The Vaults are located under Waterloo train station in London. The station’s footprint in massive: there are 22 active rail platforms and three underground lines. These contribute to making the station the 15th busiest passenger terminal in Europe.
In the 1990s the station was even busier, housing London’s Eurostar terminal. In order to achieve faster speeds getting out of London, the Eurostar was moved to St. Pancras. The result of this was the parking space reserved for taxis was abandoned. This is Leake Street, a vast subterranean passage extending some 200 meters.
In the passage an arts center called The Vaults is located, and along the vast network of walls local graffiti artists experiment with colors, patterns and images.
Digital Journal’s roving reporter is not overly familiar with graffiti, although graffiti done well is admirable and comparative with modern art, provided it is created on something disused and not on someone else’s property. A disused underground tunnel provides an ideal locale.
I stumbled on the area by accident, searching for a pop-up cinema. Nonetheless, there was time to observe the graffiti artists at work and to take some images.
Back in 2007 the tunnel was a dark and silent back alley, not the place to wander at night. It was, apparently, stumbled upon by Bansky and the Bristol-based artist initiated a “Cans Festival”, and the graffiti boom was ignited.
I asked one artist, who called himself Orb, what his motivation was. “Freedom of expression,” was his reply. He went on to explain he liked to draw superheroes, creating images in vivid colors.
I asked what happens to the images; Orb told me each artist respects another’s work and the sections stay up for a couple of weeks; then it becomes another canvass for another artist, and the process roles on.
Located somewhere along the wall, although I couldn’t spot is, is a note from Bansky which reads: “Graffiti doesn’t always spoil buildings, in fact it’s the only way to improve a lot of them. In the space of a few hours with a couple of hundred cans of paint I’m hoping we can transform a dark forgotten filth pit into an oasis of beautiful art.”
The area has certainly been transformed, no longer dank and dark, now it is colorful and energetic.
Located inside the tunnel was a small arts center called The Vault.
Inside some abstract art work was on display. For those with time to peruse tea, coffee and popcorn could be purchased. I only had a short while to inspect the work. It was punky, agitated, a little angry, but highly expressive.
Time to leave the tunnel, other diversions beckoned.
