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David Shrigley, Banksy and Mr Bingo feature in Pavement Licker compendium

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Date
20 July 2017
An open book shows a high-contrast black and white print of Elvis Presley as a skeleton. Text below the image reads “HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELVIS 30 YEARS DEAD”. The opposite page features a comic strip with a figure speaking to a larger, unseen presence. The dialogue accuses the figure of being a “tyrant” who is “moved only by greed”.

The creators of Pavement Licker, a street art zine founded in 2003, have released a mammoth 518-page hardback compendium of all its issues. Featuring work by renowned and unknown artists and writers alike, the zine began as a way to support creatives in publishing work “without pushing a particular agenda or manifesto”. Over the years it has received contributions from David Shrigley, Banksy, Aries Moross, Shepard Fairey, Pure Evil, Paul Insect, Ellannah Sadkin, Jamie Hewlett, Mr Bingo, Andrew Rae, Chrysa Koukoura, Kelsey Brookes and Jon Burgerman.

“It’s a snapshot of the underground art world for most of this century,” says co-founder Josh Jones, who you may remember as the maker of Celebrities in Ramen, “a unique document of the rise and rise of the street art scene.” All the work is black and white, and, while the styles vary, a punk attitude prevails throughout.

The book also features quotes from its higher profile contributors, in response to a request for submissions. For example, Jamie Hewlett: “I’ve got loads of doodles – as long as you’re prepared to take something filthy… finally, an outlet!” and Banksy: “I don’t have anything lying around that isn’t shit I’m afraid.”

Shepard Fairey says: “Some questions are black and white. Pavement Licker and I see eye to eye on the answers to the questions of whether to be conformist or irreverent, passive or creative, elitist or accessible. Pavement Licker demonstrates that one colour can answer some very important questions!”

Mr Bingo also aptly describes the zine: “It’s like Heat magazine, but it’s black and white and the pictures and the words are better.”

Pavement Licker: Whet Your Appetite, issues 1–10 by Josh Jones and James-Lee Duffy launches 27 July at Pure Evil Gallery.

An open sketchbook shows a handwritten note and a series of line drawings. The left page reads “THE KEY TO MAKING GREAT ART IS IN THE COMPOSITION”, while the right page features sketches of people performing various chores. One figure stands next to a sign that reads “KEEP OFF THE GRASS”.
Above

Pavement Licker: Banksy and Richard Stevens

An open book shows a black and white illustration of a multi-armed figure sitting cross-legged in a meditative pose. The opposite page lists the days of the week paired with emotions, ending with the phrase “REPEAT TO FADE.” At the bottom, text reads “YOU KNOW THE BEST THING ABOUT MY DAY TODAY? JOHNNY CASH.”
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Pavement Licker: Josh Jones, We Are Shadows and Kelsey Brookes

An open book shows a black and white spread. The left page features a photograph of a beach and sea under a dark sky with the text “THE SEA IS A GOOD PLACE TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE.” The right page contains a simple line illustration of a person and a small figure feeding a goose, titled “HOW TO MAKE FOIE GRAS”.
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Pavement Licker: Andrew Rae

An open book shows a black and white spread. The left page features a grainy photograph of a person in silhouette, leaping through the air. The right page contains bold, hand-drawn typography that reads “Typography CAN Kiss MY RRR”.
Above

Pavement Licker: Dan Wilton and Tom Genower

An open book showing two contrasting portraits. On the left, a simple line drawing of a person with the words “I FEEL TRAPPED” written across their chest. On the right, a detailed charcoal portrait of a person wearing traditional indigenous dress.
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Pavement Licker: Mr Bingo and Kenn Goodall

An open book showing two black and white illustrations. The left page features a line drawing of a figure in a wide-brimmed hat, while the right page shows a figure in a suit holding a sign that reads “CORPORATE VIOLENCE FOR SALE”.
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Pavement Licker: Christopher Dean and Shepard Fairey

An open sketchbook showing black ink drawings on white paper. The left page contains a series of small, surreal sketches with captions including “Talking ears off”, “10 dollar beggars” and “Bad art”. The right page features a full-length figure with a distorted, textured head standing in a domestic setting.
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Pavement Licker: Anthony Lister and Hannah Baxter

An open book shows a simple line drawing on the left and a photograph on the right. The drawing depicts a wide-eyed figure taking a selfie, captioned “I may not be wealthy but I’m rich in selfies”. The black and white photo shows three people posing together under a sign that reads “DEAL OR NO DEAL?”.
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Pavement Licker: Jon Burgerman and Dan Wilton

An open sketchbook showing two black and white illustrations. On the left, a large bird stands beside a small figure trapped in a glass bell jar. On the right, a person with spiky hair holds a tool, with a speech bubble that reads “I’m A Looney!”.
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Pavement Licker: Rodney Henchcliffe and Jamie Hewlett

An open book shows two contrasting black and white illustrations. The left page features a high-contrast face with wide eyes and bared teeth against a black background. The right page shows a person in a military uniform saluting in front of a flag.
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Pavement Licker: Aldo Lugo and Shepard Fairey

An illustration in a black and white book shows two figures standing side by side. They have wide, staring eyes and fixed smiles, with one person resting a hand on the other's shoulder.
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Pavement Licker: We Are Shadows

A white hardcover book features a black line drawing of a mushroom cloud. Bold text at the top reads “PAVEMENT LICKER”, followed by “WHET YOUR APPETITE ISSUES 1–10” and the dates “2003–2017” at the bottom.
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Josh Jones and James-Lee Duffy: Pavement Licker: Whet Your Appetite, issues 1–10

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About the Author

Jenny Brewer

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Jenny oversees editorial output across It’s Nice That. Get in touch with writing pitches for features or opinion pieces, big creative story tips, or questions about all things editorial. jb@itsnicethat.com

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