For a long time, I didn’t really get graffiti tagging.
I appreciated the skill behind graffiti more broadly, and I’ve always believed that without graffiti there would be no street art. But tagging itself — the repetition, the simplicity — never quite landed with me.
That’s changed over time.
There’s something undeniably human about the act of leaving a mark. A quiet insistence that says: I was here.
A Name That’s Everywhere
In the world of graffiti, there’s an unspoken competition.
Who can be the most visible.
Who can reach the most impossible places.
Who can dominate the landscape.
And at the top of that world sits 10Foot.
In graffiti circles, he’s about as close as it gets to what Banksy represents in street art.
Who Is 10Foot?
What sets 10Foot apart isn’t just the volume — it’s the placement.
Bridges. Rooftops. Train lines. High-rise buildings.
Locations that feel inaccessible suddenly carry his name.
That’s part of the intrigue.
Who is he?
How does he get there?
Why does he do it?
While some dismiss tagging as vandalism, others see it as something else entirely — a relentless pursuit of visibility. A way of carving out space in a world that doesn’t easily offer it.
A Takeover That Changed the Conversation
Recently, 10Foot took things further.
Not just the streets — but mainstream culture.
His takeover of The Big Issue wasn’t just unexpected, it was disruptive in the best possible way.
For one issue, the magazine became his canvas.
No advertising.
Just his work.
His voice.
His presence.
The gesture itself says a lot.
A publication built around giving people visibility temporarily handed that space over to someone whose entire practice is about being seen.
From the Streets to the Underground
As if that wasn’t enough, news of a secret exhibition began to circulate.
Details were scarce. No formal announcements. No traditional gallery space.
Just a location quietly revealed via Instagram.
From what’s been shared, it appears to be set within a disused underground station near Piccadilly Circus — a setting that feels entirely in keeping with the work.
The exhibition, Long Dark Tunnel, features 10Foot alongside other well-known graffiti artists including TOX and FUME.
Where Does Graffiti Sit Now?
Tagging has always existed slightly outside the accepted definition of art.
It’s immediate.
Unfiltered.
Uninvited.
But that’s also what gives it its power.
There’s no permission involved. No gatekeeping. Just action.
And with moves like this — from dominating physical space to stepping into publications and exhibitions — the line between graffiti and contemporary art becomes harder to define.
Why This Matters
What 10Foot is doing forces a shift in perspective.
It challenges the idea that art needs to be framed, curated, or even approved to be valid.
It also highlights something more universal:
The need to be seen.
That same idea — of visibility, presence, and leaving something behind — is something that runs through a lot of creative work, including my own, even if it takes a very different form. You can see how that plays out across some of the exhibitions I’ve been part of through my exhibition work.
A Different Kind of Presence
Whether you see it as art, protest, or something in between, it’s hard to ignore.
10Foot is no longer just a name appearing in unlikely places.
He’s become something more — a presence that exists both within and outside the system.
And perhaps that’s the point.
If You Want to See It Firsthand
The Big Issue takeover is available through street vendors or directly via the The Big Issue website.
The Long Dark Tunnel exhibition runs until 13 April, with the location believed to be within a disused underground space near Piccadilly Circus.
