'A QUIET REVOLUTION OF THE HEART', 2023. Etched Stainless Steel Poem - with colour infill.
Pretty chuffed to show you this one after the blazing hot install and success of the new street art festival in Portsmouth - LOOKUP. I was commissioned to create a new tactile artwork for it , a permanent piece that now lives on the entrance to Cosham library - and who wouldn't want a poem to live on a library!? Libraries are sick 📚🐛That was essentially my starting point for writing this poem. I devoured books when I was younger, like a human shredder. Words have always been part of my creative practice but it did take me awhile to let them sometimes stand alone.
As much as I would of liked to have painted a wall with the statistic that over 800 libraries have closed under the past decade of austerity; wanted to create something that was appropriate for its new home. With my texts I often play with trying to marry opposing emotions together in one piece. Abrasive/Soft. A love note or a manifesto? If we're making an artwork I believe it should be saying something at least. There are a few playful references to writing and to making. Really hope @jarvisbransoncocker will forgive me for lifting one of his - but if we're talking about change and books gently then hope he understands its from a point of admiration.
Understandably, text isn't for everyone but libraries and stories are. This is ultimately a poem saying you should fight for what you believe in and for who you love. Don't worry about fitting in. A single voice may be quiet at first but if we shout together, they can't ignore us forever. It is for everyone, really hope you like it as much as I'm proud of it 💚
Big thanks to @lookup.portsmouth on this little number and allowing me to take one of my poems in a slightly different direction 🫡💪🏻
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#books #wheatpastes #love #pasteup #pasteups #installation #handdrawntext #font #streetart #flypost #poetry #wheatpaste #sign
#publicart #pompey #portsmouth #etched #cosham #graffiti #handdrawnfont #heart #quietrevolution #lookupportsmouth #pasteupartist #jarviscocker #etching #poem #library #pulp
ETON EDUCATED AIN'T YOUR MATES.
XL Flypost V3, 2023.
The dilapidated and decaying backdrop of Commercial road offers a curious echo of the half empty tory party conference. We are adrift as a nation. Foundations are quite literally crumbling. Following the bluster of De Pfeffel proroguing parliament we moved through Trussonomics crashing the economy, under a blink and you'll miss it tenure, and are now being led by man so devoid of respect for workers it is genuinely astonishing. The sheer disdain for anyone born without privilege stinks. Reeks as much as our coastlines that are contaminated with raw sewage. As we gear up for yet another campaign trail the fires of populist politics and 'culture wars' are stoked yet again by othering certain demographics - to feed a dangerous narrative that glosses over their horrendous worldview and past 13 years of austerity. As exhausting as it is, we need to wade from the post brexit sludge. Get these pricks out.
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#paste #wheatpastes #uptheworkers #pasteup #pasteups #installation #handdrawntext #font #streetart #flypost #poetry #wheatpaste #sign #union #adhesivos #pompey #portsmouth #toriesout #graffiti #handdrawnfont #fuckthetories #strike #pasteupartist #fratton #industrialaction #drawing #font #poem #streetpoetry
'HOME IN THE HEART' my new public artwork is currently installed at Portsmouth Harbour Train Station for everyone to see. This poem was written especially for the Weshine festival as part of the literacy cluster. The aim was to reinvigorate residents with the written word as well as explore the idea of 'Home' within the city
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I don't normally break my poems down but here goes. Biggest mouth in the south is a little nod to the notorious attitude associated with our island. There is a common misconception that blood is blue before it oxygenates as well as 'blue blood' referring to esteemed heritage; so really the only place you can have blue blood is the best city going right? Have genuinely been trying to get sausage into a line of a poem for quite some time, managed it whilst referencing the nautical history of Pompey. The last two lines are intended to capture the idea 'Home' and how our beautiful island city will take you to it's heart whether you are here for five minutes or fifty years
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Anyway it's written for everyone. Really hope you love it as much as I'm proud of it. Go and see it, it will be up for awhile
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Big love to @portsmouthcreates and @formandfunctionorg for trusting me with the comission.
'RESISTANCE ISN'T FUTILE', Seville, Black and Chrome Spray Paint and Varnish on Wood, 2026.
L 12CM X W 94CM X H 2CM. 1/1
❌️SOLD❌️
New Original Piece finished and varnished in the Sunshine today. For all the headlines of gains for the UKs biggest grifters just remember how many seats there are. Keep pushing back.
DM me if you want to cop
#original #resistanceisntfutile #painting
'FRIED', Hand Drawn Poem for Pasteup, 2026.
This lives outside now. It was written before the sunshine started to break through more frequently, a lovenote is a manifesto of sorts. Also wanted to get eggs into a line of a poem and managed it with this one.
🍳🍳🍳
#pasteups #poem #handdrawnlettering
'BINGO 3', Vectorised Text on Tickets, 2026.
More snippets, mini sketctes as it were. Slightly more extended texts incoming soon. Good to show your workings I guess - just waiting for some driver days.
Always onwards 🌞🖍✊🏻✏️🫡
#resistanceisntfutile #poetry #collage #bingo
'BINGO 2', Vectorised Text on Tickets, 2026
Some short excerpts from the formulation of an extended bit of writing. Attempting to take in some rays whilst the feeds become ever more apocalyptic.
✊🏻🖤
#resist #handdrawntext #poetry
'BINGO', Vectorised Text on Tickets, 2026.
Been trying to write some longer bits of text recently, not poems exactly but slightly more extended pieces. Just needed to use some colour as a smaller draft/relief to the news cycle. Knew there was a reason I kept the lawro meat raffle tickets in the collage pile.
Get some sunshine on your face when it's about.
✊🏻🫡🌞
#poetry #handdrawntext #empire #pasteup
RESIST ORIGINALS - DM TO COP
📍RESIST 'DAM MED 1' - SOLD
L 12CM /W 22CM/H 2CM
📍RESIST 'DAM MED 2' - £65
L 12CM /W 22CM/H 2CM
📍RESIST 'DAM MED 3' - £65
L 12CM /W 22CM/H 2CM
Loop Chrome, Amsterdam Spray Paint and Varnish on Wood. 2026.
Signed originals ready to hang.
Drop me a message if you want to bag before they go on site.
🖤✊🏻🫡
#spraypaint #originals #resistanceisntfutile #poem #handdrawnlettering
MINI ORIGNALS - SOLD OUT
📍RESIST 'FLUORO YELLOW 3' - SOLD
L 5CM/W 10CM /H 2.5CM
📍RESIST 'DAM 1' - SOLD
L 5CM/W 10CM/H 2.5CM
📍RESIST 'SOFT PINK FLUORO 1' - SOLD
L 7.5CM/W 15CM/H 2.5 CM
All Loop Spray Paint and Varnish on Wood, 2026
All come ready to hang.
Signed originals.
🖤✊🏻🫡
#poetry #handdrawntext #originals #paint #fluoro
'GOOD WEATHER FOR BATS, AT LEAST'
Loop Spray Chrome, Black, Pink and Varnish on Wood.
2025
One of my favourites from last year. Very hard to photograph the strips as well tbh so excuse the edits. Had to turn the starting line into a stand alone. For the best.
🖤🦇
#bats #handdrawntype #wheatpaste #Loop #pasteups
