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THE ART OF CITY LIFESUB-URBANBOTANICAL WARFAREWE HEAD TO THE FRONTLINE OF THE WAR ON TERRA P.11

EXHIBITANDY COUNCIL

ROMANYWGMISHFITSEPR

Issue 0 August 2012

STITCHEDUPTHE SOFTER SIDE

OF STREET ARTP.33

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P.33 - P.53

URBAN EXPLORATION IN THE RUINS OF PRIPYAT

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INSIDECULTURESHOCKURBAN

CANVASTRENDINGRUINS OF

BEAUTY

CONTENTSIssue 0 / August 2012

CULTURE SHOCK5 Life in a ‘Muggers’ Paradise’ Exploring the growing com-munity of urban gardeners living within the Heygate Estate.

7 Below the Surface Discovering an art scene that isliterally, underground.

9 Clowning Around American Juggalo culture has reachedEngland, we meet the British pioneers.

FEATURES11 Botanical Warfare How to turn an ‘urban jungle’ into anurban jungle.

17 Ruins of Beauty Luke Powell joins urban explorers asthey visit the abandoned city of Pripyat.

25 Pimp my PavementWe meet Steve Wheen as hetransforms a pothole into a work of art.

33 Stitched Up Graffiti gets a woolly makeover and it’s comingto a city near you.

IN DEPTH32 More Art More Money Artists across the UK talk abouthow cities can benefit from a bigger art scene.

EXHIBIT39 Andy Council Obsessed with prehistoric paintings, Council talks about street art, Bristol and dinosaurs.

43 RomanyWG Author of Beauty In Decay, Romany revealshis urbex roots.

47 MISHFITWe catch up with female street artist MISHFIT, tofind out what it’s like working with GrafikWarfare.

53 SEPR Bristol-based graffiti artist SEPR talks about the past,present and future of Bristol’s art revolution.

URBAN CANVAS57 Urban ExploitationWe take a look at some of yourcreative endeavours in the UK.

63 Out of SightWe join a group of urban explorers as ventureinto the disused tunnels of the London Underground.

67 Competition Can you guess who has designed this pieceof street art?

TRENDING77 Urban Apparel The latest urban accessories and fashion.

79 Tools of the Trade Gadgets that will make your life a littlebit easier this summer.

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02 SUB URBAN AUGUST 2012

Image credits: Top: Luke Powell. Centre: Knit The City. Bottom: SEPR.

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LIFE IN A MUGGERSPARADISE

‘’

Walking through the Heygate Estate inElephant and Castle, London, is an ex-ceptionally foreboding experience,even on a quiet Sunday afternoon.Consisting of grey, monolithic apart-ment blocks, it is easy to see why thisnow derelict housing estate has beenlabelled as a ‘muggers’ paradise’ by thelocal population. Once home to 3000 residents, theestate now lies almost completelydeserted following council plans to de-molish the entire area as part of theHeygate Regeneration Scheme. But, as anyone who has ventured intothe heart of estate will know, a thrivingcommunity of urban gardeners hastaken over and they have more thanjust cultivation on their minds.“We started planting here about threeyears ago, just with some simple Brus-sels sprouts and some tomatoes, whena friend of mine got involved and said‘why don’t we spread it into a wholeback garden area’,” explains 32-year-old Adrian Glasspool, one of the lastthree remaining residents living on theestate. “As you can see, the word spread anda lot of people got involved. It’s allgrown very organically and there has

been no need for any structure, it justhappened.”In protest of Southwark Council’s re-generation plans, Glasspool, along witha group of remaining residents, decidedto clean up the disused green spacethat surrounds his home and invite localpeople to start growing vegetables. In just one year, the group hast ransformed the entire masionettearea at centre of the estate into a self-sustainable garden.

