Bankey Tunnel - A Street Art Haven Near Waterloo Station

[abermans]

Following on my previous post and promise to try and bring you some more street arts from London this year.

Just a five minute walk from the busy Waterloo Station and London Eye lies a hidden underground art space. Known as "Banksy's Tunnel", it has become a community hub for street artists.
Why Banksy's Tunnel?
The enigmatic street artist Banksy is believed to have created one of his earliest known works here in the late 1990s. The piece - a symbolically stenciled rat - helped framing Banksy's fame in London's underground street art scene. While the rat image has long been painted over, Banksy's legacy lives on in the tunnel's unofficial name. It has since become a gathering place for an ever-evolving rotation of artists continuing Banksy's tradition of unexpected creative interventions in the city. Many are clearly still in his style.

Last Sunday which was quite a grey February day, I followed the scent of fresh spray paint to the nondescript tunnel entrance. Stepping inside, what really surprised me was the many artists at work. I expected to see one or two but there were well over 20 people who occupied the arched walls, prepping surfaces or adding details to murals.

The space buzzed with creative energy as the constant spraying and can shaking clanking sounds echoed in the tunnel.
Artists collaborated while diverse styles emerged - intricate designs next to abstract pieces.
Nearby, in a cornered large section, skilled skaters grinded to loud music, contributing to the funky urban vibe.

Banksy's past works gave it fame, but today's community keeps it evolving. Styles ranged from exceptionally detailed portraits to simple large text-based works.

I was inspired seeing grassroots art flourish in this London oasis.
Though somewhat hidden, it's worth visiting especially considering it is literary few steps from one of the most busy tourist hotspots in London.
There is actually a very decent pub just under the bridge with entry from the tunnel making it quite nice to have a beer while watching the artists at play. 
You are also guaranteed to get a complete new set of works if visiting every few weeks as this is a live gallery.

We'll let the art and artists talk - let me know how did you find it
Clearly Banksy inspired

Entry to the Tunnel

Skater Zone

The Draughts Pub in the middle of the tunnel

[Md_Zobayerul_Islam]

Wow! Thank you for providing such a beautiful view. @abermans 

[Annaelisa]

@abermans das ist ja teilweise ein wildes und buntes Durcheinander, Wahnsinn.

Andererseits dazwischen wunderbare Darstellungen einzelner Menschen, wunderschön.

[Tushar_Suradkar]

I have the same thoughts as @Annaelisa 
The colors are a bit extravagant overall, but there are so many artistic expressions @abermans 
The face portraits are some relief.

[AdamGT]

Simply amazing @abermans.

I'd love to walk through that tunnel myself.

You mention that there 20 artists at work during your visit.

So how long is this tunnel or how long does it take to walk it?

[jakiripsc]

@abermans Thank you so much for sharing with us link this post.

[abermans]

@AdamGT it is not long at all.

Banksy's Tunnel (Leake Street formally) is about 300m in length.

There are also short side branches to multiples exist but if you are not into the artworks it takes only minute or two to cross it. Still being quite wide and tall leaves plenty of space to work on.

It is not as impressive compared to the works in Shoreditch or even Camden which are scattered over miles but you get a massive blast of colour and smell because it is confined to relatively short space and seems to be in constant change.

There must be some serious layers of paint spray after a few years.

[PrasadVR]

@abermans Beautiful post! I like it, Thanks for taking the time to share. I would like to know; Is the tunnel used by the public other than art lovers?,who maintains the tunnel?, govt.? do the artists receive financial support, or hobby? The tunnel is 300 meters long, if all area is covered with artwork, where will the new artists work ?

[abermans]

@PrasadVR yes the tunnel is used by the public.. it is just one of the roads behind Waterloo station and it actually is going underneath the rail tracks.

The tunnel itself as a road is maintained by the city. While graffiti on public property is not legal in UK, it is becoming quite popular to allow graffiti on public buildings and tunnels especially in rejuvenation projects.

You are correct as this tunnel is relatively small, it means people are effectively deleting previous works and painting over them. If you would look in the photos you may see some of these artists simply creating a black canvas by picking an area and painting it black. It does mean that some works may only exist for a couple of days before being wiped.

This is also part of what makes it so interesting. It is constantly changing.

In the case of banksy's tunnel I believe none of the artists are getting paid.

However I have seen other parts of London (Shoreditch and Camden) where artists who were creating graffiti said they were paid by the local council.

[PrasadVR]

@abermans Thank you for your detailed reply. Yes, I noticed in one photo, the artist was creating a black canvas. All photos are beautiful, the last photo touched my heart.