Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Mr. Styles' Menagerie


On Sunday I took a walk and came across this guy painting a curious mural on a popular graffiti wall near the Westway. I asked if I could take some pictures while he painted, and he said sure, as long as I didn't show his face.


The next day I went back to shoot the finished piece -- one of the errands I had to run Monday morning, despite the rain. (I didn't want to wait for fear the mural would be painted over, which tends to happen quickly.) The artist signed it "Mr. Styles 1985 KLDs." Pretty great! I especially like the duck with the crown and the walking stick -- and all their curious little feet.

Is there a message here? A fox in the henhouse? A wolf in...people's clothing?

10 comments:

Don't Feed The Pixies said...

could be that you've just discovered the next Banksy?

Ms. Moon said...

How whimsical and lovely!

The Bug said...

Fascinating! I want it to be the illustration for some graphic novel about fowl weather :)

Reya Mellicker said...

It's very shamanic - and very cool!

ellen abbott said...

love it. love that London has places like this.

Wayne said...

This makes me wish i had just one artistic bone in my body ...

Lynne said...

Very cool.

I've thought about this all day and maybe it has to do with something about people posturing to be seen as they would like to seen but they really aren't. Posers, if you will.

i.e. The Roosters in the Hen house parading around all decked out in their finery. And the Wolf/Fox, as you said. What is he up to?

Now the Duck with the Crown I can't explain.

Glad you captured it before it could possibly be painted over.

Steve Reed said...

Pixies: Well, I can't take credit! I'm sure others discovered him before me. :)

Ms Moon: As a chicken lover, I thought you'd get a kick out of it. :)

Bug: Fowl weather! Exactly!

Reya: It IS shamanic. I never thought of it that way.

Ellen: LOTS of places like this, actually. I love it too.

Wayne: I'm not a drawer/painter either. But maybe that makes it easier to appreciate others' drawing and painting -- because it's SO remote from our skill set?

Lynne: Posers...hmmmm...that could be! I guess the beauty of the piece is that it's open enough to mean whatever we want it to mean. We can read into it.

Anonymous said...

Hi there

I am a huge fan of Street Graffiti and a little less on Street Art but if your a fan of Mr Styles - hes just created three new dubs in SE London. I have set up a facebook page DubStreet180 and his latest dubs can be found on there! Again its a dog/ram,goat and a deer

Unknown said...

Hi there, does anyone know how to contact Mr. Styles? I have a proposition for him but I can't seem to find any form of contact to him.
I think his work is truely great, if anyone knows how to get in contact with him could they message here or email me on jkennedy167@gmail.com
Thank you very much!