Camden has long been growing in terms of it’s popularity for street art. The past few months though have seen a real burst of activity.
Dotted around the Camden Lock Market area. We’ve already reported on the ‘Street Art Sheds‘ initiative. This has brought artists from all around the world together. All with the intention of painting the outside of the market sheds. Those which occupy the space between the canalside and the railway viaduct. We’ve also looked at some of the work that’s been happening around the Water Lane area. That’s in the arches of the viaduct itself and some of the broader activity around Camden in general.
Outdoor Gallery on Camden
Led by ‘The Real Art of Street Art‘ this activity has gone some way to transforming the area. It’s become one of the most highly populated spots for street art in the city. Eclipsing in many respects even the more established East End.
It’s quickly become the Outdoor Gallery of Camden. Mainly seen particularly in the Water Lane, Leybourne Road, Hawley Road and Haven Street areas. The place is awash with art on houses and walls peeking out of doorways and hidden in industrial spaces. But be quick, it may not last long. The whole area is gearing up for redevelopment. The art will act as a last hurrah prior to the bulldozers moving in.
Canalside Development
In fact as Inspiring City visited the area it was apparent that the move was already beginning to happen. The sheds near to the canalside were being emptied. The clutter left behind from the clear outs rising in little piles around the area. Eventually this place will be unrecognisable. The footprint of space once occupied by the sheds being redeveloped into a brand new canalside quarter.
But it’s the area just outside the canalside which has seen the real boom in activity. IN particular the area bordered by Hawley Road and leading into the junction with Leybourne Road. Whole houses having had their frontages painted. Houses which may well have had grand histories in their own right. Now they are just biding time prior to the destruction that awaits.
It’s a sign of the times as London continues to develop. Developments in the East End are seeing vast swathes of the Shoreditch area eaten up by corporate giants. This in an ever increasing quest for office and retail space. Whilst in Camden it looks like the ambition is to transform a district which has suffered from a lack of investment for too long. The canalside by the lock always had a bit of a hard edge. Sometimes it wasn’t a particularly nice place to be. It will be interesting to see what the next stage of this vibrant areas future will look like.
The street art of Camden was visited 18 January 2015. The lanes around Water Lane, Hawley Road, Leybourne Road and Torbay Street are due for demolition and redevelopment later this year.
Camden Street Art Gallery
Water Lane
Hawley Road
Torbay Street
Leybourne Road
Haven Street
My thoughts turn to what will happen to the painted sheds. Far tooooo good to just skip!!! Maybe someone could suggest they are sold in aid of charity! Love one in my garden..
As far as I know they are scheduled for demolition. When I visited for this post they were all being emptied I’m not sure if they are even still there. They would look cool in a garden though :p
I was there on the 19th January and tried to blag my way in thru security to photograph all the sheds as they were all closed and the artwork would have made good snaps, but had no joy in getting in!! I might try to get there this week…
Looks like I got there just in time in that case. Will get the snaps up soon 😉
Darn, looks like I am already too late. Earliest I could get there is mid-March. Darn it!
I’ve been wanting to get up to Camden as I keep seeing more and more street art appearing there, and the east end’s been a little quiet recently. My visit’s going to have to wait a few weekends as it’s dark by the time I leave work during the week, and I’ve currently got a lot going on.