Street life in Paris

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Toothpicker

This summer, a few overseas friends who visited both Paris and London told me that they enjoyed London much more than Paris. When I asked them the reasons, they said that the streets of Paris feel unsafe and chaotic, whereas London feels more vibrant and safer. I wasn’t surprised by this as I have also noticed that Paris is not what it used to be anymore, hence, I have not had the urge to cross the Channel in the last two years. Interestingly, new figures also suggest that London has beaten Paris, to become the world’s most popular city for tourists.

However, Paris is still one of most beautiful cities in the world and it is always inspirational, so it would hard for me to stay away from it for long. And since I know the city quite well, I try to stay away from touristy spots, so my experiences would most likely differ from my friends’. And somehow, as a Londoner, I feel the need to defend Paris because I think the city still has certain characteristics and charms that London lacks…

First of all, I think Paris is a more walkable city than London because it is much smaller and easier to navigate. I love walking in Paris because it is like a living museum. Aside from the beautiful historical architecture and inspiring shop window display, you can always find something intriguing on the streets including the following:

Art & dogs – Random art pieces (see above) and anything related to dogs…

People – Parisians are actually not as unfriendly as people imagine, in fact, I have come across many friendly people. And for me, the best places for people watching are food markets and parks…

Architecture & landmarks – On the surface, historical buildings seem to dominate Paris’ cityscape, yet new contemporary architecture is being added ‘discreetly’ in recent years. However, these new buildings are not as obvious and as imposing as the ones in London, you will need to seek out them out amongst the old (which I will write about in one of my next few entries)…

Markets – I love food markets esp. in Paris where I can spend hours just wandering… I love the colours, smell, variety of food on offer and the interactions between shoppers and with the stall vendors…

Graffiti and street art– In one of my old entries, I have mentioned about Paris’ graffiti and street art scene, and like London, it is now part of the urban landscape. Nuisance or art, it’s up to you to decide…

Not only Paris has more elegant looking Vélib’ bikes ( compare to Boris‘ more masculine bikes in London) with their bike sharing scheme, they also have Autolib‘, an electric car sharing service that was launched as a complement to Vélib’ in 2011 ( a scheme which will also be introduced in London soon). With the wide boulevards, Paris streets are definitely safer to cycle than London, though what you need to be careful of is the mad and quick-tempered drivers!

On a more serious note, both London and Paris have their issues of homelessness. While the British government has recently launched ‘stricter’ rules to combat the issue due to an increase of Eastern Europeans entering the country; the French Government has adopted a more tolerant attitude and so homelessness is becoming more problematic all over France.

It is hard to avoid begging gypsies with their young children in the centre of Paris, and even temporary street dwellings are on the rise. According to a memorial book compiled by campaign group “Les Morts de la Rue” (Dead in the Streets), a total of 453 homeless people died on the streets of France last year, and the numbers are likely to increase unless some drastic measures are put in place to tackle the problem.

This issue has even been highlighted in a multi-award winning short film directed by Bernard Tanguy. Je pourrais être votre grand–mère ( I could be your grandmother) is inspired by a true story of a young business lawyer, Joël Catherin, who helped and wrote hundreds of cardboard signs for the homeless people in his posh Paris neighbourhood. You can watch the short film below (though there is no English subtitles):

Je pourrais être votre grand-mère (2010), directed by Bernard Tanguy

To be continued…

Hong Kong’s new street art scene

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Toothpicker

Graham street mural

Hong Kong has never been regarded as an art and creative hub, but in recent years things are changing… aside from the annual Art Basel, new galleries (including international ones) are opening all the time, and the city will finally have its first world-class visual culture museum in 2017 ( it’s about time). Now even the street art scene is getting more exciting!

After traveling to two highly state-controlled cities (Shanghai and Sinagpore) where the street art and graffiti is almost non-existent, it is thrilling to discover new street art pieces every week in certain areas (mostly Sheung Wan) of Hong Kong. Although some of these work would be painted over, new work would re-emerge very quickly, and this constant defiance towards authority makes Hong Kong more ‘rebellious’ than cities that choose to conform.

