LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 26.04.12. View of the Olympic Stadium from a section of the soon to be closed Greenway public path on Thursday 26 April 2012 in London, England. The public path is being closed for operational and security reasons for the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2012. All rights reserved.

Link: Click here to view more pictures.

Clients: Pictures are available for rights managed editorial licensing. High resolution images are available on request.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 26.04.12. View of the Olympic Stadium from a section of the soon to be closed Greenway public path on Thursday 26 April 2012 in London, England. The public path is being closed for operational and security reasons for the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2012. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 26.04.12. View of the Olympic Stadium from a section of the soon to be closed Greenway public path on Thursday 26 April 2012 in London, England. The public path is being closed for operational and security reasons for the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2012. All rights reserved.

Over the last month or so I have been helping to pull together this event which is part of the London Festival of Architecture 2012. The list of speakers is strong plus we have a great venue. Please repost and link like crazy!

“Defence of the Public Realm” – defenceofthepublicrealm.com

“London Festival of Architecture 2012″ – lfa2012.org

“Facebook Event” – facebook.com

The privatisation of our public spaces along with arbitrary restrictions and controls – backed up with state of the art monitoring systems – is not only a threat to individual liberty, it also reveals a fundamental democratic deficit for society as a whole.

Who controls the ‘public’ realm? In whose name and for what purpose is this space used? Why is the protester, photographer, skateboarder, rough sleeper and graffiti writer demonised and excluded?

Why are local authorities selling off record amounts of parks, playing fields and allotments to the private sector with little or no oversight from communities and local people?

During the Olympic Games, the biggest mobilisation of military and security forces since the Second World War is to be implemented. How will our freedom to move through and engage in these spaces be monitored and restricted during this time?

The Speakers

Andrew Altman, Chief Executive, Olympic Park Legacy Company Limited.

Iain Borden, Professor of Architecture and Urban Culture at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL and author of Skateboarding Space and the City: Architecture and the Body.

Anna Minton, writer and journalist. Author of Ground Control.

Robin Priestley, skateboarder and founding member of the Space Hijackers.

Anna Strongman, Project Director at Argent Group, working on Estate Management at King’s Cross Group.

Marc Vallée, documentary photographer whose work covers the London graffiti scene, anti-skateboarding architecture and political dissent.

Olly Zanetti, writer and journalist specialising in environmental issues, urbanism and political cultures.

Join the debate and come to Defence of the Public Realm free public event: 6pm, Monday 25th June 2012 at the Great Hall, Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4QH.

The event will be chaired by Grant Smith, the acclaimed architectural photographer. Event organised and hosted by Grant Smith, Jonathan Warren and Marc Vallée. With support from INGMEDIA.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 01.04.12. Anti-skateboarding devices on the Spitalfields Estate on Sunday 1 April 2012 in London, England. Anti-skateboarding devices are deployed by private corporations and local authorities. The aim is to reshape individual and group behavior and discourage skateboarders from using a particular public or semi public space. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2012. All rights reserved.

Link: Click here to view more pictures.

Clients: Pictures are available for rights managed editorial licensing. High resolution images are available on request.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 01.04.12. Anti-skateboarding devices on the Spitalfields Estate on Sunday 1 April 2012 in London, England. Anti-skateboarding devices are deployed by private corporations and local authorities. The aim is to reshape individual and group behavior and discourage skateboarders from using a particular public or semi public space. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2012. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 23.03.11. Graffiti artist on Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Friday 23 March 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2012. All rights reserved.

Link: Click here to view more pictures.

Clients: Pictures are available for rights managed editorial licensing. High resolution images are available on request.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 23.03.11. Graffiti artist on Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Friday 23 March 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2012. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 11.03.12. Anti-skateboarding devices near Bankside on Sunday 11 March 2012 in London, England. Anti-skateboarding devices are deployed by private corporations and local authorities. The aim is to reshape individual and group behavior and discourage skateboarders from using a particular public or semi public space. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2012. All rights reserved.

“Skateboarders are essential for our cities” – The Independent.

Link: Click here to view more pictures.

