Stop 5- Caledonian Lane

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The last stop is alongside the vibrant and huge shopping centre, Emporium, making this the perfect place to wrap up the tour and head off for other touristy activities.

Mainstream culture prescribes strict ideas of what the right way of living and being are; in particular, it has shaped our conception of "beauty". Such rules are just social constructs, blindly believed and followed, but never questioned, by the majority of society. The text in the first image pointedly challenges the arbitrary nature of mainstream standards of beauty. The location of this piece of street art is particularly interesting as it has been placed right outside a huge shopping complex where many consumers would spend much time, effort and money trying to attain society’s standard of beauty. However, the face of the woman painted below the quote seems to be abiding to the beauty expectations of society, somewhat undermining its purpose.

Lastly, you will find the image of two forlorn faces, intertwined and moulding into one another (or trying to tear apart). It poses the the simple but thought provoking question: ‘Who are you?’. Individual's identities are suppressed by the monolithic expectations imposed upon them by mainstream culture (and even by marginalized sub-cultures). How does anyone form an identity while trying to embody and rise up to everyone else’s expectations? It is unsurprising that feelings of hopelessness and depresssion are commonplace in today's society. Perhaps these pieces of street art could provoke you to rethink your way of living; this is, afterall, the purpose of the countercultural movement.