Street Artist and City Worker Have Year Long Exchange on a Red Wall in London


Street artist Mobstr recently shared a photo story that took place over the course of a year. The artist explains:

“I cycled past this wall on the way to work for years. I noticed that graffiti painted within the red area was ‘buffed’ with red paint. However, graffiti outside of the red area would be removed via pressure washing. This prompted the start of an experiment. Unlike other works, I was very uncertain as to what results it would yield. Below is what transpired over the course of a year.”

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49 Comments

  1. I believe this “exchange” went on a while ago and last time i was in the area the wall was still red with no other graffiti other than that final message (which I think is cute) So actually I think he did the council a favour in the long run!

  2. Creating employment opportunities while entertaining us all… and in the end ? The random building looks quite nice now actually, the city worker did quite a good job. So to you, random artist I say – thanks :)

  3. People are getting all pissy over this, and I’m just laughing at the trouble they went through just to cover up vandalism over and over again.

  4. Anyone see the irony? Apparently it’s okay to “graffiti” the internet with obscenities and threats of violence, but a bit of paint on a wall, even tastefully done, is too much…

          1. Where are we graffiting on the internet? None of us are understanding what you mean by that.

          2. Graffiti (plural of graffito: “a graffito”) is a deliberate mark made by scratching or engraving on a large surface such as a wall. The marks may form an image or writing.

            When you post on the internet you are making a deliberate, albeit virtual, mark on a virtual public wall. Pretty straightforward analogy.

          3. Well, that makes a little more sense. How ever, this is owned property where people don’t have permission to mark on it. And most places on the internet you have permission to post anything.

          4. Have you ever seen the “strongly opinionated” guys (usually men) in newspaper comment sections complaining about how their freedom of speech gets suppressed because they get moderated by the newspaper?

    1. I get it, but I think the comparison is too easy. Like Richard said, the building is property of a person. Comments on facebook are in a different category imo (fb ain’t got no morals). And the artist probably predicted everything that happened on the wall. Cool experiment though (bit of a shame; I hoped for a real conversation in text on the wall).

  5. what about respecting other people’s house by leaving it the way they want it to be, mr “artist”? too bad the owner didn’t wait for you to come and beat the hell out of you punk.

    1. “House.” It’s a random city wall, take it down a notch warrior. You don’t need to incite vioence over a little bit of city funding. If anything it helped keep that worker hired.

      1. Oh right and littering keeps cleaners in a job yeah? Like they don’t have enough work to do already. Like that poor bastard constantly having to paint over graffiti produced by some knob with too much time and not enough brain power.

        No doubt twat features thinks this is all very clever and a bit of criminal damage ‘banter’. “I’ll photograph this, it’ll be REALLY FUNNY!” Bloke who’s having to keep covering it up probably wants to throttle the twat. Total bellendery.

        In summation: grow up dickhead.

        1. The story says that the wall was already often the target of graffiti artists. You can also see other graffiti in some of the pictures so the artist didn’t give the cleaner a lot of extra work. If anything he made the cleaners job a bit more fun. Most of the time he’s probably painting over words like ‘knob’, ‘twat’ and ‘dickhead’.

          1. “The story says that the wall was already often the target of graffiti artists.”
            Two wrongs don’t make a right. Just your ordinary, everyday basic common sense that one.

            “You can also see other graffiti in some of the pictures so the artist didn’t give the cleaner a lot of extra work. If anything he made the cleaners job a bit more fun.”
            Yes because having MORE work to do is always more ‘fun’. He shouldn’t be giving him ANY more work. A comment that manages to be idiotic, self-absorbed AND immature – hat-trick!

            “Most of the time he’s probably painting over words like ‘knob’, ‘twat’ and ‘dickhead’.”
            Given that we’re talking about the level of intellect normally associated with graffiti I make you right on that point. Well done.

          2. “Most of the time he’s probably painting over words like ‘knob’, ‘twat’ and ‘dickhead’.”
            Given that we’re talking about the level of intellect normally associated with graffiti I make you right on that point. Well done.”

            Can the same be said about the level of intellect of every person that belligerently uses the words knob, twat, and dickhead in public spaces, including a blog commentor that goes by the name joe fonebone?

          1. The act of being a bellend. As in ‘Lemon Pandemic appeared to miss the irony involved in asking on the internet what ‘bellendery’ was.’

        2. lighten up pal. Ypu dont moan about advertising plastered everywhere, some of us prefer this to having shitty products shoved down our throats

          1. You have no idea what my views are on advertising.
            Quite a coincidence you making that parallel when Banksy has made EXACTLY the same one. Have you no original thoughts?
            There were no adverts on this spot so your comment in relation to this particular instance is worthless and invalid.

            The world is awash with empty-headed hipsters, people who clearly have no idea as to what is vandalism and what might be interpreted as art.
            Still, Vive Le Revolution eh pal but only as long as there’s someone else to do the cleaning up after you.

          2. lol you sound upset, it must get annoying being so uptight all the time, no need for the insults! Art or vandalism i like them both, especially on misserable buggers like you’s property! Since your such the art pundit ill come write twat and your wall and you can tell me if it’s art or not cause my empty head doesn’t have a clue (=

          3. I didn’t insult you, unless you assumed by mentioning ’empty-headed hipsters’ I was meaning you….

            “no need for the insults” / “misserable buggers like you”

            “misserable” “you’s property” “your” “ill”…. I gave up after that.

            Enough. I refuse to continue in a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

            Now THAT’S an insult.

          4. hahaha your “INSULT” is plastered all over birthday cards at clinton cards. “Quite a coincidence you making that comment when many birthday cards have made EXACTLY the same one. Have you no original thoughts?” lol (=

          5. “people who clearly have no idea as to what is vandalism and what might be interpreted as art.”
            If Banksy had does this, would it be art? Who decides?

          6. You come accross as a sanctimonious prick mate.
            Do yourself a favour and shut up, you’re not holier than thou yourself I bet.

            Or are you claiming your Mr fucking Perfect.

          7. “You come accross as a sanctimonious prick mate.”
            Lead by example eh?

            “Or are you claiming your Mr fucking Perfect.”
            Not perfect but at least I can spell ‘across’ correctly.

        3. “Oh right and littering keeps cleaners in a job yeah?” – Erm, yep, it does. Well the ones that clean up litter, at least.

          “Like they don’t have enough work to do already.” – More hours worked (usually) means more pay received. Your point is?

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