graffiti

Old News Good News: The Underbelly Project

| Florence EMA Blanchard

Back in 2010 I was invited to join a secret art project in the underground subway system of New York. The cool thing about this project is that artists came from around the globe to participate and although it’s been heavily publicised with articles in the New York and London Times (to name a few), the location and the name of the organisers still remain unknown . We Own The Night: The Art Of The Underbelly Project, a newishly released book from Rizzoli New York details every moment of the project and includes photos of the work I did for it.

 

Your Hands, Your Feet, Your Voice

| Florence EMA Blanchard

Kid Acne and I were recently invited to paint the world renowned St Thomas’ Boys & Girls Club in Wincobank, Sheffield – where more boxing champions have been produced than anywhere else on the planet thanks to the unique training style of Brendan Ingle who took over the gym in the mid sixties.

His success stories include the likes of Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham, Johnny Nelson, Junior Witter, Ryan Rhodes, Kell Brook, Kid Galahad, Richard Towers and of course, Prince Naseem Hamed.

Here’s some shots of our mural + additional portraits by Theo Simpson. The scroll on the painting says“Your Hands, your Feet, Your Voice” – Brendan’s own words of wisdom, which refers to his maverick approach of getting students to sing while they train as a means to coordinate their movements and stay focussed.

↑ Junior Witter

↑ Kid Galahad

↑ L-R: Richard Towers, Kid Galahad, Johnny Nelson, Abraham Homer, Leigh Wood, Sam O’Maison, Junior Witter.

Special thanks to Bridget Ingle for organising everything.

Don’t scratch my soca

| Florence EMA Blanchard
From the long warm nights with an ocean breeze
to the damp and to the rain of London city
we come from the sun to live in the cold
I miss me rum, I want my coconut tree
Don’t scratch my soca
’til the party’s over

Let’s keep the music sweet
wine up your waist and feel the beat

Don’t scratch my soca