The London Police has emerged as an influential and iconic collaboration in the world of street and graffiti art over the last two decades. It was formed when two British artists, Chaz Barrisson and Bob Gibson, embarked on a very specific mission: to personally rejuvenate the streets of Amsterdam with their unique brand of artistic expression.
The two were part of a dynamic group of artists at the end of the last century that helped pioneer a new street art movement, travelling the cities of Europe and America to make their large-scale statements on buildings, bridges and billboards. When they arrived in Amsterdam in 1998, they were surprised to find that this most open minded of cities lacked the wall art and graffiti that has made such a powerful impact on modern society all over the world, and they set out to make their mark. Since then, they have become internationally recognised for their contribution to contemporary life and culture. TLP’s art is a fascinating blend of two distinct styles and subjects. While Chaz draws the iconic ‘LADS’ character, Bob creates mesmerising iconic portraits and architectural illustrations. These disparate elements combine to build a playful, endearing and unique fantasy world. Each work is created freehand with no specialised tools or stencils, and they display an extraordinary ability to form perfect circles and confident bold lines on any scale. Whether they are making a small artwork or covering a massive wall, their drawing is flawless.
In recent times they have concentrated on intense canvas work, solo shows and large scale mural projects. As well as painting they have made a series of short films and produced photography, installations, and music. Their success is founded not only on their talent and imagination, but also on their enduring friendship and a shared desire to make an impression everywhere they go. Their powerful and positive artwork may appear anywhere in the world, at any time.
Such is their influence and impact that over the last two decades The London Police have been included in many of the books documenting the rise of street art, and In 2006 they were featured in the landmark exhibition, ‘Dutch Masters: Street Art & Urban Painting’ at the Museum GEM den Haag. Since then they have been invited to participate in over 100 shows in 35 countries. Recent highlights have included ‘UN-DERSTAND: The Power of Art as Social Architect’ at the Urban Nation Museum of Contemporary Art in Berlin, a show at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome, and in 2020, a 10 year career retrospective in Miami.