Street art in Sheung Wan and further west

Since graffiti is still illegal in Hong Kong, the removal of graffiti and street art is nothing new as the Hong Kong’s authority has removed almost all of the legendary street ‘calligrapher’, Tsang Tsou Choi’s (King of Kowloon) work apart from 4 pieces. One of the surviving pieces is the pillar at Tsim Sha Tsui’s Star Ferry pier in Kowloon, which is now protected behind a ridiculous transparent plastic cover (see below)! In 2011, a retrospective at Artistree paid tribute to the calligrapher who died in 2007 at the age of 85, and the new M+ museum has also acquired his calligraphy-painted doors to be displayed when it finally opens its door. The proverb, ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ certainly applies here.

The biggest event in the Hong Kong’s street art scene took place when French urban artist, Invader ‘invaded’ Hong Kong in January of this year (his third trip) to leave his signature mosaics (48 pieces) all over the city. Yet within a month, the authority decided to remove his Pac-Man tile mosaic by the Highways Department due to ‘safety’ reasons.

And what followed up was very interesting… this act not only upset the artist who released a statement expressing his disappointment, it also angered the public and subsequently local artist, Kacey Wong created and distributed a poster online calling for the work to be restored. Miraculously, the work resurfaced not long after his plea, yet the identity of this new plastic art work (the original is ceramics) is still a mystery. This act though, proves that people power is not to be underestimated!

Bottom left: Invader’s new piece at Ladder Street; Bottom right: One of the last 4 original calligraphy by Tsang Tsou Choi’s (King of Kowloon) at Star Ferry

Street art has been employed by some artists as a form of activism, and in Hong Kong, Pride in Rainbow was formed by in 2011 by a small group of local artists around the time of the Hong Kong Pride Parade. Since then, rainbow-filled stencil art of animals and prominent local gay and lesbian singers (who openly came out) started to appear. These work act as messages to support the LGBT community and create awareness to their rights that they are still fighting for.

Top left, right, 2nd row left & middle: gay and lesbian local celebrities – Leslie Cheung, Antony Wong and Denise Ho by Pride in Rainbow

On this trip, I stumbled upon some colourful and eye-catching ‘yarn bombing’ (guerilla-style street knitting) around Central and Sheung Wan. I was very curious about these lovely pieces and later I found out that they are created by Esther Poon, an aerobics teacher who is also a keen knitter. Inspired by Magda Sayeg and her Hong Kong project ‘I Knit MK’, Esther started to create her own pieces to promote the art of yarn bombing last year. Her covered street railings are not only decorative but they are also warm to hold onto in the winters, which is ideal for the elderly walking up and down the long and steep steps in the hilly areas. Work like this would certainly change the way people view street art.

Main & 2nd row left: Esther Poon’s colourful crochet work can be found around Sheung Wan

While street art and graffiti is becoming more acceptable and even celebrated in certain parts of the world, many still consider it as vandalism, and like always, the boundary between art, vandalism and activism is becoming more blurry. Personally, I think a lot of people do not understand the underlying value of street art and graffiti, whether these work have artistic value or not is besides the point. Street art and graffiti started as a sub-culture ( despite its growing popularity now), it exists because there are many people (including artists or unemployed youths) in the society regard themselves as outsiders and are unable to get their voices heard, so they express themselves or their beliefs through art or words. The act itself reflects some kind of non-conformity towards the authority, and how the authority reacts towards these work also reflect their tolerance level. In East London, street art is treated as part of the streetscape and even tourist attractions. In many ways, an authority that celebrates street art and other forms of sub-culture reveals their confidence and tolerance on diversity and freedom.

It is the creative street art and vibrant street scenes that make Hong Kong more interesting than some other Asian cities under strict authoritarian rule, yet the government has been trying to banish all the street activities including getting rid of the wet/street markets, street food carts and dai pai dongs (outdoor food eateries). When will they realise that the street life in Hong Kong is actually its unique selling point?

Street art in Hong Kong needs to continue because conformity is not an option.

Check out Hong Kong’s street art scene here at Hong Kong Walls.

Street art in Seville & Granada

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Toothpicker

Seville’s riverbanks are the most popular canvases for graffiti artists

Seville is a beautiful city full of historical architecture and sites, yet beyond the tourists attractions, the city is also full of cool, creative and colourful street art and graffiti. I was not aware of the street art scene in Seville before my trip and so I was quite pleasantly surprised by what I saw.

