The mural of Joe Strummer was erected as a tribute to Joe and his band the Clash after his death in 2002. It is located off Portobello Road and Blenheim Crescent in Ladbrooke Grove, Notting Hill. The mural depicted Strummer in his twenties at the peak of punk movement. The mural stood as a tribute not only to Strummer and the impact of the Clash, but as a remnant of the punk movement on the landscape in which it occurred. This piece of art was placed in Ladbrooke Grove specifically because the Clash and many other punks in the 1970s lived in squats and socialized at music venues in pubs within this area of London. The neighbourhood of Notting Hill had long been associated with crime, violence, political unrest and had been the target of racism for decades before punks began to occupy the region. Punks occupied this region both out of necessity for cheap housing and out of a desire to be on the outskirts of mainstream London. Amongst the landscape the mural stood in contrast to the buildings around it. Many of the buildings surrounding the mural were grey and brown whereas the mural itself was bright yellow and red, drawing the passerby's attention to it immediately. The mural stood as prominent and abrasive to the landscape around it as punk individuals did to the areas they occupied in the 1970's.

Joe Strummer for was frontman for the punk band The Clash throughout the 1970's and 1980's. The Clash were regarded as one of the most influential bands of the Punk movement at its height, second only to the Sex pistols. The Clash embodied the values of the punk movement and pushed it forward through their blatant political messages in their songs. Their music was based on reflections of problems that London and Britain in general were facing at the time. They encouraged political protest and rage at their venues. The Clash produced music as a form of resistance to be experienced; by listening to the Clash's music or going to their shows one could participate in a growing form of general social unrest and protest against government and society in London. They sang about everything they were angry at; racism, police brutality, economic inequality and government authority. Even the style of songs that they produced were forms of social commentary and protest. For example the band hired a Jamaican producer and heavily combined rock with reggae in their songs as a political statement against the growing racism against Jamaicans and immigrants in London at the time. Even at the height of their popularity, the band participated in anti capitalist action by forcing their record company to sell their music at below standard pricing. Their songs referenced prostitution, spoke out against the americanization of Britain, class inequality, racism, unemployment and police brutality. They captured the political unrest of the punk movement in which they began in their song Remote Control with the lyrics " You got no money, you got no power. They think you are useless, and so you are punk".

Since its emergence, punk was abrasive and disruptive to the landscape of London. It was a movement of people that were angry, loud and demanded to be seen. What may have initially appeared to be a large amount of youth clad in odd clothing, living in shambles and drinking excessively, had much more driven motives. Punks displayed their anger with the contemporary injustices facing London in the 1970s through their fashion, actions and music. They brought attention to postwar economic problems and the loss of community attachment that London was experiencing. Several of the most prominent figures in the punk subculture such as The Clash and The Sex Pistols fought against racism, poor housing policies and police brutality. Though it did not take place solely in specific locations the remnants of punk can be seen on the landscape of London, and the world today. Vivienne Westwood's remains a large figure in the fashion industry and many music genres still incorporate the sounds of 1970's punk music. Punk brought new international attention to the entertainment industry in London, making the city a place where musicians would flock to be discovered. London was altered into a city in which subcultures could thrive and people could come together to feel accepted into a new community. A sense of solidarity and community was felt amongst those within the subculture; they connected through their discontent with the government and society. Through the sense of connection that was created and through the music punk made, a subculture that shocked London and revolutionized the music industry for decades to come was created.

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