Urban Expression

FIRST SELECTION OF RANDOM IMAGES – ANSEO STREET ART PROJECT

October 11, 2023 by infomatique

MURALS IN DUN LAOGHAIRE

Between 2021 and 2022 Dún Laoghaire Town has seen 23 stunning artworks installed throughout the town as part of the Dún Laoghaire Anseo street art project.

My visit to Dun Laoghaire today was unexpected and unplanned but I had my iPhone 12 Pro Max with me so I took the opportunity to photograph some of the murals on view. The good news is Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is expanding its gallery and it is my intention to identify and photograph all street art in the town.

STREET ART TRIBUTE TO SINEAD O’CONNOR

August 24, 2023 by infomatique

LOCATED ON DAME LANE OFF SOUTH GREAT GEORGE’S STREET

Emmalene Blake is the artist responsible for this mural celebrating the life of Sinead O’Connor.

Shuhada’ Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O’Connor; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023), known professionally as Sinéad O’Connor, was an Irish singer, songwriter, and activist. Her debut studio album, The Lion and the Cobra, was released in 1987 and achieved international chart success. Her 1990 album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, marked her greatest accomplishment, selling over seven million copies worldwide. Its lead single, “Nothing Compares 2 U”, was honoured as the top world single of the year at the Billboard Music Awards.

O’Connor achieved chart success with Am I Not Your Girl? (1992) and Universal Mother (1994), both certified gold in the UK, as well as Faith and Courage (2000), certified gold in Australia. Throw Down Your Arms (2005) achieved gold status in Ireland. Her career encompassed songs for films, collaborations with numerous artists, and appearances at charity fundraising concerts. O’Connor’s memoir, Rememberings, released in 2021, became a bestseller.

Consistently, O’Connor drew attention to issues such as child abuse, human rights, racism, organised religion, and women’s rights. During a Saturday Night Live performance in 1992, she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II to protest against abuse in the Catholic Church, sparking controversy. Throughout her musical career, she openly discussed her spiritual journey, activism, socio-political viewpoints, as well as her experiences with trauma and struggles with mental health.

In 2017, O’Connor changed her name to Magda Davitt. After converting to Islam in 2018, she adopted the name Shuhada’ Sadaqat while continuing to perform and record under her birth name.

On 26 July 2023, O’Connor was found unresponsive at her flat in Herne Hill, South London, and confirmed dead at the age of 56. The cause of death was not stated. The following day, the Metropolitan Police reported that O’Connor’s death was not being treated as suspicious. On 28 July, the coroner in London said that the date of her death was still unknown. Her date of death was marked as 26 July upon her burial at Dean’s Grange Cemetery on 8 August.

A private funeral was held on 8 August in Bray, County Wicklow. It was attended by the president of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins. O’Connor’s family invited the public to pay their respects at the seafront where the funeral cortege passed. Thousands attended bearing signs and tributes.

American singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers wrote a tribute to O’Connor in Rolling Stone, praising her integrity. Celebrities including Janelle Monáe, Patton Oswalt, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tori Amos, Bear McCreary, Public Enemy, Amanda Palmer, and Toni Collette posted tributes on social media. English singer Morrissey wrote a tribute criticising the reaction from executives and celebrities, and wrote: “You praise her now only because it is too late. You hadn’t the guts to support her when she was alive and she was looking for you.”

Emmalene Blake (ESTR) is an artist based in Dublin, Ireland. Since graduating from Dublin Institute of Technology with an Honour’s Degree in Fine Art in 2012, Emmalene has been honing her craft as a street artist, first painting live at an event in 2013. Since then Emmalene has painted live at many events, as well as painting commissioned pieces throughout Ireland and abroad.

PRODUCING A HIGH QUALITY AHSOKA TANO MURAL

August 11, 2023 by infomatique

CAN TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT IF ONE NEEDS TO MEET THE AUGUST 23 DEADLINE

Chancery Street at Fegans is a good location if you are interested in murals (even if they are very commercial).

Ahsoka Tano is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. She is a Force-sensitive Togruta female who was trained as a Jedi Padawan by Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars. Ahsoka was a gifted student and a skilled warrior, and she quickly rose through the ranks of the Jedi Order. She fought alongside Anakin in many battles, and she helped to save the Republic on numerous occasions.

However, Ahsoka’s life changed forever when she was framed for a bombing attack on the Jedi Temple. She was falsely accused of treason, and she was forced to go on the run. Ahsoka eventually cleared her name, but she was disillusioned with the Jedi Order. She left the Order and became a freelance warrior, fighting for justice and peace in the galaxy.

Ahsoka continued to fight for good after the fall of the Republic. She helped to establish a network of rebel cells that would eventually become the Rebel Alliance. She also fought in the Battle of Endor, where she helped to defeat the Galactic Empire.

Ahsoka Tano is a complex and well-developed character. She is a strong and independent woman who is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She is also a skilled warrior and a powerful Force-user. Ahsoka Tano is a fan-favorite character, and she is sure to continue to be a major player in the Star Wars universe for years to come.

STREET ART ON ORMOND QUAY

February 19, 2023 by infomatique

18 FEBRUARY 2023

Ormond Quay Upper is one of several quays along the Liffey, part of maritime developments within the city stretching back to the thirteenth century. The structure dates from the early nineteenth century and is located between O’Donovan Rossa Bridge and Essex Bridge.

YOU CAN RING MY BELL AT THE PANTIBAR

January 9, 2023 by infomatique

PAINT-A-BOX STREET ART ON CAPEL STREET

I really liked Ring My Bell but I could never remember the name of the singer and when I asked anyone (with one exception … @ronanleonard) they would always say Gloria Gaynor and that always annoyed me because I was not a fan of “I Will Survive” after hearing it too many times.

“Ring My Bell” is a 1979 disco song written by Frederick Knight. The song was originally written for then eleven-year-old Stacy Lattisaw, as a teenybopper song about kids talking on the telephone. When Lattisaw signed with a different label, American singer and musician Anita Ward was asked to sing it instead, and it became her only major hit.

“Ring My Bell” went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the Disco Top 80 chart and the Soul Singles chart. It also reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. It also garnered Ward a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 1980 Grammy Awards.