Fresh #ArtDrop pieces, East London, June 26th 2016

Yesterday was mostly about #ArtDrop pieces. Eleven pieces either freshly painted or in three of the cases, freshly layered. Eleven painted on pieces of wood found unwanted on the street, wood saved from landfill, recycled, painted on and hung on walls and fences on East London streets around Hoxton, Shoreditch, Brick Lane and Hackney’ Pieces of art left there almost hiding, left for people to take should they wish to. Each piece labeled on the back with a hash tag with people being encouraged to post photos of themselves with the pieces they have found and tell who they are.

I rather like it when art engages. yesterday I stood quietly and watched as a girl called Evalina curiously posed in front of a piece and against a rather colourful wall while her friend took a photo, and then wondered if she could take the piece (we did get talking in the end, once I had watched the process, I don’t usually hang around, I just happened to still be there taking my own photos). Several other people posted on social media jsut to say they had found pieces (o photos though), and this morning a posting on Facebook declared “L is officially the happiest kid in Hackney this morning. Nowt like discovering some free art on the way to school. Thanks Sean Worrall, he’s made up . .”.

Fresh #ArtDrop pieces, East London, June 26th 2016 (a piece found)

That was yesterday. Today? We shall see what today brings, several shows next week, including the On The Brink show that’s part of the Leytonstone Arts Trail. Somebody asked me yesterday, somebody from South California who started talking to me about what I was doing (I love the way all this just causes instant conversation with strangers), he asked me if it was a reaction to art galleries, an “anti-gallery stance” (as he put it). No, I love art galleries, I love the peace and quiet of a big white walled gallery space with good lighting. I love a space where art can breathe in an uncluttered state and there are no distractions. True, I do think galleries (and the people who run galleries), on the whole, could be a lot more friendly and inviting, a lot more engaging and that sometimes art should let down that hair and smile a little more, I like that pieces of art left on the street puts people at ease, makes them what to be part of it, but no, this is not an anti-gallery statement.

Fresh #ArtDrop pieces, East London, June 26th 2016

Here’s some photos of the drops and the people from yesterday, click on an image to enlarge, or to run the slideshow.  .