This collaborative project showcases the world street artists would create if there were no limits.
My starting point was to imagine if street artists could work on any surface, not restricted by scale, accessibility, safety or rules. Locations included in the first release of Impossible Street Art include the heavily guarded Panthéon in Paris, England’s iconic Seven Sisters chalk cliffs and the centre strip of a Los Angeles freeway.
I give collaborating artists large photographic prints of these locations, and they paint or draw on them, creating original, handmade artwork with no digital manipulation.
I then re-photograph each artwork on an easel in the original location, creating a glimpse into a parallel universe where street artists have complete artistic freedom. These images are created for real, not with CGI or Photoshop.
The first release numbers eight prints, with each work highlighting its artist’s unique style – from Ador’s imaginative characters to Peeta’s optical illusions and Victoria Villasana’s integration of textiles.
The project has been a steep learning curve - I’ve had artwork blown over by strong winds, been chased away by security guards, and had to visit a couple of locations several times in order to get the light and sky to match with the original photograph.
In this first part of the series I’ve worked with Ador (France), Denis Meyers (Belgium), JanIsDeMan (Netherlands), Levalet (France), Morley (USA), Peeta (Italy), and Victoria Villasana (Mexico). Further artworks are underway, with more locations and contributing artists to be revealed later this year.
The series is very much work in progress, so if you're interested in taking part, please send me an email.
Artist: Ador
Ador at work, painting live in front of the Panthéon in Paris
Artist: Peeta, shot at Shoreham Cement works in UK
Artist: Denis Meyers, shot at the National Theatre in London
Artist: Ador, shot at Cuckmere Haven in East Sussex, UK
Artist: JanIsDeMan, shot at the Ouse Valley Viaduct in East Sussex, UK
Artist: Morley, shot in Los Angeles
Artist: Victoria Villasana, shot at the Arênes de Picasso, Noisy-le-Grand, near Paris
Artist: Levalet, shot at Brighton marina, UK
Thanks to the many people who have helped make this series possible and given me their input throughout the process. The artists, of course, but also Elizabeth Ford, Gavin Anderson, Florence Ford, Clémentine Lemaître, Stanislas Belhomme, Barbara Soulié, Louise Turner, Nick Dunmur.