Community Meets Art and Fashion @ Camden Open Air Gallery

Nestled within the bustling Camden High Street, Camden Open Air Gallery (COAG) proves to be a breath of fresh air from the commercialisation that has taken place within the neighbourhood. With an ethos for fostering a sense of community, the gallery has become well known for cultivating local street artists found within the area. Accompanied by their collaboration with premium streetwear retailer 777, the gallery space is often transformed into a haven for sneakerheads, streetwear enthusiasts and those interested in the intersection between art and fashion.  

Founded by Camden native Finn Brewster, the gallery was opened to re-imagine the artistic potential of the area. For decades, Camden had been synonymous with the arts – Amy Winehouse was a frequent visitor – to such an extent that she has her statue in the Stables Market. Her lasting legacy within the area has resulted in murals of the celebrated artist, which are used as a backdrop against the vibrant history of street art synonymous with Camden High Street. As one makes their way through the famous road, particularly earlier in the morning or later in the evening, one can be greeted by an array of colourful spray-painted shutters, a mixture of graffiti and street artists’ tags.  

Camden High Street. Image: Camden Open Air Gallery.  

Also found in the area is the famous Camden Market, where locals and tourists alike continue to be enamoured by its array of international street foods, sweet treats, and shopping stalls. Coupled with the souvenir shops, bars, and restaurants that line either side of the almost 1km street, it is justified to say that the space has become commercialised. But what makes Camden Open Air Gallery unique is that even though they can blend in seamlessly with the rest of the area, once inside, the atmosphere is completely changed.

Thumping hip-hop and rap music blares from speakers, multiple-sized prints from an array of artists are placed throughout the space, accompanied by original works placed along the main walls. To the left, shelves line the wall with sneakers carefully placed upon each. Clothing racks are scattered around the space, inviting viewers to browse through multiple streetwear brands, including Stussy, Billionaire Boys Club, and Supreme.

Inside the gallery space. Image: 777Stores/Instagram.  

In sharing the same beliefs for its local surroundings of the community, the collaboration provides visitors with an accessible and affordable means to purchase these brands. Customer loyalty proves to be the centre of this relationship, with the brand providing those first in line with free items and large discounts well below retail prices. This was demonstrated in the December period of 2022 when both the store and the gallery partnered with Maverick Humanity, a charity organisation, to provide people experiencing homelessness clothing, hot food, and hygiene products.

Camden Open Air Gallery x 777Stores. Image: 777Stores/Instagram.

Specific to the gallery’s operations, exhibited emerging artists include photographer Sam Rockman, painter and collagist Xander Coy, and visual artist Eve Obrochta. Keeping in line with the proposition that its goods should be accessible to all, the gallery not only sells original artworks ranging anywhere up to £1,800 but also an array of prints in a variety of sizes with prices starting at £5, making it possible for anyone to purchase a work of art.  

Eve Obrochta, Apartment in the Mouth, Giclee Print on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Ultra Smooth 308gsm Paper, 69.5cm x 50.1cm, Edition of 5. Image: Camden Open Air Gallery.

The gallery’s most recent exhibition, aptly titled Ad-iction, brings the public’s attention towards the consumption, sale, and use of drugs within the local community. Created by Pattern Up, a youth group whose intent it is to raise awareness of the issues facing society at large, in collaboration with Daupe Media, the gallery space is transformed into an oasis of eye-catching and thought-provoking posters. Blending consumer items from popular shops around the United Kingdom, such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and even Burger King, the artworks at first appear as normal advertisements. However, upon further inspection, a box of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes is actually a bowl of cocaine, or a Tesco’s 3 for 2 sale is for a pocket scale. While much of the focus is on drugs, themes such as gambling and mass media also appear as subject matters.

Pattern Up, Gamblingaware.co.uk. 2023. Digital Archival Print on 230gsm Heavy Matte Paper, 59.4cm x 42cm. Image: the Author.

When placed together, the works create an exhibition that speaks not only towards the issues that are specific to Camden itself but rather includes all the concerns surrounding narcotics, not necessarily just the consumption of it. By including everyday imagery together with those of shops one might frequent every week, adjacent to the eye-catching advertisements used to draw customers’ attention, the exhibition demonstrates how easy it can be for one to obtain illegal substances. The tactics used prove that although the sale and consumption of drugs appear to be ushered out of the public domain, it is still very much consumed and easily acquired as much as it is to get a fast-food meal or box of cereal.

By using advertisement, design, popular culture, and consumerist behaviours, Pattern Up epitomises what Camden Open Air Gallery stands for – focusing on the upliftment of the community, supporting local artists, providing accessible art and, of course, challenging the status quo of how a gallery can operate.

You can visit Camden Open Air Gallery at 216 Camden High Street, London, NW1 8QR.

Skylar Whittle

Contributing Writer, MADE IN BED