Art @ Wilson's

We always wanted the restaurant to have an eclectic mix of artwork on the walls.  There’s something intangible about the atmosphere it creates…warm, lived-in, and full of personality!

Our inspiration for this owed a lot to one iconic photo of Noble Rot, along with some of our favourite bistro-style restaurants around London and beyond where the focus shifts over time between different and often local artists.

We’re lucky to be in a part of London packed with brilliant artists, and even luckier that between regulars at Oscar’s and old friends of Henry, we already knew a few.

One of them is Martin Rowson, known to many for his political cartoons in The Guardian, but also known to us as a long-standing customer next door at Plenty.  A chance conversation about art in restaurants led to a very kind offer…not only to lend us some of his own archive pieces, but also to introduce us to other local artists who might be keen to feature in the restaurant…more on which soon…

Digging through Martin’s archive for (ahem) restaurant-appropriate options turned up two absolute icons of the food and drink world, now proudly on our walls alongside some of his other, more political, work

Michael Winner (1994)Known outside hospitality as a film director most famous for the Death Wish series, but within the industry he was renowned as a ferocious restaurant critic in his day!

Keith Floyd (1994)One of the very first TV chefs, as famous for his wine-swigging and charisma as his cooking.  His series Floyd on Food is available on iPlayer and well worth a watch!

So, if you’re feeling inspired, this weekend is Brockley Open Studios.  A chance to visit over 60 local artists in their homes and studios which is absolutely free and a brilliant way to spend an afternoon in the neighbourhood!