When was the last time you stopped in front of a colourful wall and either took a selfie or asked someone to photograph you, then uploaded it straight to Instagram? It’s something I do all the time. I’m like a colourful wall magpie, I collect photos of myself in front of #Instawalls, wherever I am in the world, and though that desire in me is by no means fading, I am starting to feel a little guilty. Short of going on a street art tour and getting an understanding of the art and artists who created the street art, graffiti, mural, wall art in question, it’s nigh impossible to find out about the backdrop of where you’re standing and that’s so very sad.
I will happily pose in front of a wall and then later, though I know the location, know absolutely nothing about the art itself’…anyone else want to ‘fess up to the same ‘crime’? It does seem unfair. On social media we tag where outfits and accessories are from, events we’re at, hotels we stay in, people we meet…but street artists? It may be possible to see their tag, but how many of us take the time to look up who they are? It can happen so quickly. In galleries we buy a ticket so spend time looking a bit longer and reading the panels but street art we just spot it and share it to show we’re the cool person that found, it but we don’t stop to find out about it.
Maybe I am just writing this post about myself, maybe other people are the opposite of me and do make an effort to find out more about the ‘art on the street’, or perhaps you’ll read this and think actually I know what you mean. I’m not just referring to the artist being anonymous, but what about the story of the piece, why was it created and when?Does it matter if this information stays anonymous too?
Looking back through my photos (especially travel photos) throughout the year, so many are of me beside colourful walls. I love them, but I wish I knew more about them.
So I’m making an early new years resolution. I am no longer (from 2018!) going to see a beautiful wall and just pose in front of it. I’m going to be that person that takes time out to look up the artist’s tag, see if I can find something out about it and then share the photo. The evidence will be here on this blog and on my Instagram…and if it doesn’t happen please tell me off.
Capturing street art always makes for good blogging and social media content. But what about the people who created it? We’re all quick to stand in front of gorgeous colourful walls (me especially) and pose for the camera, but what about the people who painted it – when did they create it, what was the inspiration behind the design and who are they? Trained artists or amateurs?
Street art is the most accessible form of art there is and that’s why I adore it so much and why you’ll see it make multiple appearances throughout the content here. I’ve never liked the way ‘art’ is behind closed doors inside galleries seen by an elite few. On the streets it’s visible to all and it becomes a natural part of the landscape. I love murals too. Where someone commissions artwork to be created for a space, school, building, venue, it brings architecture and places to life…even main roads.
Some of of the street art murals you’ll see if you visit Hyderabad…
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Earlier this year when I was visiting Hyderabad I was taken to all the key sites but while the beauty of old palaces and views from tall important buildings is all very pleasing, what I remember the most is the beautiful mile long stretch of street art murals that strech down along the main road, beginning from Necklace Road train station, on Raj Bhavan lane just down from THE Park Hotel where I was staying. I spotted it from the car as we drove up to approach the hotel and as soon as I’d changed and eaten after checking in, I headed straight outside into the blistering heat to go and examine the masterpiece which consists of animals in a jungle. There’s vast areas of greenery and amongst it, creatures gathering together as part of the composition.
The wall is split half way through with a crossing but it’s possible to walk the entire breadth of it by foot, allowing you to get up close with each painting. I photographed as much of it as I could to be able to share the work, which I found out was painted by amateur artists, funded by a government initiative to teach people new skills in November 2016. It was part of wider street art project which also included professional artists taking over buildings and walls with their own artistic ideas. There’s not a huge about of accurate info about it online what I heard was anecdotal but while international artists were brought in for some of the work, the animal mural wall was completed by locals and funded by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation – I love that the project is backed by government, it gives street art a huge boost.
It may not be enough of a reason to visit Hyderabad but if you are in the city it’s a delight to see the work and to experience the beauty of it juxtaposed against a busy road with constant bleeps from car horns.
Here’s some of the other walls in the area which are equally as impressive…
And finally one of me on the Necklace Road train tracks…
I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’m a Southerner. We have no clue about what lies beyond the M25 motorway that circles London. I have a Geography degree and I’m a Travel Blogger yet still I am oblivious to what life is like in a lot of other UK cities; though I am getting better.
In the last year I’ve been to Manchester (loads), Liverpool (so much fun), Newcastle (loved it), Oxford….(my oh my what an amazing burger shop Atomic Burger is*) and most recently Bristol, * there’s one in Bristol too, an utterly cool and hip place filled with creative awesomeness. I’m still not over it. I honestly assumed Bristol was a mediocre average city, with nothing special going on…but how wrong I was.
