Sunday, July 30, 2017

Hackney Wick with Susi


We got quite a bit of rain last night. I woke up around 1:30 a.m. and it sounded like it was pouring out there. Is there anything more wonderful than lying in a warm, dry bed and listening to that sound? I briefly wondered where the foxes and squirrels and other critters go in that kind of weather. And then I fell asleep again.

We've been having kind of a weird summer overall. It started out very pleasant, dry and warm, but some time in June it got chilly and wet again, and it seems like it's been that way ever since. I've had to wear a sweatshirt pretty much every day.


Yesterday I went to Hackney Wick with my photography pal Susi. It's a former industrial neighborhood turned very artsy and bohemian, and now well on its way to gentrification. We wandered the streets for a couple of hours, shooting all the incredible street art. I have so many pictures -- 102 after editing -- that I will doubtless be inflicting them upon you for weeks!


Not everyone likes the neighborhood's Bohemian flair. This guy asked what I was photographing. I told him I take pictures of all the street art. "It's reprehensible," he declared. Which is kind of true in the case of this particular wall, but a lot of it is spectacular:


A case in point.

Anyway, Susi and I had a good long walk and a great lunch at a little canalside cafe and art gallery (where we both had "seasonal eggs," or eggs with tomatoes and salad leaves on toast, and it was fab).


I noticed that Susi blended right in with this wall! It's like she's in pastel camouflage.

We also stumbled onto a gallery show by the London Gay Photographers Network, which was interesting and included everything from naked guys (naturally!) to landscapes and wildlife.

I was exhausted when I got home, especially after wading through and editing all my pictures from the day. Whew!
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16 comments:

  1. crafty cat cornerJuly 30, 2017 at 9:45 AM

    I personally like street art, good street art that is. Here in Brighton we have quite a lot. I have put it on the blog in the past.
    Love the old Indian lady.
    Briony
    x

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  2. Yorkshire PuddingJuly 30, 2017 at 12:46 PM

    It sounds like a perfect day for you. Don't worry about "inflicting" the street art photos on your adoring public. I for one look forward to them and it sounds as if The Brighton Belle (above) will be cool about it too.

    By the way, did you catch the documentary on BBC 2 last night - about Robert Mapplethorpe? Quite a character.

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  3. ellen abbottJuly 30, 2017 at 3:28 PM

    I love all the street art there. that top pic if fabulous. it looks like part of the left side is painted on the windows. we have murals on some of the building in town here but they are historical and all painted in the same three colors...blue, brown, tan.

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  4. Ms. MoonJuly 30, 2017 at 3:40 PM

    Just gorgeous stuff! I especially love the birds. I have to admit that I am not always a fan of street art but these I do love. And what a fun outing to take!

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  5. AnonymousJuly 30, 2017 at 3:43 PM

    I love street art. It always makes me wish I could paint. I have often thought about the trend that goes from bohemian to gentrification. The bohemians often know what's cool first! Looking forward to seeing more of the art there.

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  6. TJ DavisJuly 30, 2017 at 4:00 PM

    I want to go live there too.
    In the day the 5th Street market area in Eugene, Oregon, had that feel. It's all up scale now.
    Nice pictures, please bug us some more, with more of them.
    :)
    Tom

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  7. RedJuly 30, 2017 at 6:36 PM

    I like street art. As a small city we don't have a lot but there's some new stuff since I last went out and photographed.

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  8. SharonJuly 30, 2017 at 8:17 PM

    I just got back from the Desert Botanical Garden with over 100 photos to edit so I feel your pain. We also had a rain storm blow through last night and this morning it was cool enough to take a walk so that's exactly what I did. I love all the street art you found. Well, most of it anyway. I agree with you on that one wall.

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  9. Linda SueJuly 30, 2017 at 9:01 PM

    Adore every photo! Glad you and Susi went there. Now I have another must do on my list. Wonderful shots, Steve!

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  10. 37paddingtonJuly 31, 2017 at 12:03 AM

    You are a modern day explorer. With a camera. And an eye.

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  11. jenny_oJuly 31, 2017 at 12:12 AM

    Oh, I love those little green birds!

    We were just talking today about the difference between graffiti and street art. One person said it depended on whether you got permission first or not. Another person said it depended on whether it was done at no cost or if a municipality spent thousands to have it done. Both sadly quite true, I think :)

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    Replies
    1. Steve ReedJuly 31, 2017 at 11:46 AM

      Actually, I would argue that it's possible to have illegal street art. For me the distinction is in whether there's an artistic element to the piece, or if it's primarily just a tag or a message. A lot of old-school graffiti writers scoff at "street art," and prefer the graff label.

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  12. The BugJuly 31, 2017 at 12:54 AM

    I like any kind of art in an urban setting. I find cities to be boring - or maybe it's not the city, but the buildings. I guess I like rural better. But in any case, if there's a splash of color, or an interesting drawing, I find those things fascinating.

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  13. eJuly 31, 2017 at 4:01 AM

    Wow...what a fabulous time. I can't wait to see more.

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  14. jenny_oAugust 2, 2017 at 5:41 AM

    That's interesting - good to know. Seems like a better definition to me.

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  15. jenny_oAugust 2, 2017 at 5:42 AM

    P. S. The definitions I talked about were both made rather tongue-in-cheek, for what it's worth! I don't think that came across in my comment.

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