Blu

The offensive element of street art can be under-rated; after all, who has not raised a chuckle at a well-placed and esoteric spurting phallus. Blu’s work is no colourful collage of youthful self-expression, but it’s obviously many stages removed from a crude penis. However it pulls no punches.

To label Blu as simply offensive is small-minded of course; his outdoor pieces might echo slogans of hate or mobile numbers scrawled on public lavatory walls, but they are quiet rather than brutal, and observational as opposed to demanding. Like a child proudly presenting his mother with the results of his latest amateur wildlife dissection, Blu simply wants to know if we have ever thought about this before, and what we might have to add to his conclusions. When we turn away in disgust and chide him, he is mystified and disappointed.

Blu’s work discusses what really lies behind our facades using a jab-cross-hook combination of brutal, eloquent and democratic metaphors. Cars are laid to rest with full honours, academics perform witty suicides utilizing the tools of their trade, and interpretations of the human internal workings echo perverse practitioners such as infamous fetish illustrator Dolcett. Adding another layer of complexity though, its style is gentle and unassuming. Ultimately its humour and imagination are unparalleled. Whilst some notorious modern artists may seem inappropriate for display and enjoyment, Blu’s horror remains somehow appealing.

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