Barn owl, snipe and bustard. Here are some of the endangered birds that have recently appeared on London's walls thanks to the works of ATM, an artist famous for his graffiti. His works denounce the action of man as one of the major causes of the disappearance of numerous species of birds from England.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous
Barn Owl, snipe and bustard. Here are some of the endangered birds that have recently appeared on the walls of London thanks to the works of TMJ, artist famous for his own graffiti. His works denounce the action of man as one of the major causes of the disappearance of numerous species of birds from England.
Graffiti are highly detailed paintings depicting the now rare birds that once formed an integral part of English fauna. The paintings find space on the walls of decaying buildings, near the stations and on anonymous brick walls in different parts of the city.
In the places chosen by the artist, portraits of some rare birds emerge between the gray walls and they restore color to the metropolis, prompting at the same time to reflect on the progressive disappearance of these specimens. Generally the graffiti are clearly visible and quite large and are located 2 or 3 meters high.
ATM is a street artist who grew up in an industrial town in the North of England, where he attended art school. As a child, during trips to the countryside and in the woods, he was always fascinated by the rich presence of birds, insects and amphibians. He was especially fascinated by the elegance, balance and coordination of the birds in their movements, as well as the wild places that make up theirnatural habitat.
His works are inspired by the works of great 19th century illustrators, among which we find James Audubon and John Gould. For the first portrait of him he chose a snipe, a medium-sized bird with a long and straight beak, whose presence has been reduced mainly in the north and south-east of the British Isles. A short time later the artist began making murals which have as protagonists partridges and barn owl.
His first street painting dedicated to endangered birds took shape this year in the area of Whitechapel Road. The most recent work, which ATM has just completed, is located in Bethnal green and represents a tarabuso (Botaurus stellaris). It is a once very common bird in the East Anglia reed beds, but has now almost disappeared. Its specimens are extremely rare and those few that live on the islands in the area would be very difficult to spot.
Marta Albè
Photo source: atmstreetart.tumblr.com
Read also:
- #WithSyria: Banksy's work for Syria
- The Barn Owl at risk of extinction. The petition to save them
