Well it’s that time of the year again and at the the turn of the new year we here at London Calling Blog were privileged enough to get to celebrate five years of running the blog with many of the friends we have made over the last five years, artists and photographers alike, with The ‘Anythings Better Than A Blank Wall’ Paint Jam around our hometown of Penge and Anerley. So it was with extreme delight we were honored to spend our five year anniversary with 23 artists painting 22 cracking new works across the town, with many of our city’s talented artists as well as a few friends travelling from as far afield as Bristol and Cornwall for the weekend. Seriously we can’t thank you enough, we had the most amazing time with you all. We are fairly certain all those involved would agree that a fun time was had by all who came along. It was a great weekend with fortunately mild weather for the time of year, much positive energy, conversation and humour all punctuated of course primarily by the magnificent array of artworks which were left in the artists wake.
Following on from last years anniversary Paint Jam around SE20 which was dedicated to photographer Gordon Gibbens who we had recently learned had sadly passed away in 2017 aged 86 after spending the previous two decades documenting graffiti and street art around London and beyond, we decided this year to and shall henceforth name this particular celebration as the ‘Anythings Better Than A Blank Wall’ Paint Jam in Gordon’s memory. Gordon and his family were some of very first supporters, in fact when we first started the project in 2016 we had very mixed reactions from the townsfolk – who we are delighted to say by and large love what’s happening now and are very positive about the project – but in 2016 only a handful of dear photographer friends of ours had come down to visit SE20 to see and photograph the newly emerging artwork appearing around Penge. The very first people from around Penge we turned around and unexpectedly saw taking a picture of an artwork, enjoying what they were seeing was Gordon, his daughter Jane and son-in-law Tom, who were photographing Airborne Mark whilst he painted the very first wall for the project just 2 months in and only the 4th artwork of the 261 that have appeared to date. So this years Paint Jam goes out to a wise man who was known to say that “Anythings Better Than A Blank Wall”.
As is always the case we couldn’t do what we do here without the help we receive from the artists and friends we have made along the way and this Paint Jam was no exception. We would like to say thanks to firstly all the artists who took part in the weekend, all at their own expense we might add. All of what we do here is for the love of Street Art and what it can bring to a community, we are flattered and feel honoured that so many artists would turn out and paint for us yet again. Something which is all the more satisfying for us that on this occasion we get to enjoy the results of which every day when wandering about our hometown. We would like to say a big thank you to all the supportive and indulgent space owners – residential and business – for letting the artists work spots old and new. Big thank you to Kevin and M Frenchi for all the help in the week before the jam prepping spots with us, both individuals saving us so much time and making it all the more fun. Thank you to Lawrence and Ben for always being willing to lend us ladders and help make things happen. Thank you to Kevin, Street Art Atlas, M Frenchi & Spike and the team at the Alexandra Pub for all the help elsewhere over the weekend, lending ladders and carrying paint and ladders around town, stopping artists from getting run over and everything else that it took to get so many spots painted! We really couldn’t do it all without all your help. Lastly and by no means least, thank you to everyone who came down to Penge to enjoy the weekend – shout out to Inspiring City, Colossive Press and Pistoja for coming by to join the fun – as well as all the local residents who passed by snapping pictures and took the time to make nice comments to the artists about the fantastic artworks they were putting up around Penge and Anerley!
Without further ado we hope you enjoy the images from the weekend, there are many, but we feel the weekend deserves it with the high number of top quality pieces produced. Thank You all.
Toas at work.
Mr Cenz at work.
Airborne Mark at work.
SPZero76 at work.
DRT at work.
0707 & Airborne Mark at work.
JXC at work.
Aspire at work.
Captain Kris at work.
SPZero76 at work.
Morgasmik at work.
Hunto at work.
Jane Mutiny at work.
Woskerski at work.
Morgasmik at work.
Work by Irony in Parish Lane with the model and muse that is Molly the SprayExhibition20 Mascot.
Work by Irony with the model and muse that is Molly the SprayExhibition20 Mascot.
Work by Irony.
Work by Irony.
Work by Irony.
Work by Irony.
Work by Irony.
Work by Irony.
Work by Decolife.
Work by Decolife.
Detail of work by Decolife.
Detail of work by Decolife.
Detail of work by Decolife.
Work by Decolife.
