Last Thursday saw the opening of the breakout solo exhibition by John Dolan at Howard Griffin Gallery. The exhibition, entitled George the Dog, John the Artist featured new large scale original works by John Dolan and collaborative works by over 40 top international street artists and graffiti writers including ROA, Steve ESPO Powers, Sever, Gaia, David Walker, Stik, Maser, Thierry Noir, RUN, Ian Stevenson, Cityzen Kane, Ronzo, Martin Ron, Liqen, Dscreet, Pablo Delgado, MadC, CEPT, C215 and BRK.
For those who are not familiar with the work of John Dolan, he is one of East London’s most notorious artists, establishing himself during a three year residency sitting along Shoreditch High Street selling his drawings to passers by. During this time, Dolan sat every day with his dog George and documented the surrounding architecture, elevating the old, decrepit buildings that are so often ignored and under-appreciated. He gained a cult following and George the dog in particular has become a Shoreditch icon through Dolan's portrayals of his faithful companion. Dolan himself has experienced 20 years of homelessness in London and his current exhibition marks a remarkable journey from sitting along Shoreditch High Street to staging a successful show with some of the world's top street artists in three short years.
Howard Griffin Gallery, where Dolan's exhibition is being staged, is located along Shoreditch High Street, in view of the spot where Dolan used to sit and draw.
While Dolan's personal and artistic journey has been long, the geographical journey towards his first solo exhibition has been remarkably small. This serves to make the show even more special and illustrates how talent can be found in the strangest of places. The show also captures the very essence of Shoreditch. Dolan's raw portrayals capture the history of Shoreditch's past and reveal its underbelly of homelessness and poverty which stands in stark contrast to the oncoming wave of gentrification that the area is experiencing. The street art collaborations capture Shoreditch's present as a global center of street art.
Show runs until the 26th September 2013
Howard Griffin Gallery - 189-190 Shoreditch High Street - E16HU
