The sad sad tale of Anthony, the unlucky artist

The Sad Sad Tale of Anthony, the Unlucky Artist

Anthony is 32 and has been homeless for a number of years. He is a
drug-addict and has been for a number of years. When I met him he was
busy chalking a beautiful picture of tower bridge on the pavement to a
crowd of on-lookers. His manner was friendly and easy but it was clear
that he suffered from both a physical disorder and from mental
trauma.

I've been drawing on pavements now for about 18 months. I've got loads
of stories though, I'm on the streets, I would.

I've been a drug addict, I've been in prison. Someone pulled a gun out
on me when I was dealing crack in Holland. Shot through the lock on my
door. I was in my house with some customers and he shot right through
the lock. I'd never seen him before in my life, but that's what drugs
do to you.

So the guy stood there, pointing a gun at me. He told me he was going
to shoot me and I said, "Well if you shoot me the guy behind you will
shoot you" and as he turned around, I wrestled the gun away from him.
He wasn't the big man after that. He scarpered pretty quick.

You never forget the face of a man whose pointing a gun at you, but I
never saw him again.

I've got a place now but it's next to a crack den. I've complained but
they don't help you. I want to get off drugs, I'm a drug addict you
see, but they won't help me, they say six months, but I need help
now.

I went back to my flat last week and they'd smashed the place up - the
ones next door. All that work, ruined. It's drugs, they fucked me up
again.

I waited for the police for over an hour but they didn't come and I was
too scared in case they came back so I went to my friends and I've been
on the street since then.

I was in prison for a crime I didn't commit. I knew it was happening
but I didn't do it. This was here in England.

In the first six months my grandparents died, within a month of each
other. My girlfriend over-dosed and my best friend hung himself. That
was hard.

What got me drawing? Well if you're gonna beg, you might as well do
something. This is just for the tourists (points to the drawings of Big
Ben and Tower Bridge) but my best was a drawing of two soldiers, one
from each side and they'd had enough. That's what I called it "Enough
is Enough". They were crouched down, with their heads in their hands,
near unmarked graves. I cried while I drew that.

Drawing's good because it makes you feel things. I draw what I feel.
This is just for the tourists but I like the colours, bright.

Somebody came along once and said "Oh, I went to the Tate Gallery
yesterday and I saw your work there. They never even told me.

Anthony's drawings are currently part of a video exhibit at the Tate
Modern.