Work by Lost Souls duo SPZero76 & Captain Kris with this Return of the Jedi themed work in Penge High Street.
Work by SPZero76 & Captain Kris.
Detail of work by SPZero76 & Captain Kris.
Detail of work by SPZero76 & Captain Kris.
Detail of work by SPZero76 & Captain Kris.
Detail of work by SPZero76 & Captain Kris.
Work by SPZero76 & Captain Kris.
Work by Aero in Southey Street.
Work by Aero.
Work by Aero.
Detail of work by Aero.
Work by Nathan Bowen in Southey Street.
Work by Nathan Bowen.
Work by Nathan Bowen.
Work by Aspire along Penge High Street, inspired by the Grateful Dead’s Live at Wembley 1972 album artwork.
Work by Aspire.
Detail of work by Aspire.
Detail of work by Aspire.
Work by Aspire.
Work by Mr Cenz in Penge High Street.
Work by Mr Cenz.
Work by Mr Cenz.
Work by Mr Cenz.
Work by Mr Cenz.
Work by Mr Cenz.
Work by Mr Cenz.
Detail of work by Mr Cenz.
Detail of work by Mr Cenz.
Detail of work by Mr Cenz.
Work by Mr Cenz.
Work by Mr Cenz.
Works by 0707, Airborne Mark, Kid Crayon & Krom in Secret Penge.
Works by 0707, Airborne Mark, Kid Crayon & Krom in Secret Penge.
‘FRAGILE’ by 0707 in Secret Penge, inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsukuroi where broken objects are repaired with molten gold to enhnace the scars and embrace the fractured past.
Work by 0707.
Detail of work by 0707.
Detail of work by 0707.
Work by Airborne Mark.
Detail of work by Airborne Mark.
Detail of work by Airborne Mark.
Detail of work by Airborne Mark.
Work by Kid Crayon in Secret Penge.
Detail of work by Kid Crayon.
Work by Kid Crayon alongside Work by SPZero76 from 2017 and Work by Dotmasters from 2018 in Secret Penge.
Work by Krom in Secret Penge.
Work by Elno in Maple Road.
Work by Elno.
Detail of work by Elno.
Work by Elno.
Work by Toas in Maple Road.
Detail of work by Toas.
Detail of work by Toas.
Work by Toas.
Work by Toas.
Work by Woskerski in Maple Road, with this superb surreal scene depicting a giant strawberry being investigated having crashed to Earth with quite an impact.
Work by Woskerski.
Work by Woskerski.
Detail of work by Woskerski.
Detail of work by Woskerski.
Work by Woskerski.
Work by Woskerski.
Work by She in Padua Road.
Work by Spray Saint in Padua Road.
Detail of work by Spray Saint.
Work by Hunto in Padua Road.
Detail of work by Hunto.
Detail of work by Hunto.
Detail of work by Hunto.
Work by Hunto.
Fresh works from She, Spray Saint and Hunto, with work from Irony peering over.
Work by Jane Mutiny in Thornsett Place with this poignant and extremely relevant Koala Bear set in the reflection of the fire destroying its homeland and threatening the entire species and countless others from total extinction and devastating loss of habitat to any that do survive.
Detail of work by Jane Mutiny.
Detail of work by Jane Mutiny.
Detail of work by Jane Mutiny.
Detail of work by Jane Mutiny.
Work by DRT x Many Faces in Cambridge Road, making fantastic use of this large garage front with this funky and kaleidoscope of colourful fun.
Pattern work from DRT with some fills from Many Faces.
Work by DRT x Many Faces.
Work by DRT x Many Faces.
Detail pf work by Many Faces.
Detail of work by DRT x Many Faces.
Work by DRT x Many Faces.
Funky work from Morgasmik fusing his layered abstract pattern work with a letter format and a striking piece that spells “MORG” and really injects some life and energy to this otherwise dull alleyway in Crystal Palace.
Work by Morgasmik along Anerley Road.
Detail of work by Morgasmik.
Detail of work by Morgasmik.
Detail of work by Morgasmik.
Detail of work by Morgasmik.
Detail of decorative support by Morgasmik.
Work by JXC along Anerley Hill, with this dark and clever piece about the current plight of Bees.
Detail of work by JXC.
Work by Hunto along Anerley Hill, with his second piece produced for the weekend, and an amazing feat considering the artist showed up on crutches.
Work by Hunto.
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