Street Art

I really enjoyed this assignment because although I have explored a lot of London, this made me more aware of my surroundings. Although I was just walking to walk, as I walked my head and eyes were always moving and examining my surroundings. It was a lot more interesting than just walking with a bunch of friends, chit chatting and not being aware of what's around you. So even though I found a ton of street art, here are a few examples of what I found.

As I was on my way to Hammersmith, I decided to stop in Kensington Gardens and walk the back paths that I hadn't walked before. Thank goodness I did that because this is where I found my favorite piece of "street art."

I just find this to be incredibly funny. I didn't even notice it at first but I turned my head and this is what I saw. It's 3 stuffed animal mice holding a plastic gun! How funny is that?! I think that this absolutely enhances the landscape and fits with the surroundings. I've walked through Hyde Park so many times and seen rodents running around and they always freak me out, just like this did. It's so creative but so suttle that you have to really be paying attention to what's around you to notice this. I don't see this doing any harm to the environment, just giving it a little something else. I see it as representing what's around us (all the stupid rodents) and maybe this "artist" put a gun with the rodents because they think that most people want the rodents dead (or at least I do).


As I continued to walk down High Street Kensington, stopping along every side street, and continuing on walking to Hammersmith, I came across this piece of "street art."

I don't necessarily think that this one fits with the landscape. Everytime I see stickers and such on pieces of land, I think it is graffiti and is ruining the beauty of the landscape. I love nature for what it is and when "unnatural" things are put there that didn't start there, it ruins the aestheticism of the surroundings. I saw this sticker in two different places as I was walking. The first three were found on High Street Kensington and the last one (light blue) was found on an Earl's Court Street Sign on the way to Hammersmith. I just think they are completely out of place and I would have preferred them if they were on a telephone booth instead.

I think this one is brilliant. I had never seen this before but I think it is so creative and absolutely fits with the landscape and the sign above. It makes the speed limit more noticeable and more "easy-going" persay. It adds some fun and creativeness to a strict rule. The only thing that I don't understand about the sign is why there is a lady bug on it. Who wants to kill a lady bug? It could off maybe had a cigarette crossed out (killing two birds with one stone there saying kill your speed and kill the smoking) or something like a peace sign showing the idea of killing bad things (like going to fast on the road) will help bring about peace. I don't know, those are just some thoughts because I'm still confused on why there would be a ladybug. But overall, I thought this street art was incredibly intriguing and very creative.

(For the pictures below) Graffiti. Who feels the need to have to put a little sticker on a beautiful street sign? I'm sure this sticker has some sort of significance and means something, but there's no way I know what that is. They could of at least put the sticker on the brick wall underneath the sign but just shouldn't of put it on the actual sign. Here are a few more examples of stickers being put on places that they shouldn't be, in my opinion.

 I think this "Kende" sticker is a little bit more acceptable. It's on a trash can that looks very old and disgusting so it's a bit more reasonable that it was put there. It's not really ruining the "beauty" of the trash can or landscape, it's really just adding to it, making the garbage bin look more like garbage.

I thought this picture was just incredible funny and kind of creative. It looks like it's two monsters put into one. One monster as being the whole body with a little head and then the funny monster on the inside with the glasses. It definitely is an imaginative drawing, but once again, can't it be placed somewhere else rather than on a street sign?