Truth told...

This particular piece of art on the roller shutter in Hanbury Street was created in October 2021 by WRDSMTH, the pseudonym of a well-known street artist who originally hails from the American Midwest and later moved to Los Angeles. WRDSMTH, who now divides his time between Los Angeles and London, was visiting the British capital at the time and left a series of new typewriters scattered across the Shoreditch and Brick Lane neighbourhoods.

His trademark is a cut-out vintage typewriter, usually with a sheet of paper stuck on top using wheatpaste (wheatpasting) – in this case, it is also stencilled. His texts range from romantic and motivational quotes to witty, humorous thought-provoking sayings.

The text “Truth told, I only put this here because I’m hoping you’ll Instagram it.” is a humorous nod to modern internet culture. Whilst street art used to be temporary and local, these days it often serves as an ‘Instagram backdrop’ for tourists and influencers.