please empty your brain below
Excellent art from London's most prolific artist. Nice one.

Alfie | 26.10.23 - 9:04 a.m. | #

I'm impressed by this product, it looks like thorough and professional work.

Roland | 26.10.23 - 9:20 a.m. | #

An amusing stunt I suppose, though I'm no fan of vandals being treated as celebrities. His tags don't improve the street scene in the way that Banksy's sometimes do; writing TOX is just an ego boost and makes the place look a mess. As his identity is now known and he's effectively signing every piece of vandalism I don't understand why he keeps getting away with it.

Andrew S | 26.10.23 - 9:49 a.m. | #

They may complain, but they are probably in search of securing a copy right now. Something which will no doubt become more valuable than the regular maps.
A very good catch DG.

Steve | Homepage | 26.10.23 - 10:15 a.m. | #

Presumably "he keeps getting away with it" Andrew because patently either you or I could also write TOX23. Thank goodness for the 'burden of proof' principle.

Frank F | 26.10.23 - 10:15 a.m. | #

Sorry but graf' isn't art, it's vandalism whether the deliverer is famous or not. Graf' cost the Underground between £11m and £14m a year in damage repair, lost fares and trains which couldn't run.
I spent a year in the 90s on the Graffiti Task Force: the 'invisible' damage of graf' is where it makes vulnerable people feel uncomfortable as it leaves the impression that the area is uncared-for and therefore a potential danger. So people reduce or stop using the Underground, which especially late at night makes some of those on the network with no practical alternative feel more vulnerable.
And it ain't 'art' - the vandals (never 'artists') template their bigger 'pieces' (other than the 'tags' which are habitual) elsewhere first. Those who support graf' on whatever grounds need to consider others first. End of rant.

Joel | 26.10.23 - 10:19 a.m. | #

I agree with Joel.

Neesi | 26.10.23 - 11:21 a.m. | #

The spiritual successor to David Booth's seminal 1987 The Tate Gallery by Tube poster?

I would think that reducing staffing levels is much more likely to make passengers feel unsafe than some spray paint; indeed, reducing staff levels presents more opportunity for graffiti.

Given Tfl's budget is £9bn, £11m is small change.

Ian | 26.10.23 - 11:22 a.m. | #

Doubtless DG's post was intentionally provocative…

dg writes: no.

…so I'll also rise to the bait and violently agree with Joel. All graffiti, no matter how "artistic" it may be perceived by some, is criminal vandalism, costing millions, adding to our fares and feelings of insecurity. It makes transport and the environment look dirty, unsafe, hostile and uninviting, redolent of a degenerate society. Any extolment or virtue signalling that might encourage others to infer some form of legitimacy is to be decried. Harrumph harrumph.

Strabismus | 26.10.23 - 11:57 a.m. | #

I also agree with Joel. Taggers are the worst, they don't even attempt to do anything artistic

Herned | 26.10.23 - 12:04 p.m. | #

My view is that it makes the place look uncared for, there is also something more sinister - would you board a plane covered in graffiti?

I assume this is someone else's idea so this might be a PR stunt, didn't TfL try to block the sale of some of his work a while back.

Still Anon | 26.10.23 - 12:36 p.m. | #

Another boring self-publicist.

David B | 26.10.23 - 1:25 p.m. | #

As one who regularly attempts to remove tagging from a local park, including tree trunks without harming them, I have to agree with Joel.

Cornish Cockney | 26.10.23 - 1:31 p.m. | #

I'm sure the graf vandals wouldn't be very happy if I went round their home "tagging their walls, furniture or other property. They don't do it for art but to cause a problem for other people to clear up.

Tones | 26.10.23 - 2:27 p.m. | #

It’s about time this unsavoury individual was back in jail, but this time lock him up and throw away the key.

Bob S | 26.10.23 - 2:31 p.m. | #

Why he was ever put in prison is beyond me. No wonder our prisons are full to bursting! With a prison place costing in excess of £40K a year, what a waste of tapayers' money.

And did it work? Clearly not.

Make such 'criminals' do so many hours of community service that they don't have time to get out and disfigure the environment.

Make the punishment fit the crime. Cleaning off grafitti or picking up litter/dog mess would be ideal.

Blue Witch | 26.10.23 - 2:43 p.m. | #

He's been at it at least 19 years so must be at least in his 30s and should have grown up by now.

MKIan | 26.10.23 - 3:14 p.m. | #

Oh dear. Intellectually, I cannot fault any of the arguments raised above concerning the costs of dealing with graffiti, and the possible effects on people feeling safe, (Although I do agree that having staff around would be a much larger contribution to feeling-safe).

And yet I have to confess to a sneaking admiration for the achievements of these rebels. And of course it is a form of art, since the meaning of "art" is now so broad.

Malcolm of Kent | 26.10.23 - 3:33 p.m. | #

I would love to imagine TOX reads this blog and left some copies there in the hope you'd find them.

Josh | 26.10.23 - 5:04 p.m. | #

Not a Tube Map purist, but it does annoy me a little that the maps aren't available at all places it shows. If the Elizabeth Line (for example) deserves a place on the map, then the map should be available at stations on that line.

Trevor S | 26.10.23 - 5:37 p.m. | #

The tube map is excellent, the lines stand out easily and you see where they go at a glance rather than today's crowded mess where you have to follow them meander around the map and dodge obstacles.

matthieu1221 | 26.10.23 - 10:13 p.m. | #

Yes, more fake tube maps please. You would be able do an excellent job (but you probably have better things to do with your time and money). One for Ianvisits or Geoff Marshall maybe.

Nigel Sandford | 26.10.23 - 10:41 p.m. | #

I’m a huge lover of street art and wish we had much more of it in London. Take a walk around Hackney Wick or Allen Gardens Park off Brick Lane. They look vibrant and colourful and terrific, a great change from the usual grey and miserable architecture that exists across so much of the city. It certainly isn’t anything to be scared of.

DB83 | 27.10.23 - 1:51 a.m. | #

There's "Street Art" and there's just scribbling TOX in random places. Hardly the same thing.

MKIan | 27.10.23 - 9:08 a.m. | #

Back in 2002 I was living in Leytonstone and noticed 'TOX02' sprayed every so often along the wall between the then new A12 and the Central line. In the years since, I've frequently seen 'TOX...' sprayed in other places, but until reading today's post I had no idea who TOX was. So 21 years after first seeing his tag, I now know his identity.

Alan S | 27.10.23 - 9:17 a.m. | #

I'd love to find one of these maps in my local station rack, but I doubt if TOX has ventured out to Fairlop or Barkingside. I'll keep my eyes peeled in hope.

Alan S | 27.10.23 - 9:27 a.m. | #

Great stuff, guys

Bogbrush | 27.10.23 - 3:04 p.m. | #

If only all graffiti was confined to small pieces of recyclable cardboard like this.

Steven Saunders | 27.10.23 - 8:27 p.m. | #

Staggered that people view this crap vandalism as art. I'd happily volunteer to kick his face in.

dg writes: ...which would make you a worse criminal

Chris | 28.10.23 - 8:34 a.m. | #

I've just seen another copy of the TOX23 tube map at Bow Road station, not in the rack but on the shelf by the old ticket window.

(I didn't take it)

diamond geezer | Homepage | 03.11.23 - 1:20 p.m. | #

I have a grudging admiration for that map and its guerrilla distribution, if not the wider tagging.

Mr Tox himself seems to have been usurped by 10 Foot in recent times, at least if the approach into Euston is anything to go by.

PhilD | 04.11.23 - 1:40 a.m. | #











TridentScan v2.10.0 | Privacy Policy