There and back again

For a long time, art has often seemed like a recreation for the privileged few. Sure, public galleries are universally free, but only since 2001. Tate is a fantastic organisation, but it was conceived thanks to donations by a wealthy industrialist. Add to that, 2022 was a record-breaking year for the three big auction houses: Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips. At times, the world of art is a walled garden, inaccessible to the average Joe. In contrast, street art is out in the open for all to see. Widely perceived to be its own homogenous style, it is an eclectic smörgåsbord of weird, wacky and wonderful. Hubs of street art can be found right across London, but one, sometimes underappreciated, area is Walthamstow. This article explores what this growing community in northeast London has to offer. Let’s begin at Blackhorse Road station, ‘the home of people who make and create’. Created by local artists Jon Blake and the late Chris Bracey, it is a tribute to the creative and innovative residents of the area, past and present. Situated on the corner of one of many tributaries off Forest Road is a stunning work by die-hard environmentalist FaunaGraphic. With a style that matches her passion for all things ecological, FaunaGraphic’s painting captures mother nature’s power and beauty spectacularly. <a href="https://medium.com/@Patronage_DAO/there-and-back-again-cf1ea35baa05">Visit Now</a>