The subculture of graffiti has evolved over the past few decades and now it is part of the urban landscape in cities around the world. Graffiti artists use their cities as their canvases and gallery space to express themselves, whilst gaining fans and followers around the world. In my opinion, the urban art represent the city more than what is displayed inside galleries or museums. And with the economic downturn and high unemployment rate in Spain, the streets are probably the best outlets for frustrated youths or artists.

In Seville, the riverbanks are the best graffiti and street art gallery in the city, and the long stretch of collection is very impressive. Elsewhere in the city, random art work can also be seen, notably on garage entrances and shop gates/shutters, though the style is more ‘polished’ and decorative. I think using art to decorate a boring garage entrance or shopfront is a wonderful idea, it also reflects the artistic and aesthetics value of the city.

Decorative art work painted on garage entrances and shop gates in Seville

Interestingly, graffiti in Granada has a slightly different style (from the ones I saw), usually less ‘polished’ and with comics influence.

Graffiti in Granada is unique and often humourous

The two well-know graffiti/ street artists working in Seville and Granada are Lahe ( a female artists based in Seville) and Raúl Ruiz ( based in Granada), and I will try and seek out their work when I visit the two cities next time.

The art of Andalusian azulejos

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Toothpicker

Top: Plaza de España; 2nd row left: Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo; 2nd row middle, right & 3rd row: Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija; Bottom left: Hospital de los Venerables; Bottom right: Alhambra.

I have always love azulejos/ ceramic tiles, and I was especially escatic when I was in Portugal because there is beautiful tilework everywhere. The traditional art form was introduced by the Moors about 6 centuries ago, besides Portugal, Seville’s Hispano-Moresque tile industry also flourished by adopting old techniques like cuerda seca (‘dry string’) and cuenca.

Seville’s Triana district was once the ceramic centre but like many traditional arts and crafts around the world, this is a dying art form and only a few azulejos shops remain today. However, inside the former ceramic factory, Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo (CAAC), there is still some interesting tile work that can be seen as a backdrop for the contemporary art display.

Although the demise of the ceramic tile industry is inevitable, the footprints of its glory days are still visible everywhere in Andalusia today. Aside from different palacios and historical sites, they are used as signs for shops and restaurants, street advertising, and simply as decorations ( or as cooling system) for churches and houses. The themes of the tile work vary, but two particularly interesting themes include scenes with the cities’ landmarks as the backdrop and scenes that depict cities’ past/ traditional way of life.

City landmarks

The Giralda bell tower and Torre del Oro ( The Gold Tower) are often used in Seville, while the tower at the Mezquita de Córdoba is used in Cordoba as the backdrop of the art work.

History, traditional life and bullfighting

The cities’ history ( including lives under the Roman and Moorish rules) and the traditional way of living are common themes for these tile work. And not surprisingly, scenes of bullfighting are often depicted too.

Religion

With so many monasteries, convents and churches in the region, tile work with religious themes can also be found at these sanctuaries. However, unlike the Portuguese who often cover the entire facade with amazing azulejos, Andalusians are more low-key and would create smaller plaques.

Bars and cafes

Beautiful tile work outside of restaurants and cafes can attract passerby’s attention, so it can be a good marketing strategy…

Shops

The same rule applies to shops, esp. ceramic artisans ( obviously) and even pharmacies!

Last but not least, tiles used on the facades of architecture can also enhance the aesthetics of the buildings and streets. And interestingly, every building’s tile work is unique, so it is a joy and visual feast for passerby. When you next visit Andalusia, don’t forget to admire the traditional and beautiful street art.

AOI Illustration Awards 2013

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Toothpicker

Bottom left & right Russell Cobb for Lower Mill Estate: Summer and Autumn

I often feel that illustrations or illustrators are ‘undervalued’, perhpas due to its ambiguous nature… somewhere between art and graphic design, it is somewhat overlooked by people outside and sometimes even inside the industry. When I used to work in advertising, illustrators in the agencies were important yet they were not fully appreciated, which I found quite odd. Hence, the AOI illustration awards organised by The Association of Illustrators is a good way to give illustrators the recognition they truly deserve.

