What amazes me is the way the anathema of graffiti has become accepted as a desirable art form.

Recently, I was taken aback by this collaboration between two of my favourite artists - JR and José Parla.

JR – “JR owns the biggest art gallery in the world. He exhibits freely in the streets of the world, catching the attention of people who are not the museum visitors. His work mixes Art and Act, talks about commitment, freedom, identity and limit.”

Jose: “During the beginning, this was an art that was not accepted by society because it was seen as destructive, rebellious, and anarchic. I felt a challenge to present art that originally existed outdoors—inside, like art displayed in museums, and this was an interesting problem for me that needed a solution.”

This mash-up between the epically proportioned photography of JR and the visionary insight of Jose is moving and beautiful, and it presents the perfect context for the crumbling facades of the revered city of Cuba.

What do you think?

If you were tasked with identifying a street artist to feature in a cutting-edge gallery, who would you choose? And why?

Author: The Curious Curator

A series of vintage photographs that have been re-worked to depict how the ancestors of super heroes might have looked.

This is the work of ‘Foto Marvellini‘, an art workshop established in Milan last year by, you’ve guessed it, the Marvellini Brothers.

We gather that they will pimp your old family photos to order, placing them in antique frames to give them authenticity.

The possibilities are endless!

Author: The Curious Curator

It’s hard to imagine that, less than 20 ago, this area was a ‘no go zone’. Who knew that, one day, it would hold so much promise? Amongst the many exciting spaces rising up from the ruins is the ‘The Hub‘, a co-working space for social entrepreneurs.

It’s much more than that however. It is a community where like-minded people can meet and explore new ideas.

It’s also an exciting exhibition and events space and, it’s a fair-trade and organic cafe bar with an evening programme of lectures, film, debate and music.

Amongst the many statements I’ve listened to this morning is this:

“London needs to make a laboratory for change makers to take ideas from action to impact.”

And the good news is that this isn’t just a London-based initiative. It is a global one.

The energy is palpable. The possibilities are endless.

Author: The Curious Curator

Eggsplosion, by Andrea

Eggsxotic, by Francesca

Eggy Pop, by Luke Ferrand

Eggzilla, by Philip Morrell

ET, by Mark

Golden Egg, by Scott Henry

What came first? by Claire Shaw

Gherkin 2, by Mark Gandy

Herr Director, by Andrew Davis

Just got Laid, by Ian Smith

Pachinko, by Russell Hardingham

The Full Monty, By Darren Batchelor, Des Kane, David Price, Ed Ezra, Richard Doran and Chris Clark

What do you get when you cross a chicken with Martin?, by Martin Finnis

Look out for the final six entries later this week, and the announcement of the winner!

A montage of brands put together by the artists Peter Quinnell and Magda Archer (untitled, as it was designed for an article). I love how the collage has provided us with a ‘time machine image’ that is probably even more endearing today than it was when originally put together.

Immediately, I needed to know what else this couple had created……’Voodoo Chilli’!

… and ‘The Lemon Doctor’. The artists have since gone their separate ways. Peter Quinnell is still creating collages and poking fun at popular culture.

And, Magda Archer is now married to Harry Hill, him off the telly. A fact that you might just about pick up when you look at her work: it’s twee, with references to popular culture and a little bit of dark humour.

Hopefully that will brighten your day and I will have taken you on a journey of discovery!

Author: Luke Ferrand, Designer

Eggs Benedict, by Sharon Kitsell

Eggsplosion, by Andrea

Eggsquisite, by Naomi Hawkins

Eggstraordinary box of eggs, by Melanie Lambert

Furball, by Andrew Davis

Gherkin1, by Chris Clark

Please pass by soon for more entries!

Yes, you’ve guessed it. I won! One pair of shoes per month for an entire year. The ‘chore’ of having to go to Office Shoes every four weeks to find my next pair of shoes opened my eyes to a kaleidoscope of designs, colours and styles which I had never previously considered.

Not only that, but cupboards at home were restructured to accommodate my growing collection of footwear.

And so, it’s thanks to Office Shoes for keeping me well-heeled over the last few months, and for changing my views on what I like and don’t like. Shoe buying will never be the same again – but let’s face it, with 12 extra pairs I probably won’t need to go through the experience again for a quite a while!

Author: Naomi Hawkins, Business Development Manager