Yesterday the community of Wingfield Road gathered under a gazebo and waited for the mayor to open their road as the newest gallery of Walthamstow. During the Art Trail over 20 different residents of the road have become artists exhibiting blown up images in their front windows.
An inspired project that stemmed from the 'Blue Plaques' exhibition last Art Trail, it has brought many neighbours who lived besides each other for years but never spoke together. Silvana Gambini has invested a lot of time to get the entire logistics of it on its, and along with the all the residents have made their road exactly what the Art Trail represents. For 2 weeks anyone can become and artist, and everybody becomes part of one big Walthamstow community. As you walk through the street, art finds you as you glimpse a giant cat peeking out, a life sized cut-out of a Pharaoh staring right you or a mugshot of Frank Sinatra that doesn't seem quite right...It is playful and imaginative but also every image is a representation of that households identity, even if it seems bizarre. Some example being:
David and Jacqueline at No. 4 - A frog from our pond because we love our garden and the wildlife that it attracts, the iconic album cover from The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” – music is important to us and the Fairtrade Mark is an important ethical stance that we support.
Pete at No. 16 - “I chose to have my 6 year old facial features transposed
onto Frank Sinatra’s mug shot (from when he was a young man) to show that we
all retain the spirit of that inner scamp and tearaway - no matter how old we
are! Plus it was a bit of a laugh….”
Marcus at No. 15 - “When David and I were both 10 years old, our fathers took us to see the Tutankhamen exhibition at the British Museum. This coincidental event in our two young lives made such a lifelong impact on us both, that we now make regular annual visits to Egypt and I have a career in a museum.”
Marcus at No. 15 - “When David and I were both 10 years old, our fathers took us to see the Tutankhamen exhibition at the British Museum. This coincidental event in our two young lives made such a lifelong impact on us both, that we now make regular annual visits to Egypt and I have a career in a museum.”
The mayor cut the ribbon and declared it open, so take a walk down the 'official gallery' of the street and double take at the light hearted insights into peoples homes.
Back to Front is no. 145 in the guidehttp://www.facebook.com/WingfieldRoadArtTrailProject
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