David Selor: new street art in London 2015

David Selor: London street art for 2015

Since I began my street art odyssey last year,  the adventures of David Selor’s dog, who I’ve nick-named le chien perdu, is one of my all time favourite discoveries.  I take a child-like delight in this mischievous cartoon character with his very adult and cynical take on 21st century life.  From his 2014 visit to London, I spotted around 9  paintings which I blogged as David Selor street art in London 2014

I ended that first post with a hope that he would return to London in 2015 and he did.  This year I was lucky to find them as the paint was still wet and to have a word with the artist himself.

My decision to go street art snapping is usually tied to work in the area.  I was lucky to finish at lunchtime on a Friday in early May and I headed up Brick Lane starting from the Osborn Road end.  First stop was the alley and the impromptu ‘art gallery’ of Star Yard car park.  And in amongst the riot of new designs were four from Selor.  Le chien perdu was back!  And he was in his a blue period.

 

Vice by David Selor (photographed 8th May 2015)

[For interesting the cat is by Himbad and the person in bottle paste-up is by Donk.]

 

On the Brain by David Selor (photographed 8th May 2015)

 

Mes morts, the caption on the next painting below, translates into English as my dead.  I’m not sure what is suspended between the dog and his human friend.  But its intriguing.

 

Mes morts by David Selor (photographed 8th May 2015)

 

One aspect of Selor’s work that I noticed from last year was how he responds to the work already on a wall. This piece below is an example.  This head is from the artist Pang which I photographed in April 2015.

 

Head by Pang (photographed 13th April 2015)

 

And here’s is Selor’s affectionate response to the work of Pang painted a month later in May 2015.

 

White head by Pang and the dog character by David Selor (photographed 8th May 2015)

 

And when I returned in June, the Portuguese artist Costah has added this colourful paste-up bird to the middle of the Mes morts painting.  It has a taken on a much jollier tone now.

 

David Selor mural with bird paste-up from Costah (photographed 5th June 2015)

 

Back to that walk on the 8th May when next I spotted these 3 paintings on Pedley Street which is another of the most visited and painted spaces around Brick Lane.

 

Untitled work by David Selor (photographed by 8th May 2015)

 

Tucked around the back of the pillar above was this souris. Is he in love or lust?

 

Untitled by David Selor (photographed 8th May 2015)

 

And the third work (below) was in response to the beautiful mural by Cranio on the Pedley St feature wall which was a highly critical and blistering attack on consumerism and our love money at the expense of all else.  What is that naughty dog up to?  [The rust/orange design is by Six1Six]

 

Peace by David Selor (photographed 8th May 2015)

 

I couldn’t resist posting the Cranio mural too.

 

Untitled mural by Cranio (photographed 17th May 2015)

 

I spotted this next work when I returned to the area a week later.  I call this photograph The French Quarter.  Along with the Selor dog portrait, the street sign is by Clet and the coloured mask is by Gregos who are also French street artists. British artist Nathan Bowen sneaks in with his warning sign over the street name.

 

‘The French Quarter‘ by Tanya Nash with street art by David Selor, Clet, Gregos and Nathan Bowen (photographed 17th May 2015)

 

When I turned the corner onto Grimsby street, on the 8th May, I saw a young man packing up his utensils which included a large pot of blue paint.  I called out gently, “Bonjour” and he turned around, slightly surprised to hear someone speaking French.  My instinct was right.  It was David Selor.  We had an enjoyable chat in my broken French and his good English.  He had even seen my blog post from last year and he gave me his card.

 

Reach His Aim by David Selor (photographed 8th May 2015)

 

Untitled by David Selor (photographed 8th May 2015)

 

During the last moment of your life, Take a Selfie by David Selor (photographed 8th May 2015)

 

There was a 4th work on Grimsby street further along, that may have been painted later.  I originally spotted it on 5th June when it was mostly obscured by a parked black cab. This shot was my best view.  I returned a week later and I was able to see it properly.

 

Detail from mural by David Selor (photographed 5th June 2015)

 

I Can’t Catchup The Liberty by David Selor (photographed 12th June 2015)

 

The last time I saw Selor on the 8th May, he was sat on the ground taking a rest before he started on this next piece.  Boy do these street artists work fast.  I captured it a week later.  I love all the detritus around it and the fact that it looks like ‘le chien perdu” is sat on the handlebars.  No he’s not normal.

 

Not Normal to be Normal by David Selor (photographed 17th May 2015)

 

I found the final four paintings on other days because they probably hadn’t been painted when I went walkabout on the 8th May.  This next work was around the back of New Inn Yard.  There was a second piece at this location which I’ve seen on flickr. It was painted on the wall under the steps and called Emotional Trouble. And I’m sorry I missed it. But I suspect it had been painted over by 5th June when I passed by.

 

You have nothing better to do instead to read this shit? by David Selor (photographed 5th June 2015)

 

The other three paintings were on the hoardings around Blackall and Ravey street building works.  There was a 4th work which I also on the Ravey St side. That work lasted about day and was recorded by Shoreditch Art Tours on their blog. Lost in Abstraction has also gone and Street Vice is heavily tagged.  But I snapped the third work as recently as the 4th August 2015.

 

Street Vice by David Selor plus tagging in purple. (photographed 5th June 2015)

 

Lost in Abstraction by David Selor with tags (photographed 5th June 2015)

 

Untitled by David Selor (photographed 4th August 2015)

 

So that was 17 new works from David Selor this year plus 3 which I missed.  There was another work I’ve seen on flickr. All painted in a few days.  Merci Beaucoup David Selor.  This street art fan is very happy.  I hope you are able to return next year.

PS. Whilst much of this work has now gone, I took these 2 photos yesterday, so you can enjoy how other artists have added their ideas.

 

Various street art including David De Brito, Costah, David Selor. (photographed 9th August 2015)

 

Vice by David Selor, plus additions. (photographed 9th August 2015)