Latest news with #streetart
BBC News
20 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- BBC News
How gentrification has changed Sheffield's street art scene
Street art is ingrained in the fabric of Sheffield. Wherever you stand, in the city centre in particular, there is likely to be a wall in your eyeline adorned with a spray-painted McKee's "The Snog" on the side of Fagan's, Phlegm's eery monochrome pieces which have travelled to Norway and Spain, and Peachzz's world-renowned 25-metre tall "Reverie" are among the well-known pieces in the whose real name is Megan Russell, has co-founded an upcoming street art festival. She said the city was "ready for a boost" after artists found they were losing blank canvases on derelict buildings to redevelopment projects."I can feel excitement in the air. I'm hoping it's going to burst, and we are going to have a load of new art come through," she said. Sheffield's industrial history meant that when warehouses and factories were left abandoned, they created a breeding ground for street and graffiti former Cannon Brewery on Rutland Road, which closed in 1999, was an "amazing space" for artists but "very dangerous"."I wouldn't recommend anyone do it – my friend nearly fell down a hole there. We threw a cap down it and we heard it go, 'dink, dink, dink' for ages," she said."You've got to be careful in a place like that."Nowadays, Cannon Brewery is in line for regeneration, and will become part of a neighbourhood of more than 500 new homes, bars, cafes, a workspace and a padel club close to the gentrified areas of Neepsend and Kelham Island. Ms Russell added: "People get into it in a different way now – there aren't as many derelicts, so that just happens a lot less."When I started 13 years ago, the only way you could practice without getting in serious trouble was in warehouses."Trik 9, who asked to remain anonymous under his alias, was "born and bred" in Sheffield and has spent two decades working as an illustrator and first picked up a spray can at a graffiti workshop in secondary school, hosted by the NonStop Foundation."Sheffield has a really strong history of graffiti art and street art," he said. "In the nineties, it was one of the most tagged cities in Europe."Sheffield City Council has acknowledged the benefits of street art and has even commissioned pieces such as Reverie authority said tagging was still responsible for 30-40 reports of "non-offensive" graffiti each week. "These kinds of graffiti should not be confused with actual street art," a council spokesperson said."While some street artists' styles may resemble graffiti, their intent is clearly different. They are not aiming to vandalise, offend, or deface."There is a clear difference between [that and] murals or street art that aim to beautify or engage." By definition, graffiti deals with letters while street art deals with characters, Trik said - but they tend to come as a package deal."Without graffiti, you wouldn't have street art," he said."I grew up within graffiti and hip-hop culture, but a lot of people see me as a street artist because I paint characters."It's a complicated subject and very much a spectrum."He said new painters have always faced a "trial of fire", and Sheffield's changing cityscape could "give artists opportunity"."The hoarding boards around the city are not technically permanent - they give people scope to paint," he added. But, as various construction projects are completed, even boards are disappearing, said Street Art Sheffield founder Andy Carter."The artists struggle to find legal spots where they can paint and practice, and a lot of them do want to do it legally."There was a lull, but now there is more and more appearing each year."We are a really creative city, but we don't shout about it. I think we need to, which is a reason why I run the website." Mr Carter, a software engineer, said the site has had hundreds of visitors a day since he set it up in 2014."Street art appeals to most people, in my experience," he said, with older people often taking part in his tours."People you wouldn't expect to like it are really engaged and enjoying it."He said Lick of Paint Fest in September, founded by Ms Russell and artist Alastair Flindall, would "create a lot of noise" for an "often-overlooked" jams, where artists go head-to-head to create the best piece, and painting of walls across Castlegate and Kelham Island will be part of the free event. Ms Russell said she wanted the festival to show people the art form outside of its negative connotations."Graffiti has a bad rep, but it's the roots of street art, it's something we want to respect," she festival aims to make Sheffield a "hub for street art in the north" and is running longer-term outreach as part of the weekend Walton was one of 10 illustration students who put together and painted a mural at Netherthorpe tram stop, with Ms Russell's guidance. The 19-year-old, who mostly creates digital art, said it was "a chance to do something a bit different – I could touch it"."I had no interaction with [street art] before, so it's a new avenue," he said."I loved when people walked past when I was working on it, you can tell it kind of brightens up their day."I would like to do it again at some point. It's kind of opened a door." Just half a mile from the students' project is Kelham Island, where Trik said the street art scene was "blowing up" despite changes to the urban environment."The art scene does change with how the city changes," he said."When an area starts to get built up, artists get flooded into different places. We are seeing that now."But we've got a really good, vibrant section of people here. Younger artists are coming up, and older artists are still making waves."It's looking really positive right now." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
The Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Internet sleuths figure out new Banksy location
Banksy has unveiled a new black and white stencil graffiti in Marseille, France, depicting a lighthouse rising from the shadow of a bollard, accompanied by the caption: 'I want to be what you saw in me.' Internet sleuths quickly identified the artwork's location on Rue Félix Freiger, near the coast and city centre of Marseille, a city known for its street art. The quote on the mural may be inspired by a lyric from the Lonestar song 'Softly': 'I want to be what you see in me. I want to love you the way that you love me.' MyArtBroker suggests the location is significant, noting Marseille's history as a multicultural port city with a social fabric that resonates with Banksy's interest in marginalised voices. This artwork follows Banksy's previous installations, including animal-themed works across London and an image of a Madonna with baby Jesus and a bullet hole.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- BBC News
Artists transform Kettering town centre with street art
