Wednesday 10 July 2013

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the D&AD New Blood exhibition in London. I was very impressed with its presentation - I had high hopes for the exhibition as soon as I arrived.


I was surprised with the layout, however - it was a roofless exhibition (I wish I had known - I'd have dressed for the chilly weather). This exhibition showcases new work from up and coming artists, illustrators and designers from local universities, which is where 'New Blood' gets its name. It was helpful to see some work from the universities I had been considering.


Whilst in the area, we decided to check out the famous graffiti. We really were spoiled! With big names such as Banksy, Shepard Fairey and Space Invader, it was a really interesting trip that opened our eyes into the world of street art. As a fan of Fairey and Banksy for at least four years, it was great to see their work in person. Graffiti art such as theirs carries such an amazingly mysterious atmosphere in person that pictures simply don't capture.


The majority of the work carries either a social or political message, and it was a lot of fun trying to work out what meant what. Like the image above, for example. It appears to read 'R.I.P. Whitney', and the character is wearing a medal. Perhaps it's a personal statement, or perhaps it's aimed towards the some what recent death of Whitney Houston.


I simply adored this piece. I don't know the artist (perhaps it's crimethink?), but the work is simply adorable! I haven't got the faintest idea what the artist is trying to convey, but that makes it interesting to me. I love his adorable expression, and the blocks for blush. Normally, when faces are covered, it makes people uncomfortable due to the ambiguity, but here, it's almost soothing. Such an innocent character in the angry streets of London was a bright, refreshing find. 

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