One new technique for street art this summer is creating murals that glow in the dark with ultraviolet (UV) lighting, and Amara Por Dios' new mural on Great Eastern Street is the fifth (that I am aware of) to be created in London. Oliver Sweet created a pair of glow-in-the-dark owls in Camden, Dan Kitchener created an ultraviolet street scene mural in Clerkenwell, Replete created a glowing lantern on Redchurch Street, and Zina created a glowing portrait on a building on Great Eastern Street. I have not been to Clerkenwell or Camden, but the Replete lantern and Zina pieces have sadly since been painted over. You can read about the Zina piece and view photographs on Inspiring City in a new browser window here.
This "glow in the dark" ultraviolet artwork phenomenon has kicked off due to a marketing campaign by Sony Experia in conjunction with Global Street Art. The campaign is part of the #ICan response, which seems to be aimed at promoting the smartphone's camera (#ICan see in the dark, #ICan see underwater, etc).
I mentioned the Zina ultraviolet mural above, and that was painted on the building opposite the wall where the Amara por Dios mural is painted. On the same building is a contribution to Amara por Dios, but it does not glow. In fact, Zina and Amara por Dios have collaborated before, and Amara por Dios helped Zina with the large-scale piece.
Unfortunately, Zina's piece looks like it has been recently replaced with an advertisement for the film "Legend". The film is about the Kray twins who were notorious criminals in London's east end.
To see the Dan Kitchener ultraviolet mural, go here: http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/13423507.PICTURES__Dazzling_artwork_only_provides_smartphone_photo_moments_at_night/
To see the Replete mural, go here: http://londoncallingblog.net/2015/08/18/new-replete-uv-work-singularity-in-shoreditch/
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