Complete with a pond, trees and othervarious allotments, the area is hive ofactivity and a huge contrast to thederelict, grey apartment blocks thatovershadow it.But for Glasspool, the aim of the com-munity garden is not just about growingvegetables, but to draw attention to thebigger issues that surround the estate’sfuture. “This is not just about middle-classpeople having fun doing gardening,there are far more important issuesgoing on,” says Glasspool. “For me it’s

about waste, and the fact that theseperfectly good, structurally sound,buildings are being needlessly demol-ished ahead of their natural course oflife.”Having first moved onto the estate in1997, Glasspool has witnessed the de-mise of Heygate, but insists it hasnever been as bad as the media madeit out to be. Instead, Glasspool believesthat the negative press helped swaypublic opinion to align with the council’sdemolition plans.As well as the ever-growing amount ofyoung gardeners who have sinceflocked to the area, the green space isnow host to Glasspool’s own ‘HeygateRegeneration Scheme’ – a jab at theSouthwark Council’s official plans thatgo by the same name. This small exhibition outlinesGlasspool’s alternative regenerationplans, which he has created under theLocalism Act.Richard Reynolds, 34, a resident ofElephant and Castle, and founder ofthe popular urban gardening blog‘Guerillagardening.org’, h a s b eeni n v o l v e d in Glasspool’s campaignfor the last two years. Another firm be-liever in refurbishment as opposed to

OUT OF THE 3,000 RESIDENTSTHAT ONCE LIVED ON THE HEYGATEESTATE IN SOUTHEAST LONDON,ONLY THREE NOW REMAIN. WITHSO MUCH UNIHABITED SPACE, ITWAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIMEUNTIL OTHERS MOVED IN...

CULTURE SHOCK

’

“Regeneration should be aboutregenerating and making thebest of what you have...”

Left: Glasspool’s Heygate Regeneration Scheme.Right: Hector Palacios, 28, gardening in Heygate.


redevelopment, Reynolds has beenhelping to regenerate the Elephant andCastle area through “illegal planting.” “You’ve got perfectly decent buildingshere on this estate as well as a massivearea ofg r e e nspace - ap r e c i o u scommodityin centralLondon –with a bit ofre furb ish-ment thiscould all belived inagain,” saysReynolds.“The wholemotivationbehind the change seems a bit mis-guided, and after a year of campaign-ing we have managed to save a lot ofmore of this open green space, whichwouldn’t have been the case other-wise.”The concrete estate, which was com-pleted in the 1970s, was originally de-signed to offer a utopian ideal wherecommunal living provided a social hub

for residents. Over time, the estatebegan to deteriorate, and in 2008 themajority of its residents were “de-canted” by Southwark Council. Since then, the Heygate Estate has

proven to be apopular filminglocation for Lon-don-based films.Both ‘Attack theBlock’ and ‘HarryBrown’ werefilmed within theestate, both ofwhich focus onthe criminal youthelements of Lon-don. S o u t h w a r kCouncil has beenlooking to regen-

erate the area since 2004, and its Hey-gate Regeneration Scheme involvesplans for the complete demolition of thearea. This demolition will then be fol-lowed up the construction of 2,500 newhomes and the largest park in Londonfor over 70 years.“The decision for demotion was takenmore than a decade ago, and in 2004we confirmed through a consultation

that over 80% of consultees still sup-ported the regeneration plans,” says aspokesperson for Southwark Council.“We have no plans to review that deci-sion, and we are in regular dialoguewith the remaining residents. We arehoping to find them homes as soon aspossible.”Councillor Fiona Colley, cabinet mem-ber for regeneration at Southwarkcouncil had a short, but clear messagefor Glasspool and the remaining resi-

dents: “It is time to move on.”Despite the areas reputation and thewidespread support for its demolition,Glasspool and his group of renegadegardeners have no plans to move. “I think regeneration should be aboutregenerating and making the best ofwhat you have, rather than throwingthings away and starting over new,”says Glasspool. “There is plenty ofspace here, so we welcome membersof the local community to come and usethis area while it is still open to thepublic.”

THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT MIDDLE-CLASSPEOPLE HAVING FUN DOING GARDENING.“ ”

Centre: Glasspool readyto plant his seeds.

06 SUB-URBAN AUGUST 2012

“We welcome members of thelocal community to come anduse this area while it is stillopen to the public.”

Top: A friendly mural painted on a maisonette. Left: The garden. Right: The Heygate Estate.

Photographs by Luke Powell

LIFE IN A MUGGERSPARADISE

’

FEATURE

BOTANICAL WARFAREARMED WITH SEED BOMBS, TROWELS,AND WAGONS FULL OF FLOWERS,GUERRILLA GARDENERS AROUND THEWORLD ARE M A K ING A COLOURFULIMPACT ON THE CONCRETE JUNGLESTHEY INHABIT. WE CAUGHT UP WITHTHE ‘GODFATHER’ OF THE UK GUERILLAGARDENING SCENE - RICHARDREYNOLDS - FOR AN INTRODUCTIONINTO THE HOBBY.


For the last eight years guerrillagardener Richard Reynolds hasbeen blurring the lines of wherenature ends and the city begins.Within his ‘patch’ in Elephant andCastle, south east London, the34-year-old freelance advertiserhas sparked something of a greenrevolution, and now more peoplethan ever are wanting to get in-volved.“This is what David Cameronshould come and look at if hewants to go on about a Big Soci-ety,” says Reynolds, as heemerges from a meadow of waist-high Lavender bushes.“Before we moved in on thissite the central area was full ofgrassy weedy stuff. Over fournights, a team of a 20 GuerillaGardeners –along with myself –transformed this area into whatyou see now.”The area Reynolds is referring to,

is a small patch of land made upof at least thirty Lavender bushesplanted around a group of smallpalm-like trees. Rather than being reserved tothe grounds of a country manoror a landscaped park, this gar-den has a far more ‘exotic’ loca-tion – in between the busy StGeorge and Lambeth RoadJunction in Elephant and Castle.“The great thing about this isthat it is just gardening, but ithas a sufficient twist to grabpeoples imagination. Also, be-cause it is sometimes done atnight, it has more of an imagethat it’s crazier than traditionalgardening,” says Reynolds.The premise behind guerrillagardening is to “brighten up”neglected areas of a city withcolourful flowers and plants, andafter a brief tour aroundReynolds’ neighbourhood, it is

Inset: Richard Reynolds inhis Lavedener ‘meadow’.

”THE G

REAT THING

ABO

UT THIS IS THAT IT IS JUST G

ARDENING

,BUT IT HA

S A SUFFIC

IENT TWIST TO

GRA

B PEOPLE’S IM

AGINA

TION.

“”



easy to see the positive effects a fewflowers can make.As Reynolds parks up his guerrilla gar-dening trailer - the G-GT - to make astart on a new patch that sits in the mid-dle of a roundabout, a passer-by whohas seen him before comes over totalk. “It’s fantastic what he is doing aroundhere and I’d love to see more peopledoing it,” says 28-year-old ChrisPatrick, a resident from LoughboroughJunction. “I like the idea that even in such a con-densed urban space like London, thereis still room for a bit of nature.” Because of the environment Reynoldsplants in - one that is exposed to bothwandering pedestrians and high tem-peratures from car exhausts - he hashad to be frugal with his choice inplants. He explains: “Usually I scour the racksfor the cheapest saplings, and becauseI usually purchase whatever is goingcheap or take cuttings from friends, mygardens tend to take on a naturally hap-hazard look.”One of the most remarkable aspects of

guerrilla gardening is that it is all donewithout any official permission andserves no other real purpose than toenhance the local area and put a smile

on people’s faces. Reynolds, who funds his projects outof his own pocket or through the sale ofLavender from his make-shift meadow,believes that planting withou t asking, or“illicit cultivation” as he calls it, is thebest way to go about guerrilla garden-ing. “If someone in the high authoritywants to say ‘okay’ then that is fine, I’m

