Design
Even London's Graffiti Is Gentrifying
Why street artists are livid about four new murals in East London and near the 2012 Olympics infrastructure.
London street artist Sweet Toof has always seen East London's walls as his playground. He's watched them evolve for nearly two decades (and contributed some of his own work too). Last summer, he and other artists were up in arms over London's graffiti crackdown. Officials painted over subversive works that mocked the Olympics and corporate sponsors.
Now, the city is trying to make amends -- sort of. The Canals Project recently commissioned four new murals along the prominent canal walls that run through East London and adjacent to Queen Elizabeth park.