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ROA for Prime Minister
Tuesday 7th August 2012 | Osh
Not really, but there’s no justifiable reason not to have heard of him
As far as street art and anonymity are related, very few artists manage to make such a name for themselves or achieve great recognition whilst managing to guard their true identity from the public eye, an obvious example being Banksy; all we really know about him is he wears glasses and came from Bristol. Despite the quality of artists’ work not straying and in the majority of cases becoming far greater, it all seems a little bit ironic that street artists are nowadays becoming more known for their name and not their work.
This is where ROA is cut above the rest: no one, not even Banksy, has managed to stay more anonymous and consistently produce masterworks on the street. His animals fit in with their surroundings so eloquently; hanging off pipes and climbing up walls, one moment you’re seeing a sleeping mouse then you open the door or window shutter that it’s painted over and suddenly you’re seeing the same mouse except its been skinned or instead of flesh we’re seeing its skeletal structure.
ROA’s pieces have an uncanny ability to make the viewer feel lost and overpowered by their brilliance. The size and unique concept of every piece never fails to amaze every passer-by; another beautiful aspect of his work as it won’t cost you anything to stand and admire, plus it won’t be on a wall that’s been commissioned by Nike. In my mind he’s one of the best artists around today, check out his work on the walls of East London, as well as all over Europe and far regions of the globe. He’s a testament to the power of not selling out and using money to take your craft all round the world, much like the fantastic Ben Eine and is typography work.
Don’t expect his name to be on every street corner, but do expect to be blown away by a street corner that features one of his pieces. Here's his tumblr.
Jack Baron