not anti-establishment, but I am anti toa lot of the ways our communities arerun – which is why I ignore the rules,”says Reynolds.Since the creation of his guerrilla gar-dening blog –www.guerrillagardening.org - in 2004,the hobby has attracted like-minded in-dividuals from across the globe, alllooking to fight grey with green.Eight years later, and Reynolds is nowbeing invited to places as far away asRussia to talk about the hobby and isregularly visited by foreign enthusiasts.On a recent trip to Esson, Germany,the city was almost overrun withguerrilla gardeners following a ‘troopdig’ organised by Reynolds. “The idea was that I’d give a talk aboutguerrilla gardening, and then ask peo-ple if they wanted to join me to plantsome bulbs. The next thing I know,there were about 100 people followingme, it was like being the Pied Piper ofHamlin,” says Reynolds.Guerrilla gardening’s roots can be tracedback to a small abandoned lot on the cor-ner of Bowery and Houston in New York.In 1973, artist Liz Christy – along with a

Centre: One of Reynolds’ gardensvandalised by a stray cone.

Top: Reynolds planting in Elephant and Caslte, London.

FEATURE


group of friends – decided to cleanout and reclaim the lot in the hopethat it would become a communitygarden. Calling themselves the GreenGuerrillas, the group transformed the areaand as a result, both the garden and groupare still going today. Since the 70s, guerilla gardening has‘cropped up’ all across the world, and ina society where community engage-ment is at a low, Reynolds believes thatit is a brilliant way to bring people to-gether. Later this month he will be hosting theannual Lavender harvest from his patchat the Lambeth Junction, and on 1 May,or ‘International Sunflower GuerrillaGardening Day’ as Reynolds has chris-tened it, there will be an event with over1,500 people already signed up to plantsunflowers across London.“Guerrilla gardening raises questionsabout roles and responsibilities withinthe public realm. Also, people are in-

trigued as to howone can get awaywith it,” explainsReynolds. “I do itbecause I love

gardening and I love growing stuff. Ilove planting and shaping it and it hasbeen a bonus that people appreciate it,and stop and talk.”A sign of the impact both guerrilla gar-dening and Reynolds has had on thegardening world became clear when hewas recently voted as Britain’s 24thMost Influential Gardener by the Tele-graph - a title that attracted criticismfrom the gardening aristocracy. In an interview with Monty Don – awell-known presenter on various gar-dening shows – that took place prior tothe list being revealed, he was quotedas saying: ‘Guerrilla gardening is prettydysfunctional behaviour because it triesto bypass communities as well as leg-islation and bureaucracy.’For Reynolds, the title comes as a vin-dication to those who think of the hobbyas both stupid and trivial.Clearly angered by Monty Don’s com-ments, Reynolds added: “What the hell

does he, or any of the others whoslated guerrilla gardening know? Theirmain argument was that we were dys-functional and lacking any serious formof community engagement. I rememberat the time thinking ‘what the fuck areyou talking about, I am the community’.”The official seal of approval from theTelegraph has not been the only timeofficial bodies have taken notice of themovement. Last year Camilla, Duchessof Cornwall, came to visit one ofReynold’s guerrilla gardens on achance visit.For Reynolds, this recognition couldnot come sooner and he now hopesthat the public begins to understandthat there is more to guerrilla gardeningthat just spontaneous planting on stateowned property. “Endorsements are very helpful inencouraging other people to get in-volved, especially if it’s approved of,”adds Reynolds.“It doesn’t have to be illegal for it tobe guerrilla gardening, it’s simply aboutmaking a positive change to your com-munity without having to be asked to doso.”

In the war against neglect, the guerrilla gardener’s num-ber one ‘weapon of choice’ is the seed bomb. Dating backto the early days in New York, these small balls containeverything you need to start planting in hard-to-reachplaces.

