Similar to the world of fashion, the art world is huge. As a result it can be hard to know where to look for less mainstream works and something affordable. Friends just who just went to the Affordable Art Fair, didn’t find it very affordable...
Hidden away at the end of Portobello road past the fly over is Graffik Gallery – home to urban street art creations. Having been popularised by Banksy, street art has evolved from works like his which pop up in public places. A lot of it originally stems from graffiti artists and taggers, many of whom go on to develop their own personal and characterising styles. But for this reason street artists have got a bad name which is why Graffik collaborated with Grafik Warfare to put on the Corroded Surfaces show – using old bits and pieces and turning them into works of art to give a ‘green’ message.
Some of the pieces are truly beautiful, not a word you would associate with street art necessarily – Fauna Graphic uses nails and bolts in the feathers on the wings in her show piece for a 3D effect which really lifts the painting.
Some these artists are regulars at the gallery when it’s not in its spray painted form (although I’m hoping the skeletons stay on the wall afterwards) like Funky Red Dog so even if you don’t catch the exhibition, then there’s some great pieces to buy. It’s very fluid - with works continually being sold, their spot is soon filled by another masterpiece.
The exhibitions are worth making the effort to go to – with live graffiti sprayers doing their thing in the garden and the artists milling around, you can her first hand where they get their inspiration from.
Graffik Gallery, 284 Portobello Rd
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