The London Police , an Amsterdam based male collective composed of two British(Bob and Chaz) and one American(Garrett), fully exploit the possibilities open urban space offers. Their smiley faced figures are as much an Amsterdam feature as coffee shops and tulips.
Their multiple headed friendly Lads, which Chaz had previously drawn on flyers, first started to appear in 1998. Clean white papered surfaces were perfect spots to display his hand black marker pen drawn The Lads, often bearing numbers on their feet or bodies. Their bold black and white style, perfect curves and clean lines nicely contrast with the surrounding settings.
In 1999 photographers Bob and Chaz started working together. When Garrett, who arrived from San Francisco in 2000, met Chaz drawing one of these characters, they quickly became friends. A couple of months later G was invited to join the crew. Members have come and gone, Chaz has often run the project on his own. The TLP crew regularly collaborates with graphic design magazines, happenings and street artist D* face.
After visiting NY the guys went larger, producing giant lads on walls. Be it hand drawn or on posters, the lads get up wherever and whenever, from Berlin via New York to Tokyo.
Pedestrian crossing signals in New York are being highlighted by Thundercut(1974).
Thundercut draws attention to these traffic lights by giving the figures detailed outfits and suitable accessories made of hand-cut adhesive vinyl. The colorful cut out pieces show tiny holes for the dots of light, adding an urban style and a specific personality to the omnipresent walk symbols.
Linked to the specific area the pieces include a posh shopping girl in Soho, a baseball player at the Yankee Stadium, a hip hop man, a Rasta man, ...
A playful, simple idea as this showcases the power of street art to enliven the city.
Twenty-four year old Kwes is an all-round artist: a painter, producer, writer and photographer. At the age of four he started playing an organ, followed by sound recording at the age of ten.
His debut EP No Need to Run(Young Turks/XL) was released in 201O.
The timid London native previously collaborated with Speech Debelle, Micachu, Romy Madley( The xx), ... Last year Kwes, Damon Albarn and a group of British producers participated in Warp's and Oxfam's DRC Music-project.
This still-rising producer's second four track EP Meantime( Warp/V2 records) contains sensitive electronic love songs floating on melancholic distorted synths. (Bashful, Honey, Igoyh, ...)
Who doesn't appreciate a courtly man who's in touch with his emotions?
