The rumour mill has gone into overload since this new stencil seemingly by Banksy appeared in Wood Green, North London a week or so ago. New Banksy appears in Wood Green. (Source: The Independent) Clearly, it has the signature style of the man himself - depicting a child hunched over an old sewing machine making bunting for the impending Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations. Could it be saying that we can’t afford to buy the bunting but need to borrow Gran’s old machine to fashion our own material (harking back to rationing post WWII) - or more likely, look at the (often ex-Empire) sweatshops we are promoting by buying this stuff in? Either way, it’s got noticed, sparked a debate and got us all thinking. Job done.

The winners of the Catlin Art Prize, which we’ve been delighted to host at The Londonewcastle Project Space this month, were announced last Wednesday. Closing on 25th May, there’s not long left to catch the eclectic selection of contemporary work by ten of the UK’s most promising artists, as handpicked by respected curator Justin Hammond during his tour of last year’s degree shows. Julia Vogl scooped the £5000 prize for her installation ‘Let’s Hang Out’ which encourages public interaction and has been cause for much conversation and amusement throughout the show. Visitors are asked to choose one of several suggested pastimes - Tweet, Daydream, Call Mum, Masturbate, Have a Cuppa, Ask Me About It - each represented by a coloured carpet tile, and place it on a square on the checkered communal area. The project is part of a wider focus in Julia’s work to create site specific ‘social sculptures’, drawing on her passion for colour, architecture and the power of art to influence a community. Julia Vogl - Let’s Hang Out For the first time since the prize was launched in 2007, there was also a Visitor’s Vote cast by public ballot. It was one of our personal favourites, Adeline de Monseignat, who won the £2000 prize for her slightly unnerving sculpture, ‘Hairy Eye Ball’. It consists of a ball of vintage fur encased in glass, which on close inspection appears to be breathing. Adeline plays with our concept of the familiar, with the juxtaposition of safe vs threatening, and through the introduction of kinetic motorised movement in her work, the animate vs inanimate. Hairy Eye Ball by Adeline de Monseignat Justin Hammond reflects on this year’s show: “These artists are less than a year out of art school, but the technique and execution of the work in this showcase is way beyond that of the average degree show. They’ve produced an extremely cohesive exhibiton and – despite the competitive element – nobody was interested with hogging attention. Each of the finalists thoroughly embraced this opportunity, and they’re already making plans to kick on with their careers.”

In this age of financial prudence, it’s clever consumers - or that should be clever commuters - i.e. those that need to drive into central London’s congestion charging zone, who are doing the maths and adding a downsized, tax exempt supermini to their fleet. However, these premium pedalling driver’s aren’t faced with as much choice as it seems they should be. Naturally, it’s got to have an automatic gearbox and it’s got to be from a premium brand. And despite the brand’s up and downs, that means a Smart Fortwo Coupe. Smart Fortwo Coupe Yes, there are other options out there - the cute Fiat 500 TwinAir springs to mind, but its £2,000 more. Others abound, but they are either Diesel powered (not necessary or cost effective for short London commuting) or - as already highlighted - they cost significantly more - either as an outright purchase or running costs. Naturally the vehicle has its limitations - having only two seats and a tiny boot for example, but that’s irrelevant - a grander vehicle sits at home for weekend manoeuvres.

As property developers, we’re quite often challenged on our endorsement of Street Art. We always welcome this because a) we do enjoy a challenge and b) we love a debate. Eine’s Vandalism street art in Shoreditch Essentially for us, it’s a much needed art form. One that changes constantly in a world that is in desperate need of fresh, new ideas. It also calls for constant change, providing a clear, sometimes provocative- but always thought-provoking- comment on life in the urban environment. Believe in the Spraycan For the artists themselves there remains a defiant sense of community and respect in support of work that can often be about real, extraordinary beauty. Such things interest us in our personal and commercial lives. So, what’s not to like?

ROA Installation - The Huntingdon Estate We’re partial to a bit of street art at Londonewcastle, and to tie in with Belgian artist ROA’s current London show, one external wall of our Huntingdon Estate site on Redchurch Street is now home to an unmissable oversized hedgehog. This feature installation is part of ROA’s solo show ‘Hypnagogia’, hosted by Stolen Space gallery, and spanning two galleries as well as various other architectural ‘canvases’ across East London. ROA is known and loved globally for his distinctive large-scale portrayals of urban wildlife, which he hand-paints on derelict buildings, shutters and walls, waking up blank spaces around the world by forcing them to reflect the realities of the urban world in which they exist, and in particular the tense relationship between humans and animals cohabiting in and around those spaces. ROA Installation - The Huntingdon Estate The name of the show might seem cryptic, but actually refers to the transitional state between being asleep and awake. Through his depictions of animals in pure form, be they sleeping, alone, skeletal or in a state of dissection, but always in that ‘interstate’, he tackles the complex issues of human vs animal behaviour and nature vs culture. It’s definitely a show worth seeing, with a body of original work on recycled objects found in the city, as well as the site-specific installations. Find out more on the Stolen Space website. The show closes on 6th May 2012.