I can barely even partake in a friendly game of Pictionary without giving up and storming off half way through. And so it’s honestly unfathomable to me that a London street artist has just spent over 1000 hours creating what is – quite possibly – the most detailed and all-encompassing illustrated map of London to date. I’m delighted that he did, though, because (unlike my unrecognisable scribbles and scrawls) the result of his work is simply wonderful.
A colourful concoction of London‘s cultural best bits; Angry Dan’s intricate map spans the entire capital city, stretching from Wembley to Greenwich and Epping Forest to Kingston – leaving absolutely none of London’s cultural stones unturned.
The map is filled to the brim with gorgeously illustrated pieces of London’s landscape, cramming over 850 landmarks from across 100 square-miles into one single image. Walthamstow artist, Angry Dan, clearly has an impressive eye for detail, documenting every nook and cranny of our capital city within the artwork. The esteemed street artist completed the piece at his Walthamstow studio after 1000 hours of meticulous research, planning and drawing.
Known for his colourful rhyming murals that have been spotted in various spots across the city over the years; Angry Dan has lived in London for 19 years. His artwork can currently be seen inside the Walthamstow fish and chip shop, Bonners. Yes, the same chippy that Banksy recently adorned with a painting of some pelicans.
Angry Dan’s new map of the city is a true love letter to London and it’s rich cultural heritage, featuring everything from museums, housing estates, and notable architecture to pubs, clubs and, pie and mash shops. Some of London’s most iconic residents, past and present, are also included on the map – with the birthplace of Alan Turing (Maida Vale) represented with a computer and Dizzee Rascal’s teenage stomping ground (Bow) symbolised with his famous red baseball cap.
The artwork is an amalgamation of old, new, past and present; including spots as old as Cleopatra’s Needle and as new as Drumsheds – all drawn in his colourful cartoon style (which is certainly a lot brighter than the rather grey London I’m currently seeing outside my window).
If you fancy getting up close and personal with the map, September 8 is your lucky day, folks. A show-stopping 5,000 square-feet version will be pasted to the floor of Mandeville Place in the Olympic Park to mark the opening of London’s Mural Festival. The festival is the city’s largest celebration of street art and will showcase over 100 murals by incredible artists from all over the world.
Angry Dan, creator of the map, said: “Living in a big city can be really hard work, so it’s easy to take it for granted, and sometimes we fall out of love with it. I wanted to create one huge artwork to remind us all why London is such an amazing place to live.”
Treat the Londoner in your life to a copy of Angry Dan’s London map here and be sure to visit the mural in person on September 8 between 10am-6pm.