Here are some of the aspects I loved and am going back for…
VINTAGE SHOPS
There are SO MANY vintage clothes shops in Bristol, it would take more than a day to visit every one and spend some quality time browsing through them all. Make a note to pop to Park Street, Stokes Croft and Gloucester Road. I’m gutted that I didn’t have as much time investigating them as I wanted, but it’s a reason to go back. The store I spent most of my time in was Stokes Croft Indoor Market, because it was huge and reminded me of Snooper’s Paradise in Brighton which is filled with kitsch curiosities. When I was a student Snooper’s was where I spent my loan on treasures like a Cadbury’s Creme Egg handbag.
Amidst the well-priced vintage fashion at Stokes, there’s a huge amount of ‘global’ treasures including artefacts from Africa, Indian, China…making it a Craft and Travel lover’s paradise and museum in one.
SPIKE ISLAND
Bristol is a big city and Spike Island is far out, but if you’re an art lover it’s a creative space that hosts quirky exhibitions and a regular programme of evening events. When I visited, the Lubaina Hamid exhibition a retrospective of the British African artist’s work was showing. One entire room was dedicated to an installation called Navigation Charts which featured 100 wooden painted cut-out people representing slaves. On the reverse of each cut out was their name and something about them, representing real life slaves and what their ambitions in life really were.
Disguised amongst Navigation Charts
The exhibition like all at the artspace was accompanied by a programme of events and on the weekend I visited they hosted an evening of African coffee with fresh doughnuts, a DJ and spoken work installation. There’s a creative cafe within the main building too so even if you’re just a bit curious or just want to go somewhere for a coffee away from the central crowds, Spike Island is worth the trek.
STREET ART
Brizzol (as it’s affectionately known as in local West Country speak) is the hometown of Banksy but he’s not the only one who knows how to make good use of a stencil and spray can. Bristol is one giant street art exhibition, you’ll most likely even see it in action while you’re there. There’s no point me listing where to go, it’s engrained in the city, just look around yourself. Or if you’re thinking ‘but I don’t have time and I need some cool content for my Snapchat’, then embark on a street art tour of Bristol. You won’t be disappointed.
WATERFRONT
OK. Maybe I’m a little biased. I favour any destination that has water – I have no desire to travel to landlocked places, I’ve done the odd desert but hands down I need water in my life: sea, river, pond, lido…I’m not fussed! So anyway the waterfront in Bristol is bustling with markets, cafes, landmarks, new builds, a steam train which runs some weekends and which I got to ride – yay!, trendy cinema (The Watershed where I caught Oscar winning Moonlight – it has huge comfy seats but get there early to nab a good one as it’s free-seating), and most famous of all, you’ll get to see the most Instagrammable view in Bristol: a stretch of rainbow coloured houses and no matter how many unicorn residences you’ve seen on The Gram, it’s worth hunting out.
Palestine Museum & Cultural Centre
A museum run entirely by volunteers inside a makeshift space, I discovered this place from a placard on the street with an arrow pointing ‘This Way’, so of course, I followed it. Inside there’s a wealth of information about Palestine but it’s not all political and newsy though you’ll certainly get some education. There’s costumes and clothing, illustrations, textiles, jewellery, photography, recipes and anecdotes. You’ll mostly likely find a huddle of men inside too sat on sofas chatting away, this is a hang-out as much as it is a public museum and it’s free to get in so there is no excuse not to check it out.
Just another cool spot in Bristol waiting to be shot
There’s plenty more going on too: the impressive walk around the quaint Clifton area, the epic Suspension Bridge, nightlife (if I’d known how busy it gets I would have got there earlier in the evening), the legendary Boston Tea Party coffee shops for a cake break and great street food which I dined on twice. So all in all I can strongly say that there is heaps to do in Bristol, thou shalt not get bored here on a weekend city break, that’s for sure.
Words and photos not enough? Watch some more visuals of Bristol in this teeny tiny film of mine.
Are you a Bristolian, mocking my ignorance of this fine English city? Have you never been but I’ve convinced you to go one weekend? Have I majorly not mentioned the coolest thing in the city? Let me know in the comments.
Street art is one thing, but painted public places to make life more interesting is quite another. From the moment I landed in Algeria and my taxi headed into central Algiers the first thing that struck me was the colour. It’s everywhere: from rainbow railings through to giant murals on public buildings. Here are some of my favourites…now if only the rest of the world would take a leaf out of Algeria’s book and make carparks this pleasing…
Carpark Specimen 1
Carpark specimen 2
Carpark specimen 3
Railway bridge
Random building
Cinema / arts centre wall
Archway
Stairs
Yes. That’s me on the stairs and this is only a flavour of the colour and creativity in the streets of Algiers. Don’t get me started on the mosaics. They are an entire artistic entity of their own, worthy of a coffee table book.
