A Visual Feast is an ambitious work. A look at “stencils, paste ups, murals and portraits” from Irish street artists, it covers such diverse canvases as the walls of Free Derry and the backlanes of Dublin 8. It provides a fascinating insight into not alone the works we find on the walls of the capital and beyond, but those who place them there too.
“Take some paint. Any paint. Even markers or pencils. Make a poster on paper if you have to. Go outside and change the world to how you want it to be”
So Canvaz tells us. He’s done just that, and he is by no means alone. Within the pages of A Visual Feast we find not alone Canvaz and his clever ‘Celtic Tiger Prawn Soup’ effort by Temple Bar, but other artists taking a message to the street. They range from the excellent and very polished works of the likes of ESPO and Maser to homemade stickers, paste ups and stencils. ‘BERTIE’S SOUND BLOKE ROUTINE IS A CON’ one effort tells us. Perhaps it was the first time that person left the house in the early hours to leave a message for the rest of us the following morning.
The book is divided into six sections. Society, installation, religion, manifesto, portraits and city streets. ‘Society’ sees much social commentary on the economic collapse, for example ADW’s excellent broke leprechaun and the wonderful ‘GREED IS THE KNIFE AND THE SCARS RUN DEEP’ East Wall assessment of Damien Dempsey and Maser. Fascinating as the works of the high-profile names are, it is the “Artist unknown” pieces of social commentary that sometimes pack the heaviest punch.
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 