Knitted Bike by Olek

First glance at this wall and I saw a giant Malarky and Mr. Penfold collaboration. And then I saw the bike. It may have been there for quite some time now (I’m guessing it has), but this is the first time since I’ve been back in London that I’ve walked down this way (Sclater Street in Tower Hamlets) so I was excited to have stumbled upon it.

Here’s a closer photo of the bike, which is a piece by Olek, a Polish artist whose full name is Agata Oleksiak. She lives and works in NYC, so if you’re reading this from across the pond, keep your eyes open because she does quite a few shows. And when Olek knits, she goes all out making massive sculpture pieces covering pianos, cars, the giant bull on Wall Street and a whole host of other things that must have taken her absolutely ages. She even knitted a tent (though I doubt it’s waterproof…). Here’s a link if you’re looking for a bit more procrastination 😉

And while I’m talking about bikes, if you’re into it, the London Bike Show is on now through the weekend.

Also, if you spot any more Olek pieces around London, do tell because I’m loving it.

Stik Mural in the East End

Wrapping around the corner of Sclater Street and Bethnal Green Road, Stik‘s latest figures stand out on a bright and happy yellow background.

Definitely worth walking by if you’re in the area and need a smile!

If you missed the Art Spot interview with Stik, have a read here.

Londoners: Men on a Break

I’m on a mission to take more photos of Londoners so when I got chatting to these two guys who were on a break down the end of graffiti-covered Sclater Street in the East End, I asked if I could take a photo and they happily obliged.

We had a great little conversation about why London is better than NYC, about where were were on 9/11 and 7/7 and about the other construction worker sleeping across the street.