Clients: Pictures are available for rights managed editorial licensing. High resolution images are available on request.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 11.03.12. Anti-skateboarding devices near Bankside on Sunday 11 March 2012 in London, England. Anti-skateboarding devices are deployed by private corporations and local authorities. The aim is to reshape individual and group behavior and discourage skateboarders from using a particular public or semi public space. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2012. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 11.03.12. Anti-skateboarding devices near City Hall on Sunday 11 March 2012 in London, England. Anti-skateboarding devices are deployed by private corporations and local authorities. The aim is to reshape individual and group behavior and discourage skateboarders from using a particular public or semi public space. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2012. All rights reserved.

“Skateboarders are essential for our cities” – The Independent.

Link: Click here to view more pictures.

Clients: Pictures are available for rights managed editorial licensing. High resolution images are available on request.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 11.03.12. Anti-skateboarding device and sign near City Hall on Sunday 11 March 2012 in London, England. Anti-skateboarding devices are deployed by private corporations and local authorities. The aim is to reshape individual and group behavior and discourage skateboarders from using a particular public or semi public space. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2012. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 11.03.12. Anti-skateboarding devices near City Hall on Sunday 11 March 2012 in London, England. Anti-skateboarding devices are deployed by private corporations and local authorities. The aim is to reshape individual and group behavior and discourage skateboarders from using a particular public or semi public space. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2012. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 20.08.11. A graffiti artist on Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Saturday 20 August 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

Marc Vallée Picture Library – marcvallee.co.uk

In no particular order here are my top ten pictures from 2011. It’s been a great year picture wise and I hope you enjoy this edit. I’m pretty much done for this year so see you all back here in 2012.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 14.08.11. Model Joe Ingham on a roof in Soho on Sunday 14 August 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 21.09.11. Graffiti artist on Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Wednesday 21 September 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 15.09.11. Graffiti artist on Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Wednesday 15 September 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 16.10.11. Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Sunday 16 October 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 15.09.11. Graffiti artist on Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Wednesday 15 September 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 04.06.11. A set of anti-skateboarding devices in the City of London on Saturday 4 June 2011 in London, England. Anti-skateboarding devices are deployed by private corporations and local government. The aim is to reshape individual and group behavior and discourage skateboarders from using a particular public or semi public space. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 06.01.11. French male sex worker Thierry Schaffauser and president of the GMB-IUSW, Adult Entertainment branch at home on Thursday 6th January 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 02.07.11. ‘Pink & Black Glitter Bloc’ stage a die-in against the impact of government cuts at London’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride on Saturday 2 July 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 15.09.11. Graffiti artist on Leake Street near Waterloo Train Station on Wednesday 15 September 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

“Graffiti Pop-Up Show” – marcvallee.co.uk

Here is a short film of the graffiti writers at our show on Sunday by Basik. Watch out for our cameo. Enjoy!

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 27.11.11. ‘Writers – Pictures in a Tunnel’ on Sunday 27 November 2011 in London, England. Photographers Brian David Stevens and Marc Vallée constructed a large photographic installation of their graffiti pictures in Leake Street near Waterloo train station. (Photo by Luca Neve. (c) Luca Neve, 2011. All rights reserved.

Large Slideshow.

Here are a few pictures of yesterdays show. A big thank you to all of you who came down. Especially the writers.

Also, thank you to Luca Neve for the pictures of the show.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 27.11.11. ‘Writers – Pictures in a Tunnel’ on Sunday 27 November 2011 in London, England. Photographers Brian David Stevens and Marc Vallée constructed a large photographic installation of their graffiti pictures in Leake Street near Waterloo train station. (Photo by Luca Neve. (c) Luca Neve, 2011. All rights reserved.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 05.11.11. A test print for ‘Writers – Pictures in a Tunnel’ on Saturday 5 November 2011 in London, England. Photographers Brian David Stevens and Marc Vallée will be constructing a large photographic installation of their graffiti pictures on Sunday 27 November 2011 in Leake Street near Waterloo. (Photo by Marc Vallée/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2011. All rights reserved.

“Audio: The Left Bank Show” – marcvallee.co.uk

If you missed Brian David Stevens and I on The Left Bank Show on Resonance104.4fm this week you can listen to it online here.

We discussed our graffiti show, photography, street art, the privatisation of public space and lot more with host Leah Borromeo.

Writers – Pictures in a Tunnel – Brian David Stevens & Marc Vallée.
12 – 2pm – 27.11.11 – Leake Street, London, SE1. Facebook Event.