Exploring Camden’s Street Art

Camden Town’s vibrant popularity is without a doubt due to its renown market as well as its wonderful businesses. Nevertheless, the neighbourhood could not claim its title without its many street art pieces.

Dotted around Camden are a fantastic variety of colourful, unique pieces of street art. Most people would assume they were painted by vagabond artists during the night, illegally leaving their trace on the walls. In fact, street art is very different to vandalism in the form of graffiti which first appeared in the 1920s as the work of gangs.

What most people don’t know, is that these artworks are often commissioned by the businesses themselves. In Camden, a wall owner would commission or allow an artist to paint a mural. Mostly though, it is the work of dedicated organisations that ensures street art is accepted and spread. In Camden’s case, we have ‘The Real Art of Street Art’, or RASA, to thank. They support artists as well as providing legal walls.

The catch? Street art is not eternal. Works of art you might have seen last year could very well be gone today. But with more than 500,000 tourists a week visiting Camden Market alone, it is easy to see that while impermanent, the street art is definitely enjoyed.

Street art subjects vary from musicians to business promotion and sometimes get political. Overall, they maintain Camden’s eccentric persona. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the neighbourhood to find your favourites! If you want to find out more about Camden’s street art, we recommend you book a Street Art Tour.

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