New artwork celebrating a town's community and history has been unveiled in a town centre.A combination of painted and digitally designed pieces were installed outside the Parish Church Rooms and Kino Lounge in Kettering town centre, art on display included a large illustrated landscape filled with well-known landmarks, historical figures, small businesses and nods to the artist Sally Leach said: "Art has the power to bring communities together, and this project is a celebration of everything that makes Kettering special." The project forms part of the Hi Street campaign, led by North Northamptonshire Council in partnership with the Kettering Street Art Community Interest aimed to transform public spaces into a colourful and engaging area for residents and artist Katie Brosnan painted a statement piece on the electricity box that celebrated pride in the community, while artist Marvin Mudzongo illustrated and digitally designed a large-scale vista of Candler from North Northamptonshire Council said: "This street art project is an incredible example of how creativity and collaboration can enhance our town centres."He added that he looked forward to "hearing how it inspires pride in Kettering among residents and visitors alike". Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
New Banksy location revealed following speculation
Banksy's latest piece of artwork has been unveiled - and internet sleuths were quick to establish its location. The black and white stencil graffiti depicts a lighthouse with light beaming from its tower, with the caption: 'I want to be what you saw in me.' The lighthouse rises from the shadow of a bollard which it stands next to. Banksy posted the artwork on his Instagram on Thursday with two photos, one showing just the artwork and another with two people walking their dogs. Many online were quick to identify the location of the artwork as Marseille, the southern French city which is renowned for its street art. The mural is situated on Rue Félix Freiger, a road near the coast and the town's city centre. The quote on the wall may have been inspired by a song by Tennessee-based country band Lonestar, called 'Softly', which features the lyric: 'I want to be what you see in me. I want to love you the way that you love me.' London-based art dealer MyArtBroker wrote on its website: 'The location of the mural is unlikely to be incidental. Marseille – France's oldest port and among its most multicultural cities – has long been a point of arrival and transition. 'Its neighbourhoods, from Le Panier to Belle de Mai, are marked by layers of street art and histories shaped by working-class resilience and immigrant communities. The city's social fabric resonates with Banksy's ongoing interest in marginalised voices and overlooked narratives.' The Bristol graffiti artist has seen his works fetch millions at auction, and led to speculation over his identity. Last year, a variety of animal-themed Banksy works, including a rhino seemingly mounting a silver Nissan Micra, two elephant silhouettes with their trunks stretched out towards each other, and three monkeys that looked as though they were swinging on a bridge, were found dotted across London. Since putting one up of a gorilla lifting the shutter at London Zoo, Banksy has also posted another image, of a Madonna with baby Jesus and what looks like a bullet hole. The lighthouse is his latest image.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
In Marseille, a shadow becomes art in Banksy's latest street mural
MARSEILLE, France: The lighthouse appeared overnight. Painted on a wall tucked away in a quiet Marseille street, its beam aligned perfectly with the real-life shadow of a metal post on the pavement. At its center, stenciled in crisp white, are the words: 'I want to be what you saw in me.' Banksy had struck again. On Friday, the elusive British street artist confirmed the work by posting two images on his official Instagram account — without caption or coordinates. Fans quickly identified the location as 1 Rue Félix Frégier, in the Catalans district of Marseille's 7th arrondissement, near the sea. Since then, crowds have gathered at the site. Tourists snap photos. Children point. Locals who usually walk past the building stop to take a closer look. There is no official explanation for the phrase. But its emotional pull is unmistakable — a quiet plea for recognition, love or redemption. Some speculate it references a country ballad by Lonestar. Others call it a love letter. Or a lament. Or both. The image is deceptively simple: a lone lighthouse, dark and weathered, casting a stark white beam. But what gives it power is the way it plays with light — the real and the painted, the seen and the imagined. The post in front of the wall becomes part of the piece. Reality becomes the frame. Marseille's mayor, Benoît Payan, was quick to react online. 'Marseille x Banksy,' he wrote, adding a flame emoji. By midday, the hashtag #BanksyMarseille was trending across France, and beyond. Though often political, Banksy's art is just as often personal, exploring themes of loss, longing and identity. In recent years, his works have appeared on war-ravaged buildings in Ukraine, in support of migrants crossing the Mediterranean and on walls condemning capitalism, Brexit, and police brutality. The artist, who has never confirmed his full identity, began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the world's best-known artists. His mischievous and often satirical images include two male police officers kissing, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces and a chimpanzee with a sign bearing the words, 'Laugh now, but one day I'll be in charge.' His work has sold for millions of dollars at auction, and past murals on outdoor sites have often been stolen or removed by building owners soon after going up. In December 2023, after Banksy stenciled military drones on a stop sign in south London, a man was photographed taking down the sign with bolt cutters. Police later arrested two men on suspicion of theft and criminal damage. In March 2024, an environmentally themed work on a wall beside a tree in north London was splashed with paint, covered with plastic sheeting and fenced off within days of being created. Despite the fame — or infamy — at least in Marseille, not everyone walking past noticed it. Some didn't even know who Banksy was, according to the local press. On Instagram observers say this Marseille piece feels quieter. More interior. And yet, it is no less global. The work arrives just ahead of a major Banksy retrospective opening June 14 at the Museum of Art in nearby Toulon featuring 80 works, including rare originals. Another exhibit opens Saturday in Montpellier. But the Marseille mural wasn't meant for a museum. It lives in the street, exposed to weather, footsteps and time. As of Friday evening, no barriers had been erected. No glass shield installed. Just a shadow, a beam and a message that's already circling the world.
