE  /  ZEDONE  / GRIM dcc  / MR KLEVRA  /  RUN  / BLU

France

ALICE  / C215 

Various

CONOR HARRINGTON (Ireland) / CRISP / HIN (Hong Kong) / NAZIR / MASAI
OTTO SCHADE (Chile) / 6/6 / THE KRAH (Greece) / PSK96 / ROA (Belgium)

AND MORE...

Grafeeney Art Sale - Spray on Canvas

Spray Art Canvases from your man Grafeeney... Nice Work... Check his website for prices although we can tell you the artist is good for a deal...

Grafeeney HQ

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The Eagle has Landed - UK Graffiti Legend Busk

Old Skool UK Graffiti Legend 'Busk' is mad busy creating a new line of art which is far removed from conventional graffiti methods. Aside from creating some great commissioned works of art for some of London's most swanky venues such as The Ivy or penthouses in St Pancras, Busk is experimenting with nature.

We shot some video of him this time last year...

Identity of Banksy on EBay $US999,999

There's no denying that E-Bay features many interesting items to purchase some of which received worldwide attention. A user under the guise of 'Jaybuysthings' in the states recently offered the true identity of Banksy for sale on the network. What he offered was a piece of paper with the lads true name written or typed onto it.  Although we didn't get to see the bid it apparently reached  $US999,999 with Free Shipping Offered. The American informer said he'd tried selling the idenity before on EBay which was qucikly shutdown 'because I was selling something that was not tangible' he said 'It is now tangible,'

We found some quotes online from 'Jaybuysthings' original Item Desciptions;


"The Identity of 'Banksy'"


'If you win this auction I will mail you a piece of paper revealing the true identity of 'Banksy','


'I have uncovered his identity by matching up the prices of his sold pieces to corresponding tax records. I will reveal no more details.'


'The winner of this auction is the only person I will ever share this information with. The piece of paper will say his name, nothing more.'

'I give you 100% assurance that it is most certainly the full name of the street artist known as 'Banksy'.'

Read more:: ORIGINAL SOURCE

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PHILISTINES - Saturday 5th February @ The Junction Rooms

PHILISTINES - Saturday 5th February @ The Junction Rooms, 578 Kingsland Road, Dalston  9pm - 2am, free entry.

Philistines exhibition launched back in September 2010 on a Thursday at The Junction Rooms in Dalston. Word of mouth resulted in its popularity of being 'not just an art exhibition' but also a place to meet like minded characters and listen to groundbreaking music.

This art and music event has since had much support from the local community and it's popularity has seen endless interest and numbers through the door. Many art pieces have been purchased and others commissioned, there's always a handful of artists floating around so come down and say hello personally. Philistines is a hot ticket and one of the coolest places to visit.

Please note if you cannot make the actual event, this is an ongoing exhibition and can be viewed at other times and by appointment only with the man himself, Philip Ignatious Salacious Stein (see http://junctionroom.co.uk/ for hours of trade.) The exhibition resides at The Junction Rooms, 578 Kingsland Road, Dalston.

Philip Ignatious Salacious Stein will be celebrating his 50th birthday so expect lots of surprises and special guests at the party which will be held on two floors across the cool venue in Dalston. Pen the diary, it's a free masquerade ball with guest DJs, surprises and features affordable and exclusive art to purchase.

We move from a Thursday to a Saturday. This successful art/music event has gone from strength to strength... A project and exhibition which brings together street artists, collectors and lovers of art and music.

This is what happeneds at Philistines in December:
Aloosh EP Launch, Guest DJs, interactive artist Lubix Slumbarave....
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=302311&id=651924602&fbid=10150089926074603

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10 Street Art Graffiti Videos 2011

Here's a bunch of videos we found on YouTube for 2011

SUBSCRIBE TO LSD MAGAZINE CHANNEL 

http://www.youtube.com/lsdstreetart

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Karma on Prowl in Streets of Amsterdam

This work is so fresh that the artist hasn't even woke up from painting it last night (friday) Irish street art sensation Karma is currently on the prowl in Holland's Amsterdam. We're not sure how long he's there but we're gonna try to hook him up with another artist interviewed in LSD Magazine and that's the stencil supremo FAKE... we'll see how that goes... Meanwhile back on the ranch, keep out of trouble Karma.... Dont do anything that Team LSD wouldn't do....

