City Anthems, (Urban Hymns, The Verve)
As is true of all his pieces, City Anthems demonstrates a cultural diversity that Temper is keen to convey in his work not least because it is a culturally diverse and open community that has allowed him to flourish as an artist. The B-boys in this piece (cut down from five in the original cover, to four for a better aesthetic balance) are a merging of both the old and the new. Small acts of nostalgia are evident throughout the piece, with the 1966 motif on the red jacketed B-boy on the left as well as the flower in his hand, representing the socialist left – synonymous with The Verve in the mind of the artist.
Also in this piece, we see more of Temper’s artistic influences, with the main B-boy character sporting a melting clock as his watch. Not only again, reinforcing the passing of time which is ever present throughout the collection but representing Temper’s interest and respect for Salvador Dali.