NYC Green Guerilla GrenadeA very primitive form of seed bomb dating back to the1970s. Due to the consistency of this ‘grenade’ – Peat moss andchemical fertilisers, encased in glass or plastic – it hasbeen dubbed as an ‘eco time bomb’. Note: Do not use.Ingredients: Water, peat moss and fertiliser.

Clay Seed BallFirst invented by Japanese farmer and philosopherMasanobu Fukuoka, in the early 20th century, this classicrecipe is one of the most popular devices in the guerrillagardener’s arsenal. Ingredients: Clay, compost, seeds and water.

Kabloom “SeedBom”A 21st century organic “grenade” that takes aesthetic in-spiration from its real life counterpart. They can be cus-tom made to hold various types of seed, but due to thecomplex and secret recipe, can only be bought online at:www.kabloomshop.co.uk/products

Seed PillCreated by Canadian designer, Vanessa Harden, theseminimal, discrete and efficient pills could soon replacetheir “primitive” counter parts. Made from a “vegetablecapsule” that melts in the rain, the seed pill is 100% ecofriendly. To find out more about the seed pill project, visit:www.seedpillproject.wordpress.com

WEAPONS OFMASS PLANTATION

Top: Reynolds’ G-GT guerrilla gardening trailer.Bottom: Reynolds eyeing up a new spot.


FOR AN URBAN EXPLORER, THE GHOSTCITY OF PRIPYAT IS THE HOLY GRAILOF URBEX LOCATIONS. DESCRIBED ASAN EXPERIENCE “THAT WILL STAY WITHYOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE”,SUB-URBAN’S LUKE POWELL TOOK ATRIP INTO THE EXCLUSION ZONE TOTRY HIS HAND AT URBAN EXPLORATION.If it were not for the constantchatter of the Geiger counter thatis currently wedged in my pocket,you would be forgiven for thinkingthat exploring Chernobyl andPripyat is like exploring any otherabandoned ruin. Unfortunately, this is not the caseand the constant clicking servesas a grave reminder of the deadly,yet invisible particles that arepassing through my body withever hour that I remain here.The reason as to why I am wellwithin the exclusion zone of theworld’s worst nuclear disaster, isto try my hand at urban explo-ration or urbex as it is commonlyknown. The process by which curiousindividuals gain access toabandoned buildings in order toshare its secrets with the rest ofthe world.For an urban explorer, the ghostcity of Pripyat is the Holy Grail ofurbex locations, but a visit to thiscity does not come without a risk.“If you are to stand in this spotfor several hours you will beginfeel dizzy, experience reddeningof your lips and eventually beginto bleed from your mouth, gumsand nose,” explains YuriTatarchukm, our exclusion zonetour guide for the day. “For everyfifty metres that you step towardsthe reactor, the amount of time itwill take for these symptoms toappear is halved, I seriously rec-ommend that you do not go any

closer than where you are now.”It is enough of a warning to keepour group from going any closerto Reactor Number Four, the verysite that caused the mass evacu-ation of 112,000 people just 26years ago following the world’sworst nuclear disaster. Even at 300 metres away, ourGeiger counters - small Game-boy-like devises used to measurebackground radiation - are pickinglevels of radiation measuring 4.01microsieverts, a level that is over30 times the normal backgroundlevel. The cause of these unnaturallyhigh levels is from an event thattook place in early hours of 26April 1986, when scientists work-ing at Chernobyl Nuclear PowerPlant conducted a systems teston Reactor Number Four. Just 30 seconds after the testbegan, a catastrophic surge ofpower caused the reactor’s fuelelements to rupture and in turn,explode. The blast was so power-ful that the reactor’s 1000-tonne,dome-shaped roof was blownstraight off. Radionuclides includ-ing caesium-137 and strontium-90 were then released into theatmosphere from the reactor’sburning core.The end result of the Chernobyldisaster led to the release of moreradiation that the dropping of thenuclear bomb on Hiroshima,Japan in 1945.Even after 25 years, the radiation

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