Read Karma's Interview in latest edition of LSD Magazine - Stand and Deliver

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LSD Magazine presents Revolve by Hedflux (Music Video)

Riding the twisting, turning, subversively yearning synthesized sorcery of the fresh cut release by the author of LSD’s Soulflux column, Hedflux, rolls the explosion of visual lucidity penetrating public consciousness spray by searing spray and reclaiming the streets for the rays of individuality. Chewing through the restraints of cavernous conformity and the liquid bonds of group-think, the mischief, the bursting forms, the awe inspiring colour and the wry, winking subliminal resistance bursts out of the frames and rides the currents of direct action deep into the reshaping of our sensory identity…..

 REVOLVE  by HEDFLUX IS OUT NOW
(please support independent talent)

BUY THE TUNE - READ HIS LSD COLUMN - LIKE THE VID - SUPPORT with MIGHT

Hedflux @ http://www.hedflux.com
Released January 2011 http://www.broken-robot-records.com  

LSD Magazine: http://www.londonstreetartdesign.com
LSD Magazine Blog: http://www.londonstreetartdesign.blog...

 

LSD Magazine Interviews US Street Artist RSH (Issue 6)

Polymath of the creative arts, lucid surfer of the mists of mysticism, all round politically illuminated mischief maker and creator of a bizarrely psychedelic, sinuous menagerie of monstrous glee, Raymond Salvatore Harmon dances through the barricades of medium with an irrepressible energy. Laced with a sublimial whisper, his film, music and abstraction alike glow with the rich hue of the esoteric, the internal, the eternal and the subconscious while his visual activism cuts straight through the layers of buried meaning to deliver a straight up punch to the solar. A lecturer and a formidable knowledge bank, a painter and a stencil artist, he also delves deep into the geometry and texture of electronic music, the nature of light and its channels and the fiery symbolism of conceptual film. unifying the often lonesome strands of sensory expression into a barrage of seductively arresting output. We spoke to him...

How did growing up in industrial Detroit shape your perceptions of society? 

Although I did spend a ton of time in downtown Detroit proper in my teens I actually grew up in a town about 45 minutes outside of Detroit. It was a desolate postindustrial scar on an otherwise green farmland. It plays host to what was once the world's largest walled prison and claims to be the place where the Republican Party was founded. In my teens we would break into the former Goodyear Tire plant complex (1.2 square kilometer factory) and skateboard on the steel floors. The plant closed in the early 80s due to a huge explosion that ruined one of the buildings. When it closed 30,000 people lost their jobs and the town was gutted financially. Still, the town has one of the best comic book stores in Michigan. Michigan in general is weird. I hated it as a kid and when I would go back in my early 20's I felt like I was suffocating, even if I was just visiting. But something about that place breeds intensely interesting, massively creative people. Motown, the Stooges, Juan Atkins, MC5, Wolf Eyes, Andrew WK. I came up seeing amazing shows in Detroit and was around during the birth of the noise scene there in the early 90's. I remember being at a rave in about 1991 with Graham Massey of 808 State and a friend of mine who was performing. This back when raves had bands like the Shamen or Meat Beat Manifesto, before the rise of DJ's. Orion pictures was there to film some movie about dance music that never came out. In hindsight I was in an amazing place and time seeing incredible things and doing ridiculous stuff. But it never seemed enough when I was young. Everyone I knew wanted to escape, to go out and see the world and get away from what we thought of as a boring existence.

What were your first forays into expressed creativity? 

