613. High Street, Exeter

In late January I had a meeting in Exeter for which I had arrived a little early. I decided to head for the High Street to see if I could grab a bite to eat. What a great decision that was. I am not familiar with Exeter, especially the central shopping area, so the last thing I was expecting to find was this very impressive piece etched into a wall by the Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto, who works under the name Vhils.

Exeter is not a city known for its street art culture, and this piece is a grand statement  in the main shopping area, rather isolated and alone, but very, very impressive. I have seen work by Vhils on the Interweb many times, but seeing it up close like this was a genuine treat.

His unique approach to creative street art, is to etch or scratch away the rendered surface of a wall back to the brickwork to create his large portraits. The overall effect is to carve something with a bit of depth and texture, albeit in binary colour schemes.

I must say that I was really surprised to find something like this in Exeter and praise the authorities who commissioned the work. I am sure it is a constant talking point for residents and visitors alike. Happy days.