Jessica DellowI’ve always been fascinated by street art, so what a better way to learn more than by going on an Urban Street Art Tour of Camden?
Graffiti is a part of everyone’s lives, whether we like it or not; it’s displayed on street walls, buildings, doors and all over society, so we may as well take some time to understand why artists paint what they do and the message they’re sending out to us all, so that we can fully appreciate the art inevitably surrounding us in our everyday lives.
We were met by our lovely host Nelly outside Camden station, where we spent some time introducing ourselves to one another. We were then lead to our first stop, where Nelly spent some time explaining the diverse pieces displayed all along the street walls. What interested me the most was the deliberate placement of many pieces of art; I won’t give too much away but this fact was particularly alluring, especially when put into context by Nelly.
We spent some time wandering the streets whilst Nelly pointed out multiple pieces of art and deciphered them for us. Not only did we get to see these beautiful masterpieces but we were able to put ourselves into the position of the artist and understand why they painted what they did. Nelly even revealed secret messages hidden within the artwork; something that we would not have known if we’d just gone to admire it without her.
After spending time strolling around, we headed to a coffee shop for a quick pit stop before embarking on the last leg of the tour. This is where we saw a large political piece of art that was particularly intriguing, I won’t go into detail, as I don’t want to reveal the reasons behind this piece, but it really does prove that there is more to street art than meets the eye. The meanings behind many pieces can signify so much more than you’d ever expect, as well as making more of an impact on society than you may realise.
Obviously, street art is ever-changing. We saw breath-taking art that had been painted only the day before! But with graffiti having such negative connotations within society, a tour like Nelly’s is so important when attempting to remove this stigma, as well as providing the artists with the credit they very much deserve.
So, if you’re an artist of any kind, or particularly interested in graffiti, then head along to this street art tour. You’ll learn a lot about why graffiti artists paint what they do and the strong message they send out to people like you and me, every single day – even when we’re totally oblivious to it.
Click here to find out more about this amazing tour…