I come from a family that promotes creativity. I have aunts and uncles who are artists in one way or another. So I started drawing young (like all kids) and just never stopped. I first started doing graff work in my teens, mostly as tags on buses and terminals in the 80s and early 90s. Then when I moved to NYC in 95 I started working with a crew of kids from the School for Visual Arts. I was the odd man out as I was older and didn't go to art school. All we did was paint the pieces designed by one guy, which got boring fast, so I moved on. It wasn't until 2003 or so that I started painting the sea / space monster things I do now. They grew out of drawings I had been doing for years. Kind of automatic drawing style psyche stuff.

When did you first begin to take an interest in the esoteric? 

When I was young, like 11 or so, I was fascinated with mythology and fantasy stories. I started reading up on the witch trials and slowly gravitated to more mystical work. By 13 I had figured out how to get books from other libraries sent to mine and was reading books on 14th century demonology and kabbalah. Crowley came along by my mid-teens, as did yoga, meditation and other mind expansion techniques; although I was totally straight edge (though not vegetarian) all through high school.

In the final analysis, what is your take on Crowley? 

Crowley is funny, especially in the UK where he still gets press. On the one hand he was an amazingly intelligent guy who spoke a half dozen languages and wrote an enormous amount of brilliantly insightful material into mystical traditions, esoteric thinking, and the nature of religion. On the other hand he was a man raised with money, used to being given what he wanted and overly indulgent of his desires/passions. The thing I find funny is how they still call Crowley a "Satanist!" in the UK press. It's been 100 years and as many books have been written about him and yet no research gets done or basic fact checking when an article about him comes out in the mainstream media. Yet when he does get mentioned its always "DRUG USER! "SATANIST!" etc. In today's world someone like George Michael it doing more in the way of "bad things" than Crowley ever did. How controversial is a guy who is bisexual, practices yoga and does drugs today?

READ FULL INTERVIEW IN LSD MAGAZINE issue 6

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THIS IS WHAT RSH SAID ABOUT THE INTERVIEW

LSD MAGAZINE - ISSUU PROFILE

 London Street-Art Design Official Portal

ALSO FEATURING INTERVIEWS / ARTICLES FROM THIS MOTLEY CREW


Ananda nahu, The Correspondents, Solo One, Soulflux, The Orb + Youth, Jerm IX, 69 DB, Raymond Salvatore Harmon, Rennie Pilgrem, The Yes Men, Resto, Chaz, Neurodriver, Lokey, Elate, Dhear One, Page 51, Umek, Karma, Andrew Tiernan, K-Guy, Richard A Webster, William Parry, Andy C, Jesus Greus, Push Pony, James Lightning Wilks, Dominic Spreadlove, AK - 47, Mr Sofalumpkins, Mat Banbury, MikkiM, David Corden, Ian Milne, Punch Music, Hudson Zuma, Wayne Anthony, Sirius23

LSD Magazine Interviews William Parry on Palestine Wall Art (Issue 6)

We are privileged to welcome journalist, author and photographer William Parry to LSD Magazine. William has just published Against the Wall, a book crammed full of original photography and captivating, deeply emotive insight that documents both the art of the separation wall that pillages the land, the resources, the freedom and the dignity of Palestine as well as the struggle that it so starkly symbolises. Oscillating between the art itself, it’s evolution, the balance between local paint and visiting solidarity and the human cost and searing scars that the wider conflict has torn into the Palestinian psyche, the book examines the throbbing concrete heart of this terrifying symbol of injustice and grinds it’s visual story into grim focus...

What drove your commitment to documenting the art of the separation wall? 

First and foremost, the injustice of the wall and the millions ways that the graffiti communicates this and the steadfastness of the Palestinians in their struggle. I was doing an article about the legacy of Banksy and co.’s Santa’s Ghetto project in Bethlehem. I’d been many times and as I was leaving Bethlehem on this occasion I was amazed to see how much new artwork had gone up on the wall since my last visit. I texted my partner, joking that someone should document it for subsequent generations because all walls fall, and it’d be a shame to lose all this stunning work on this hated wall. I quickly thought: hey, it’s not a bad idea and I proposed it to Pluto Press, who quickly backed it. The advocacy movement for Palestine urgently needs fresh and creative ways of communicating with Western audiences so that it can get new support and raise awareness, like with the anti-apartheid movement – only then will real pressure on Israel build to respect international law. The Santa’s Ghetto project, pulled off with astonishing skill, creativity, originality and humour by Banksy et al and Pictures on Walls (POW), was such an act, making headlines around the world and showed Christmas shoppers in the West that Bethlehem/Palestine is being destroyed by Israel’s occupation and the wall. The book is a continuation of their fortnight there and their thinking – with the human stories of Palestinian hardship and resistance between the artwork.


