For a long time the glittering world of the financial district was the outer border and Lands End of London. Passing Bishopsgate and Liverpool Street, you entered the dark East End, heart of Cockney culture and working-class people. Where once grafters toiling at the docks, Jack the Ripper once committed his monstrous deeds and in later times gang wars raged, the most exciting neighbourhood has grown. Nowadays the region mutated to a creative workshop, as low rents, abandoned warehouses and factories attract a lot of artists, designers and alternatives to live and work there. Cafes, bars and restaurants followed and Tourists, indeed masses of Touries! And they all are  there to make a shopping trip and take a little taste of street art in passing as the East End is known as playground for some of the most famous street artists like BANKSY, INVADER and D*FACE tbc. I have seen a lot of people who had joined a guided street art tour, to save time and get an easy information about hot spots and artists. Those street art tours seem to be a growing sector of London tourism. For me as an observer standing apart, it seems to be an easy way of making money and a good opportunity for self-promotion. I have heard a lot of information about INVADER and BANKSY but nothing about the unknown artists, who are present all the time at every corner again. Naturally I had heared a lot about the East End and it’s street art but I must admit nothing could have completely prepared me for what was awaiting me there. My start was at Commercial Street / Hanbury Street and I was shocked from the first step on. Street art was EVERYWHERE! Not knowing where to walk first I stood there, slightly frozen and rotated around my own axis. Needless to say, my plan to walk systemytically was forgotten. After hours, just in time for a pot of tea and a bagel, I stumbled upon the Nomadic Community Gardens and Cafe, which is the site of Meeting of Styles UK, London’s largest graffiti and street art festival. But this is another story…

Be prepared to find a lot of images -> click