East Ended

First edition of East Ended by Dougie Wallace (2020). First impression. Large format hardback in new condition. Please choose which varient you would like, either signed or unsigned by the artist. Please see photos for reference. 

About East Ended

East Ended reflects on gentrification and how this process triggers an ambiguous and often fraught relationship between freely expressed street art and commerce, public space and billboard, local community and global capital. The transformation of London’s east end from urban decay to fashionable is the ultimate example of the power of street art to regenerate a neighbourhood to make it attractive to the emerging creative class. Before it became a recognised art form, street art was called graffiti, a sign of decay that lowered property values. Fast forward to the transformation of London’s east end and it became cool. Seen as ‘gritty’ and ‘edgy’, street art generates interest in an area. Refashioned, and made acceptable, it transforms public space as areas become high-priced, trendy and desirable. Its ‘edge’ and sense of ‘authenticity’ become a means to speed up the gentrification process. But as property prices rise, the cost of living forces out both those artists, who created the art, as well as the local residents, who can no longer afford to live there. Never was this truer than in Shoreditch, where these images were shot– Brick Lane, Redchurch Street and Sclater Street – an open-air case of urban art, generating considerable tourism.