Over the last month London has been host to Spanish artist Ampparito, on his first visit to London, who has hit up three incredible works whilst over and really left some of the most interesting pieces we have seen this summer. The Madrid based artist with a background in Fine Art, reflected in his beautiful painterly tones, sets to create works that provide metaphors and allegories tinged with humorous overtones. His works strive to maintain a balance between the aesthetic composition and their meaning, focusing on the mechanisms that define society’s behaviour. We here at London Calling Blog were fortunate enough to make this artists acquaintance and he was most generous in explaining some of the themes and motifs behind his striking and thought provoking pieces.

Ampparito starting his work on Hanbury Street

Ampparito’s first work, placed up in Hanbury Street about a month or so back and which lasted only a week bfore being replaced.

This piece is a part of a project Ampparito started three months ago now entitled ‘I Accept The Terms & Conditions’, with similar works in Madrid, Milan and now London. The work is a reflection on ideas pertaining to ‘Big Data’ and the consequences of accepting the terms and conditions intrinsically linked to every app and piece of software which accompany our lives. For Ampparito this piece is based on the idea that “when something is free, you are the product.” As free services increase, which most see as a good point, free newspapers, online services, apps, Ampparito doesn’t disagree with this, but sets to counter the viewpoint in his pieces. The fish bait subject works as a metaphor for the concept of ‘adverts’, the fish bait and lure represents something artificial, shiny and simple but comes with hooks, the catches and consequence of such actions and beliefs. Modern societies are offered an increasing number of lures and tasty treats everyday without considering the result of such exchanges.

Ampparito’s second London work and our favourite from his visit, placed up on a roof in Peckham and is visible to passing trains, offering a surreal view of a larger than life extension socket to passing commuters.

This fantastic and frankly surreal choice of subject provokes ideas of the way we try to control the elements that control our lives, with the flick of a switch we can allow certain actions to continue or stop. A piece set to define the way society tries to control and regulate its very existence.

Ampparito’s third and final London work, placed up last week along Roman Road.

For us this piece reflects upon the way in which society has to create safety mechanism and valves to accompany our own destructive existence.