Cities can change so rapidly, leaving behind barely-recognizable versions of the streets we once knew and loved, adapting and transforming along with the rest of the world. It may be a fact of life, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to preserve what we can of the history that’s meaningful to us – even if that just means paying tribute to it with art. Australian-born, London-based illustrator Max Tiles does just that with tiny illustrated cut-outs, which he often photographs against the real-life buildings they represent.
Tilse’s most recent series captures some of London’s most charming pubs, like The Bricklayers Arms in Fitzrovia, which he describes as “a quaint piece of Georgian architecture… the Bricklayers Arms has been a running pub since 1789.” Other pubs seen here include the Coach & Horses at 5 Bruton Street in Mayfair, The Blackfriar, The Crown in Seven Dials, Covent Garden and The Dove on Broadway Market in Hackney.
Tiles also draws miniatures of other major London landmarks, from Big Ben to the Tower Bridge. While backpacking across Europe, Tilse kept a ‘diary’ of sketches of the scenes he liked most, turning them into 5×5-inch postcards.
You can see more of his work at his website, and purchase prints at his Etsy shop.
