Regular readers of this blog know that my boyfriend, Thorsten, is an architect. You might not know that he is also an artist, and he recently created a beautiful series of prints portraying historic monuments in our home suburb of Brixton.
The first of Thorsten’s “Brixton Monuments” prints, showing a historic wood and corrugated iron home at the corner of Fulham and Wimbledon Roads. Thorsten initially made this print to sell as a fundraiser to help preserve the house, which was built around 1904. It’s one of the oldest surviving buildings in Brixton and was declared a national monument in 1983. The bird flying above is, of course, a hadeda, and the picture also shows a Joburg waste reclaimer.
I love Thorsten’s prints so much — I’m biased, obviously, but I think you’ll agree they’re fantastic — and three of the four have already been framed and hung in our house. (I’ll be adding the fourth one soon.) So I thought I’d put them all in a blog post, accompanied by photos portraying the same monuments that appear in the prints.
Thorsten in front of the Fulham Road house, which just received a new coat of paint thanks to proceeds from the fundraiser. Obviously my photo does not match the print, as I wasn’t able to take out the ugly palisade fence or power lines, nor could I orchestrate a giant hadeda flyover coinciding with a passing informal recycler. Oh well.While admiring the newly painted house, Thorsten and I bumped into the painters: Andile Nkosi (left) and Alfred Moyo (right). Thorsten happened to have a test copy of the print with him and gave it to them.
The photos, as it turns out, look absolutely nothing like the prints, for reasons that should have been obvious to me before I started this mission. But I’m going ahead with the post anyway.
Linocut print portraying Shade art gallery at the corner of Caroline and Chiswick Streets, also including a minibus taxi and one of the Sentech Croozers.My unsatisfying attempt at a photo from the same spot. For more photos of the inside of this historic building, which was once a Chinese-owned corner shop, read this. Thorsten’s print of the “Brixton stairs” at the corner of Beverly and Symons Roads, which I personally think is one of Brixton’s best kept secrets. While hordes of people are exercising together at the nearby Westcliff Stairs in the early mornings, Thorsten and I train virtually alone on the Brixton stairs, in the shadow of the beautiful Brixton Tower.I really couldn’t make my photo look anything like the print in this instance but I was happy for an excuse to photograph the stairs.Thorsten’s most recent print, portraying the alley that runs between Barnes and Fulham Roads and Brixton’s iconic water tower. Who recognizes the giant insect in the foreground?No Parktown prawns in this photo (thank god). But at least there’s a bird.
Those are all the prints Thorsten has made so far. But he’s got more Brixton monument ideas in the works. Maybe there will be an exhibition at some point…watch this space.
Those prints are lovely. His sketches are always excellent, but those prints? Next level. (Except for the one with the nasty roach which is just a little too realistic for comfort. Not hanging that one, nope.)
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Beautiful prints!
I think so too. xxx
Those prints are amazing, looking forward to an exhibition.
Me too 🙂
Gorgeous prints and great pictures! Always so interesting to see what the artists eye captures vs reality!
It really is!
Those prints are lovely. His sketches are always excellent, but those prints? Next level. (Except for the one with the nasty roach which is just a little too realistic for comfort. Not hanging that one, nope.)
Hahahaha. I’m also freaked out but will probably hang it anyway.
Love the prints and the read as well.
Thank you!
There are more monuments in Brixton, I will get the addresses for you.
Warren
Oh yes, I know there are many more. This is just a selection that Thorsten chose to turn into artwork.