Walthamstow Unofficial Tourist Board, by Warpdog

 

Mattresses of Walthamstow, Warpdog's latest work, with music by This Sporting Life

1. Please tell us about the work you will be showing in the 2011 E17 Art Trail. Did you respond to this year’s theme “On Your Marks”? What impact do you think the Olympics will have on E17?
I will be showing a collection of photos taken of Walthamstow over the past year. I don’t think the Olympics will have a huge effect on E17 but hopefully people will watch some sport on the big screen outside the Mall, which I hear has cost E17 residents in excess of £200,000 so far.


2. What challenges (if any) did you face in realising this work?  
You really have to have your camera on you all the time because you never know what you’re going to see out and about the streets of "the 'Stow".


3. What do you like about E17 and why? Is there anything you would change about the area?
E17 has a wonderful community spirit and offers an eclectic mix of cultures. It has a strong art scene and regular events which bring people together. These simple things make an area nice to live in. I’ve lived in six different London boroughs over the past 14 years and Walthamstow really is the best! Plus you can get three aubergines for £1.


4. Who and/or what inspires you?
Random stuff, people, and misreading things.


5. What advice would you give to aspiring artists?
Don’t do it. Get an admin job in a soulless office with polyester carpets.


Warpdog presents a photographic exhibition called "Walthamstow Unofficial Tourist Board" as part of the Lusty Ladybird Collective, 95 Howard Road, 10.30 – 18.30, both weekends of the Trail.