HEADLESS URBAN EXPRESSION

There Is Much To See Here

THIS NEW MURAL IS BY VERA BUGATTI

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DROGHEDA URBAN ART TRAIL

OCTOBER 2023 VISIT TO DROGHEDA

The Bridge of Peace is the second-furthest-west bridge in Drogheda. It was built as a part of an inner by-pass of the town in the 1970s.

Up until 2012 I visited Drogheda at least once per year in order to photograph the latest examples of street art under the Bridge Of Peacee. In 2011 I published the following comment: “According to the locals Drogheda hosts the worlds longest running annual graffiti art event on the undercrofts of the bridge of peace every August. This event has seen some of the worlds top artists visit the site since the walls were first painted in 1993.”

In 2012 I visited only to be disappointed as I could not find anything different or new and for various reasons I was unable to visit Drogheda again until this month [October 2023] and I was really disappointed to discover that there was nothing of interest at the Bridge Of Peace. However as I walked around the town I began to notice superior murals equal to the best on display in Waterford. [Note: I could not find suitable hotel accommodation at the right price so I had to cancel my trip to Waterford this year]

DRAWDA is a collaborative Project between Love Drogheda BIDS, Droichead Arts Centre, and Louth County Council with curator Dee Walsh and mythologist Anthony Murphy.

Until a few weeks ago there were six murals but there is now a new one by Vera Bugatti on Dominick Street – I really like it, and I hope that you like it. The mural portrays the Cailleach, the divine sorceress and mother goddess associated with the creation of the landscape and ancient monuments.

Vera Bugatti was born in Brescia (Italy) in 1979, she graduated in Conservation of Cultural Heritage in Parma and she was a research fellow in Mantua with a thesis dedicated to the 16th century heterodox treatises. He published essays on historical and iconological research and has collaborated with editorial offices.

Her artistic work is featured in the books: Julie Kirk Purcell’s Sidewalk Canvas, London 2011; Russ Thorne’s Street Art, London 2014; The Art of Chalk by Tracy Lee Stum, USA 2016; Street Art en Europe by Nath Oxygène and Brigitte Silhol, Paris 2018; Designing graphic illusions, China 2019. Her piece Die Erzahler was chosen by the London Flame Tree for the Street Art Calendar 2016.

Active since 2008 and expert in Anamorphic Street Painting since 2015, she painted in Italy, Holland, France, Germany, Ireland, Croatia, Austria, Malta, Sweden, Denmark, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal, Spain, Latvia, Russia, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Belgium, the United States, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and India.

She considers Urban Art as a variation of his artistic poetics, with constant references to the livability of the planet, man’s disturbances and social issues. She also works with different techniques and materials. First of all, the relief figures created by weaving wire with the help of nails, pliers and hammer (Iron and nails project). Then the wooden optical boxes, with locks that allow you to observe what is inside, which contain slightly deformed paintings or mirrors. Peeking you can see modern Mondi Novi, sometimes disturbing worlds. Finally the cylindrical anamorphoses with electric motor of the Memory theater series, restless elegies of time and at the same time homage to the world of the precinema.

MURALS IN DUN LAOGHAIRE SECOND SELECTION OF RANDOM IMAGES

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ANSEO STREET ART PROJECT

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.

THE LIGHT KEEPER BY SOPHI ODLING

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REAR OF THE SEA SCOUTS IN DUN LAOGHAIRE

Sophi Odling is an Australian artist who paints large-scale murals around the globe. Her work focuses on the beauty amongst the chaos in our everyday lives. The vivid narratives reflect human behaviours, environments, and cultures that she encounters.

Born in 1983 in Seoul, South Korea, Sophi grew up in Sydney, Australia, where she currently lives and works. In 2005 Sophi completed her BFA at UNSW College of Fine Arts. In 2017 Sophi started painting murals after a 14 year career in fashion. Her murals can be seen in America, Europe, South East Asia, Central America and Australia – and now in Dún Laoghaire!

Sophi presents her work in hope to celebrate the acceptance of cultural diversity, borderless minds, and the innocence of youth.

Sophi described her work for DLR Anseo in three words – embracing, night, and warmth. Titled ‘The Light Keeper’, it takes inspiration from the shelter and protection provided by the two light houses of Dún Laoghaire.

In summer 2021, a host of street artists arrived in Dún Laoghaire to turn the town’s streets into an open air canvas. The result was Dún Laoghaire Anseo which saw fifteen walls transformed by some stunning pieces of art that brightened the streets of the town. In 2022, ten more artists were invited back for Dún Laoghaire Anseo 2022. This year we have expanded across the county, bringing art not just to Dún Laoghaire but also to the walls of Dundrum, Deansgrange, Sallynoggin and Sandyford.

Meaning “here” in Irish, Anseo explores what makes our county a unique place. It’s our take on the essence of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, borrowing from its maritime heritage, its rich cultural history and reflecting themes of biodiversity.

Anseo brings together the best in contemporary street art, with a mixture of established, up-and-coming, and local artists, supported by Creative Ireland.

https://www.dlrcoco.ie/meet-artists

BAD EGG AT ROSEDALE TERRACE

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IS THIS STREET ART OR A LOGO FOR A YET TO BE OPENED RESTAURANT

There is not to say about Rosedale Terrace other than it is off Clanbrassil Street. To the best of my knowledge there is a chain of Mad Egg Restaurants and one Bad Egg restaurant in Dublin but there are none near Rosemount Terrace so I must assume that this is an example of Dublin street art.

LIBERTY LANE OFF KEVIN STREET

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SOME CLAIM THAT GRAFFITI IS LEGAL HERE

Liberty Lane is a short, narrow lane in Dublin, Ireland, running from Lower Kevin Street to Camden Row. It is located in the historic Liberties district, which was once home to many of the city’s working poor. Some people claim that the lane extended from all the way from Kevin Street to Portobello but I am not convinced that it ever did.

During online searches I have frequently seen this lane described as being a legal location for street art and it is implied that it is legal because property owners have given consent. However, my understanding is that property owners cannot give consent without planning permission.

www.legal-walls.net/country/ireland
www.garda.ie/en/crime/criminal-damage/property-crime-graf…
www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/dublin-needs-to-catch-up-and-…
www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/18/dublin-city-council…

DJ KAREN STILL IN ACTION AFTER THIRTY YEARS

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STREET ART ON DAME LANE

DJ Karen has worked on the DJ circuit for the last 3 decades. She started working in The George in late 1994 and thankfully is still there.

Opened in 1985, The George began as a gay-owned venture, eight years before homosexuality was legalised in Ireland. It was subsequently purchased by the group of bars and clubs owned by the Capital Bars Group and today it is owned by the Mercantile Entertainment Group who own several venues around the city including the popular music venue, Whelans.

Originally a traditional pub on the corner of George’s Street, The George was purchased by Cyril O’Brien who loved the atmosphere of the bar but wasn’t quite so sure about the décor and thought the place could do with a revamp. In 1984 the area above the pub was transformed into a gay disco bar called ‘The Loft’, with the downstairs pub remaining as a straight venue. In May 1985 the venue expanded downstairs to the area now known as ‘Bridie’s Bar’, at which point the overall venue became known as The George. Eventually, The George became a dedicated gay bar.

It was only the second bar in the city to be owned by a gay proprietor and to be opened specifically as a gay bar; the other was ‘The Viking’ on Dame Street. Prior to this point, the city had multiple ‘gay friendly’ bars, however these venues did not openly trade as gay bars or advertise for LGBTQ clientele.

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