Early street artists join effort to ‘paint the change’ in downtown London

Breadcrumb Trail Links Local News As teenagers at Beal secondary school embracing hip hop, James Kirkpatrick and Darcy Obokata gravitated to the alleyway off Clarence Street Published Jul 01, 2024  •  5 minute read Artists and longtime friends James Kirkpatrick and Darcy Obokata first started painting at the Dr. Disc alley on Clarence Street and enjoyed another stint painting side by side on the Canada Day long weekend. Photo taken on June 30, 2024. Randy Richmond/The London Free Press Article content As teenagers at Beal secondary school embracing hip hop, James Kirkpatrick and Darcy Obokata gravitated to the alleyway off Clarence Street. The wall on the alley was a free wall, meaning graffiti artists could come and practice their craft legally and without hassle. “It was a small fringe movement, a subculture, a bunch of friends. The wall became a point of gravity, drawing you here,” Obokata said. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Ryan Pyette, Dale Carruthers, Jane Sims, Norman De Bono and others. Plus, the...