THE LONG WALL
WAKEFIELD PLACE, BRIGHTON, UK
This project really was a show of how important this mural was to the locals & how beauty is so valued by people. Scroll down to see the full story.
TAGGING VS STREET ART
The wall along Wakefield Place in Brighton has for many years sat as an eyesore for residents and commuters. Dirty & tagged, enough was enough so together a group of artists got together to change that.
What is ‘Tagging'?
Tagging is a form of graffiti that is often done in one colour and as line work, a bit like a signature. In some form it is a sport, and can be a competition to get the best and most daring spots (such as on trains or high bridges). Street art has been known to discourage taggers as there is an artistic respect within the graffiti and street art community. Tagging usually occurs anywhere that there isn’t art (such as a blank wall) or that is seen as ugly.
BEFORE
AFTER
COLLABORATORS & COMMISSIONERS
The commissioner was the The Roundhill Resident Association who asked Sandy Moon to coordinate the project. Sandy then invited various artists to be involved and my assistant and I as female artists were the first to paint and to ‘set the benchmark' for the quality of the rest of the work.
ARTISTS
The wall was painted by Sandy Moon, Etienne de Compt, Angela, Req, Mock Mowgli, Guy Favela, IAMSOS, Glimmertwin, Fek, Sinna One and Youth Group. The Round Hill Community association raised the funds to pay for the artists to paint this mural on a site where there is a lot of tagging.
THE PROCESS & CONCEPT
To bring nature and beauty to Wakefield place was the theme behind this series of murals. For my mural I chose British wildlife which is a theme I often use in my work. I went for the iconic red ladybird, and the common blue butterfly. The blurry background is a signature part of the SOS murals style and can be seen in many of the murals I have created themed around nature. In the gallery below are also mockups & screenshots from the design process of this mural.