Rickshaws are what makes Dhaka, Dhaka. Bringing colour, creativity and character to the city; and more importantly a means of living to over a million people, there are an estimated 1/2 million rickshaws in Dhaka today.
Rickshaw art is considered ‘street art’ literally as it’s only viewable when you’re actually on the streets. In fact the best way to see it is to board a rickshaw yourself and be taken around the roads, alleyways and labyrinths of new and old Dhaka where a living, moving, changing, live art gallery surrounds you. Also referred to as The People’s Art, rickshaw art makes art accessible to everyone, even the poorest in society, most of whom are rickshaw-wallahs themselves. Instead of it being an art form that is housed inside public galleries, rickshaws roam freely, allowing anyone and everyone to appreciate their beauty.
A rickshaw is essentially a three -wheeled bicycle with a carriage attached which seats people and luggage. They are cycled through the streets by a rickshaw-wallah transporting members of the public to where ever they wish to go. While the rickshaw itself is rented by the rider/driver/puller known as a rickshaw-wallah; there are many others involved in the rickshaw industry: the owners who commission them to be made, builders, constructors, artists, painters and their apprentices.
Rickshaw-wallas are male and typically under 30, most have come from rural areas to Dhaka in search of work. The physical demands of the job are extreme and the industry isn’t regulated in terms of limits and what is an acceptable distance to expect a rickshaw-wallah to ride, it’s up to their own endurance. Rickshaw journeys are the cheapest form of transport and all fares are negotiable.
Parts of a rickshaw
A rickshaw consists of several key sections. They are mainly made from recycled materials:
Handle bars: Often decorated with tassels, bells, plastic flowers, tinsel and sparkling fabrics Frame: Decorated with painted details and patterns
Seat: These are stuffed with coconut husks and covered with painted vinyl fabrics, metal collaging and plastic appliqué from the seat pad down to the floor where passengers place their feet
Hood: Luggage like suitcases can be stored here, or additional passengers; they can be pushed up to create a shade for passengers, pushed down, or detached and are decorated with paint or appliqué; the backs are particularly elaborate
Back plate: This is the main section where the rickshaw painting is seen
The art on the cart
The themes apparent in rickshaw art vary, but they are often inspired by popular culture so it’s not uncommon to see images that depict film posters or film stars as well as iconic images of rural life, prominent people, architecture, animals, moments in history, flowers and fauna.
The owner has some influence over what designs feature on their rickshaw but usually they agree a price with the artist who will be painting it, who then has the freedom to paint it as they wish. The decoration of the rickshaw accounts for around a quarter of the total cost of buying one. Artists normally sign or mark the work so it’s possibly to identify who has painted it. There aren’t too many rules surrounding rickshaw art copyright and artists are commonly inspired by each other.
How to see rickshaws being made
Rickshaw workshops can be found throughout Dhaka. There isn’t a specific hub; most are tucked away up back streets but it’s possible to visit one by asking around until someone (usually a rickshaw-wallah) knows of one and agrees to take you. Not every rickshaw rider knows where to find them so keep asking or enlist their help to ask around until someone can guide the way. The Lonely Planet guidebook I had on me referred to ‘Bicycle Street’ as a place to see these workshops…it may have been at some point but there wasn’t a single rickshaw workshop there when I visited and no one in the street including rickshaw-wallas knew of any there either.
Unfortunately I don’t know the exact location of the workshop I was taken to by my rickshaw-wallah but it wasn’t too far from Bicycle Street.
At the workshops its possible to buy rickshaw art direct from the artisans, at a much cheaper and fairer price than any rickshaw art you’ll find sold in shops; the money goes direct to them for a start. I purchased two metal back plates and a full size vinyl painting for £15. They have the signature PC Das on them; who I later discovered is the nephew of one of the cities most prominent painters; RK Das.
Rickshaws can be found all over Bangladesh and in other countries, but it’s Dhaka that is the hub of rickshaw art; the standard and craftmanship of which is so high that seeing them in person, is enough reason to make a trip here.
It’s usually Indian trucks that get all the attention with their bold painted typography and graphics but a new trend is starting up in Mumbai where by taxi interiors are getting the full on arty treatment. Read about the story and see more journey enhancing images over at Designboom.
And finally one of me on the Necklace Road train tracks…
Disguised amongst Navigation Charts
Just another cool spot in Bristol waiting to be shot
Craft and Travel 