Earlier this month, I participated in a Frost Fair tour of South Bank, which started from outside of Borough Market. Frost Fairs were fairs that took place on the river Thames between 1605 to 1814. The Thames used to freeze over a few times, and people would host fairs on the ice while the trade by water could not happen. There is special artwork and agumented reality projections commemorating the Frost Fairs of the past, and these are on display around Bankside, which is meant for us to relive the past frost fairs in the modern age.
The first street art on display was from Timba Smitts and is titled "The Villain", and it depicts trash that does not biodegrade. The villian in this artwork is the coffee cup. It is conveniently placed next to the trash bins. As these coffee cups last for over 200 years, one could have survived from the 1814 Frost Fair.
Mr. Cenz also created a mural for the "Frost Fair" with a portrait of a lady in Victorian dress.
Street artist Peachzz also contributed with "Fortune", a series of three individual panels inspired by the ways that people using the river for trade had to come up with new ideas to make money when the river was frozen over.
We were told some history of the area of Bankside, such as the warehouses and how the area used to be a slum known for ladies of the night and other seedy trades.
The streets "Maiden Lane" refer back to that time with the ladies of the night. Park Street was also pointed out as a place that made history when a wealthy Austrian gentleman was beaten up by two men who worked with the large wooden barrels.
Three films were also shown near Clink Street. Julia Fullerton-Batten's "Frost Fair 1814" was shown alongside "An Elephant Walks" and a couple of others.
We then walked along the Thames.
The mural under the bridge at Southwark Bridge depicts the Frost Fair in sculpture.
We were pointed out the bollards, which are cannons.
And a ferryman's seat.
And the narrow building by the Tate gallery was known as a brothel, and sometimes the men would turn up dead in the garden if they complained of their possessions being stolen by the husbands during the act.
We were pointed out some buildings with the Corporation of London logo, which is social housing on the south side of the river, even though the city of London is not located on the south side.
Tin Box makers made tin boxes during the 1940s.
Of course, there were some nice views of the Shard.
We were pointed out the building that burned with all of the rickshaws inside it a couple of weeks back.
Jay CBloxx, also known as Nomad Clan, contributed with "Slipping Away", which highlights the opportunities from the Frost Fair and features non-gender conforming individuals, which would have been at these fairs.
We were shown a World War II bomb! I got to hold it.
Afterwards, we went to Cross Bones Graveyard, which was a graveyard for women of the night and paupers, including outcasts. Tributes are laid here.
I continued to explore the area...
I was impressed at seeing the Thierry Noir artwork next to Millennium Bridge and some of the agumented reality artwork.
The last artwork is from Dreph. His artwork features Ignatius Sancho, a British writer and former enslaved African who wanted to abolish slavery. He was the first person of African descent to vote in Britain. The painting is inspired by a painting by Thomas Gainsborough.
Previous posts with Dreph's work that feature on my blog are located below:
Dreph Paints Globe Sculpture for 'A World Reimagined'
Dreph 'You Are Enough' Street Art in Penge
Dreph Street Art Migration Series, 3
Final Dreph "You Are Enough" Mural
Dreph "You Are Enough" (Part 3)
'You Are Enough' (8th edition)
Dreph 'You Are Enough' (6th Edition)
Dreph Paints Holly Oluwo
New Street Art Portraits by Dreph
Street Art: Dreph
More street art by Mr. Cenz on this blog can be seen at the below links:
Mr. Cenz Recent Street Art in London
Mr. Cenz Paints Hanbury Street Wall
Mr. Cenz Paints "Connectivity Matters" Wall
Recent Street Art By Mr. Cenz in Winter 2018
Mr. Cenz Paints Tribute to Usain Bolt
Mr. Cenz Refreshes Fashion Street Mural
Mr. Cenz Paints Hanbury Street
New Street Art by Mr. Cenz
Street Art: Mr. Cenz
More posts by Thierry Noir:
Thierry Noir and Stik Paint Berlin Wall
Thierry Noir Returns to London for Academy Of Art Summer Show at Protein Studios
Thierry Noir Paints New Murals in London
Thierry Noir and Street Art at Shoreditch Food Village
Street Art in Soho by Paul 'Don' Smith, Broken Fingaz, Amara por Dios, Thierry Noir, and others
Thierry Noir's Shop Front on Shoreditch High Street
Thierry Noir's New Murals on Rivington Street
Thierry Noir, RUN, and John Dolan Murals at the Museum of London
Street Art: Thierry Noir
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