Top middle & bottom left: Jonathan Burton’s Odd Bods playing cards for The Folio Society ( Professional winner in Design); Joe Caslin’s Our Nation’s Sons street art project ( New Talent winner in Public Realm); Bottom right: Jonny Hannah

I went to see the AOI illustration awards exhibition at the Somerset House before it ended, and I was very pleasantly surprised by the standard of work seen at the show. The exhibition featured highlights from this year’s shortlist, including advertising, design, research, books, editorial and public realm, which reflect the diversity within the industry.

Here are some of my favourites from the show:

I like the fun and nostalgic style “Odd Bods” playing cards by Jonathan Burton for The Folio Society ( Professional Winner in Design). The illustrations are lovely and playful, I wish I can purchase a set for myself!

I love Joe Caslin‘s inspiring street art project, “Our Nation’s Sons” and I was glad to learn that his project won the New Talent Award in the Public Realm sector. His ongoing project involves installing large-scale portrait drawings of teenage boys from the edges of society in Scotland. Instead of neglecting or isolating them from the society, he gets them involved in the project and gives them a sense of belonging. You can watch a video of this project here:

The Editorial New Talent Winner, John Riordan has created a set of powerful illustrations about The City and the financial crisis in the series, “Capital City”. The illustration style is unique and atmospheric, I also love the cynicism and dark humour on our flawed financial sector.

Top left: Chris Rixon’s On The Road; Top right: Paul X Johnson’s Among Brothers; Bottom left: Imagination by Lesley Barnes for V & A’s Museum of Childhood ( Professional Winner in Advertisiing); Anna & Elena Balbusso for the book: Eugene Onegin; Bottom right: Nicolle Fuller’s Nanolipogel’s attacking cancer ( Professional winner in Research and knowledge communications)

Although twin illustrators, Anna & Elena Balbusso did not win an award at the AOI, I was completely captivated by their work for the book, “Eugene Onegin” by Alexander Pushkin. Their illustrations are hauntingly beautiful, atmospheric and mysterious. I was a bit surprised that the work did not win the category, but was glad to learned that it had won the Best Book award at the V&A Illustration Awards.

Research and knowledge communications Professional Winner, Nicolle Fuller‘s “Nanolipogel Attacking Cancer” took a different approach in tackling a subject very scientific and complicated. The medical illustrations are detailed but not too overly technical, they are accessible to the mass audience without compromising on the aesthetic appeal. Outstanding achievement.

Art weekend – Shoreditch

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Toothpicker

Keiko Masumoto “motif/ vessel” at ICN gallery

My last stop of the art weekend was Shoreditch, the ‘current’ destination for art, design, music or any kind of creative industry.

At the ICN gallery, young Japanese artist, Keiko Masumoto‘s ceramics, vessels and potteries are fascinating. Using traditional Japanese motifs and techniques but sculpted and presented in a new way. The main installation at the gallery consists of a room full of geese, either extending from vessels, hanging from the ceiling or as ‘cut-outs’ on the floor. Fun!

Banksy ( left) at the Urban masters, Opera Gallery

Urban masters at Opera Gallery

Since Shoreditch is well-known for its street art, there is nowhere better for the Urban masters exhibition. At a Victorian factory, Opera Gallery and ANV presents 32 of the most influential urban and street artists as they pay homage to art masters, masterpieces and muses who have inspired them throughout history. It’s interesting to see all the well-known street artists in one ‘gallery’ space, this shows how street art has evolved over the years.

A smaller street art exhibition, New York Kings is also on display at Pure evil gallery, where the original graffiti kings use New York subway maps as their canvas to tell their 30 year story.

New York Kings at Pure evil gallery

Street art is everywhere in Shoreditch

After a whole day of art, I still ended up at an art-related restaurant with some friends… Tramshed, where Damien Hirst‘s installation can be seen even from the outside. I am not usually into ‘trendy’ or ‘hip’ places ( I often find them ‘over-hyped’), but we went because it was before dinner time and the place was still pretty quiet. The experience turned out better than I thought, the service was friendly and the food was tasty, most of all, everything was quite reasonably priced except for the cocktails. Compare to Hix in Farringdon, I think this is a definitely a ‘hipper’ version that aims to attract the ‘in’ crowd.

