Passing through London’s famous Leake Street in early February (also known as ‘Banksy Tunnel’) readers of Swedenborg will have noticed something quite extra-ordinary. At the south end of the street, spanning a 4 metre stretch of wall, there was a wall painting entitled Swedenborg.
Situated just behind Waterloo Station, Leake Street is famous throughout the world for hosting some of the most innovative and popular street and graffiti art. It is the only street in London where graffiti and street art are entirely legal.
Fortunately a camera phone was at hand and the work was captured before its inevitable erasure. Spraying over previous tags is an accepted part of graffiti practice. And as visitors to this part of London will know, Leake Street is a constantly shifting mosaic of images.
Who made the Swedenborg tag? We have no idea. By definition graffiti artists are a secretive bunch, and completely anonymous. Apparently it is via the ‘tag’ that a graffiti artist is identified. Of course most street art today is considered entirely respectable, and even graffiti art has its own aesthetic sub-culture. Will we see the Swedenborg tag again?
posted by Stephen McNeilly