Jack Nicholson and Noel Gallagher have disappeared from Glen Molloy’s (ig) Corporation Street gallery, replaced by Amy Winehouse (above), who died in 2011 (Guardian), and Terry Hall (below) of The Specials and Fun Boy Three, who died in December 2022 (BBC).
There are now nine planters and ten bird boxes, with a backdrop of tropical plants and birds, at the junction of Downshire Place and Great Victoria Street (Linen Quarter BID).
If you act the bollix at the Dark Horse or Duke Of York, one of the bouncers in black might let you know that you have to go. No one is exceptional – above (and on the far right of the piece as a whole), owner Willie Jack (and his MBE medal – Independent) are sent flying. The large piece showing actual bouncers (Belfast Live) is by Ciaran Gallagher (web), adding to his many installations in the courtyard of the Dark Horse – see The Undertones for links.
Below are three humorous signs for the crapper/toilets/bogs – for when you have to go.
Here are the six pieces on the Artcetera side of the alley off Rosemary Street in Belfast’s city centre, painted for the Celebrating Autumn jam last weekend. From left to right/top to bottom: A psychedelic fox by SillyMe (ig), ‘On The Pig’s Back’ by Magdalena Karol (ig), an almost-finished chestnut season by Ana Fish (ig), a mushroom resting-place by Aoife Laverty (ig), a woman with ram’s horns by Ciarah (ig), and ‘Fómhar’ [Harvest Season] by Laidback (ig).
Here are the pieces from the recent Celebrating Autumn jam on the side of the Artcetera alley next to the First Presbyterian church, off Rosemary Street, in Belfast city centre, with art from left to right/top to bottom by ?, @adajacooper, @contemplatingthestars, @codoartni, @tulgalkh, @hmconstance, and @joha_mune.
“When it comes to punk, New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason.” – Terri Hooley in 2012’s Good Vibrations (IMDb).
The final incarnation of Hooley’s Good Vibrations record shop (Fb) closed in North Street in 2015 (BelTel). It began in October 1976 at 102 Great Victoria Street (Spit Records | Louder Than War | Spit Records) — the shop and Hooley are included, along with footage of the Undertones, Outcasts, Stiff Little Fingers, and many others — in the 1979 documentary Shellshock Rock (UK viewers can watch at BFI | Spit Records has a great write-up of events surrounding the flm’s launch).
The new murals are on and adjacent to the shop’s second location (from roughly 1984-1993), on the other side of the road, at 121 Great Victoria Street, which itself has had “Good Vibrations” signage reinstated by Zippy (ig).
In order, from left to right/top to bottom in this post: in Stroud Street we have “Big-time punk” Terri Hooley by Peaball (RAZER (ig) and NOYS (ig)); on 127 Great Victoria Street we have tartan by Rob Hilken (ig), on 125, “Alternative Ulster” by Alana McDowell (ig) — for the ‘Alternative Ulster’ fanzine, see Fountain Street Spirits; on 123, designs by NotPop (ig); on 121, “Belfast Has The Reason” and “Good Vibrations” signage by Zippy (ig). With support from Linen Quarter BID (web), Belfast City Council (BCC press release) and Daisy Chain (web).
Update 2024-10: The Terri Hooley piece has been paint-bombed
A celebration and exploration of Belfast’s most famous textile, the “linen biennale”, runs until October (web). The Linen Hall library also runs a tour of the “linen quarter” on Thursdays.
Visual Waste’s (ig) Great Victoria Street mural includes various linen quarter buildings: the Grand Opera House, the Europa hotel, and Inst., alongside the H&W cranes and the Titanic museum.
In Japanese mythology, cranes are symbols of longevity because they are reputed to live for a thousand years (KZN). These cranes, however, were painted on September 24th by HM Constance (ig) and Zippy (ig) at the junction of Donegall Pass and Botanic Ave for the Open Botanic festival, and they were still in place on October 1st when the first two photos shown here were taken, but by October 4th the front fencing (on the Botanic Avenue side) had been painted over, taking out the crane on the right.
According to this BelTel article, the fence below the billboard is property of the ad company (JC Decaux) and not the landlord (who had given permission for the art), and so Decaux painted it over, as a neutral surround is part of the ad presentation. As can be seen from the fourth image, below, the painting-over included some of the side fencing, though this was done fairly carefully – it removed the head and wing of the wrap-around crane without touching the other crane.
Artist HMC expressed her disappointment, though noted that “street art is never permanent, it’s meant to be painted over by future artists or graff writers” (ig). Adam Turkington, director of Seedhead Arts, likewise decried the obliteration to the Telegraph, saying, “Who controls the aesthetic of our city? … Are we not allowed to have some beautiful art that’s not trying to sell us things?”
The graffiti was added on the 5th or 6th and was still visible yesterday (8th): “Street art is 4 the people – support your local artists!” We would expect Decaux to paint out the graffiti, in keeping with their policy. And perhaps HMC will restore the red sun and artist’s signature to the side panel. If either happens, this page will be updated.
See previously: the crane as a symbol of peace on the Cupar Way “peace” line: Tsuru.
Paddy Duffy Collection 