Tramshed in Shoreditch

Keiko Masumoto “motif/ vessel” at ICN gallery, 96-98 Leonard Street London EC2A 4RH ( until 30th November).

Urban masters at Opera gallery at Factory 7, 13 Hearn Street, EC2A 3LS ( until 18th November).

New York Kings at Pure evil gallery, 108 Leonard st London EC2A 4RH ( until 18th November).

Paris, the city of graffiti

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Toothpicker

Once ‘The city of light‘, now Paris is more like the city of graffiti. Although the famous sights and monuments are still there, this city has changed so much in recent years that it is almost unrecognisable as the stereotypical romanticised place it once endured. Yes, there are still romantic spots, but I feel less safe walking alone in certain areas of Paris than I do in London these days. The social problems in Paris are hardly new, as we have seen in films like ‘La Haine‘, ‘Caché‘ and ‘Entre les murs’ etc. Tourists are warned about the pickpockets in the touristy areas, but beyond these areas, the scope of crimes are more problematic.

Vandalism is one of the issues that the city is facing ( esp. with their bicycle hire scheme), and in many older generation’s opinion, graffiti is considered more as vandalism than art. On my recent visit, I didn’t have to venture to Les Frigos in the 13th to notice the dominance of graffiti in every corner and on many vans!

Graffiti in London, New York, Berlin or Los Angeles doesn’t seem as out of place as somewhere like Paris because of its historical and beautiful backdrop. In London esp. Shoreditch, graffiti has been replaced by more ‘sophisticated’ street art thanks to the influence of Banksy. In Paris, apart from street art, we can still see raw graffiti work like the ones emerged in New York during the 1970s.

Who would have thought that a city that has inspired so many famous artists over the years would evolve in such an unexpected way? For those who still suffer from the Paris syndrome, it is time to see the real Paris beyond Louis Vuitton and Musée du Louvre…

Work by different street artists including Invader

Graffiti in Chiang Mai

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Toothpicker

I have a strong interest in graffiti, but I didn’t expect to see such ‘high quality’ graffiti artwork in the city centre of Chiang Mai. I was especially amazed when I stumbled upon several walls covered with graffiti art outside a car park next to a large shopping mall. I am sure there are many hidden gems in the city, here are just some that I accidentally ‘discovered’…

From graffiti to art: Style Wars

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Toothpicker

The most famous street art gallery: East side gallery, Berlin

I have always been fascinated by street art and graffiti, and I have taken photographs of these works of ‘art’ for quite a few years esp. during my travels. Hence I was glad that I managed to get one of the last few seats to see “Architecture on film: Style Wars” at the Barbican, curated by The Architecture Foundation. The screenings included: “Style Wars“, directed by Tony Silver in 1983 and a short film: “The subconscious art of graffiti removal“, directed by Matt McCormick in 2002.

In “Style Wars“, it documented the battles between the pioneering graffiti artists in New York in the early 80s. Silver interviewed these artists, their families, the then-mayor, Ed Koch, MTA workers, metro passengers and even passerby. The most interesting part is seeing the relationship between graffiti and hip-hop (including break dancing and rapping), and how this emerging subculture movement that started in the late 70s became part of the mainstream modern day culture. The film also shows graffiti entering into the New York art scene in the early 80s despite many who saw it as simply as vandalism.

Southbank, London

Portland-based director, Matt McCormick directed “The subconscious art of graffiti removal“, a short documentary that has taken a rather unique and mocking approach towards the subject. It documented the removal of graffiti by city council workers, who according to the director, managed to create works of art that could be compared to Rothko without realising it! The tone of the narrator by fellow artist and her use of terms seems to be indirectly mocking those pretentious art critics (professional or not!) who we sometimes encounter at art exhibitions. Humourous and unusual, with interesting cinematography.

It is interesting to see the ambiguous meaning of what we call ‘art’ these days. It is certainly more subjective now and more influenced by cultural trends than it used to. I have gathered and posted photos that were taken over the years onto my Pinterest board, you can click here to view them. Check out the Berlin ones, I think this city has the best ‘graffiti/ street art’ in the world!

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Tag Archives: graffiti/ street art