When we think of graffiti the first thing that usually comes to mind is vandalism and crime, but there are also street artists who create beautiful works of art that are so much more than that. Such is the case with street artist Jamie Paul Scanlon, better known as JPS, who finds inspiration along every crack in the walls, weeds growing out of concrete, and other simple, yet unique things that most of us walk right past. The location is what drives his artwork and JPS is known for his clever placements, horror-themed pieces in abandoned places, and puns.
The UK-born artist was inspired at a young age, citing his father who was an artist, but passed away when JPS was only 18, as a huge source of inspiration.
It’s safe to say that JPS didn’t have an easy life, he struggled in school and had to drop out of college when he couldn’t pay his tuition. On top of that, two of his friends were murdered and to deal with his pain he started using drugs and became homeless. After visiting the Banksy Exhibition in Bristol in 2009, he turned his life around and he started creating street art.
Although Banksy and other artists like Dali, Escher, Cezanne, Giger, inspired his work, he wanted to create his own style and he explores music, movies, and current events.
Much of his work uses pop culture characters like heroes, villains, and horror movie characters and he inserts the artwork into unexpected places making the setting and characters interact with each other.
When asked if he’s worried that others may view his work as vandalism he told Bored Panda, “I guess art is subjective—some people will always view it as a crime or simply not appreciate art the same as others.” And we couldn’t agree more.