Can you give us some insight into how you went about researching the book? 

There are thousands of wonderful, committed people who form a web of solidarity for justice, involved with various groups and from all walks of life. It’s a growing, international community of people who are doing their little bit to raise awareness about Israel’s decades of injustice in Palestine. I depended hugely on their contacts, their energy, their assistance, their lifts to areas on the ground in some cases, to meet people with tragic and inspiring stories to tell. In the UK I had original assistance from Tristan Manco at POW, who put me in touch with many of the artists. Then it was down to basic journalism – gathering the stories, the statistics from the many organisations who produce regular reports on such things (the UN and humanitarian/human rights groups), and taking a few thousand photos! And of course there’s my wife, who accompanied me through most of the journey and whose language skills and ‘nativeness’ granted us access into the lives of many people I could never have experienced otherwise.

How much did the process change you as a person? 

My admiration, respect and understanding of the Palestinian people grew exponentially. I was profoundly moved by their generosity, patience, humour and their steadfastness/ resolve. They taught me a lot about all of these qualities. It also turned me on to street art and taught me a lot about this medium that was previously foreign to me, I’m ashamed to admit.


What is your personal take on whether art diminishes or accentuates the monstrous impact of the wall? 

I’d like to think the graffiti highlights it and exposes, stroke by stroke, the nature of Israel’s on-going colonial project, now 62 years old. It’s a small way for ordinary people to express their outrage, their disgust, their solidarity – but it’s the growing number of small but creative ways that civil society is taking to voice its opposition and combat the oppression, given how pathetically our politicians have failed to uphold international law and morality. Instead of writing to your MP, go over, support the local economy, witness Israel’s occupation and leave your mark on the wall. That will lead to other actions and growing awareness, and that will help change the situation for the better.

How much of the art is directed towards a forgetful media and how much do you think is actually for the day to day lives of the communities themselves? 

Virtually none is there for the media – the Santa’s Ghetto work was partly to get the media’s attention. But most is for the people caught behind the wall, a small way of saying ‘you are not alone’. That knowledge – whether through the graffiti or by campaigning for their rights in other ways there and here – means a huge amount to them, they say. 

Is the spray can mightier than the sword? 

It’s a means of communicating about injustice. It’s one means of getting a message across. The more people who learn about Israel’s crimes, the more who challenge the West’s blind backing of Israel – the quicker Israel’s incredibly sophisticated military machine will be undermined. The spray can is part of the spectrum of other creative, non-violent ways being undertaken by civil society to raise awareness, challenge historical narratives and overcome injustice.

READ FULL INTERVIEW IN LSD MAGAZINE issue 6

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 London Street-Art Design Official Portal

ALSO FEATURING INTERVIEWS / ARTICLES FROM THIS MOTLEY CREW

Ananda nahu, The Correspondents, Solo One, Soulflux, The Orb + Youth, Jerm IX, 69 DB, Raymond Salvatore Harmon, Rennie Pilgrem, The Yes Men, Resto, Chaz, Neurodriver, Lokey, Elate, Dhear One, Page 51, Umek, Karma, Andrew Tiernan, K-Guy, Richard A Webster, William Parry, Andy C, Jesus Greus, Push Pony, James Lightning Wilks, Dominic Spreadlove, AK - 47, Mr Sofalumpkins, Mat Banbury, MikkiM, David Corden, Ian Milne, Punch Music, Hudson Zuma, Wayne Anthony, Sirius23