In 2009, Sam Bates, an Australian street artist, was contacted by Glasgow City Council to create artwork across Glasgow depicting all the sports included in the Commonwealth Games. He also painted some artwork that showed general landmarks and symbols associated with Scotland.
Having developed his craft for over fifteen years, Bates, aka Smug, has gained much expertise in the art of street displays. His creations can be seen all over Glasgow, and while not all of it is normally seen as beautiful, it intrigues people all the same.
The most seen murals by Smug portray the swimming, that is taking place in the Tollcross International Swimming Centre, and a girl looking through a magnifying glass, but all of his artwork is seen daily by Glaswegians and tourists alike.
Originally from a small town near Sydney, Australia, he believes that Glasgow suffers from having a creative space for fellow street artists and graffiti experts. Most of the graffiti in Glasgow is seen as a blemish on the city’s image, but Smug is trying to change the perception that the residents of the city have of local street art from negative to positive.
Nathan Rafferty, a young Glaswegian boy, spoke about how he believes all the murals, in Glasgow, are art not graffiti. He said: “I think it is art because there is more detail to them, unlike graffiti which normally consists of letters.”
Some of Bates artwork can be seen as strange and extreme, but still unforgettable, due to the vibrant colours and unusual design. An example of his extreme artwork can be seen under the stairway across from the Kelvinbridge Subway Station, which shows a squirrel perched on a skull.
More wildlife inspired artwork can be seen at Merchant City, by everyone either living or visiting Glasgow. This artwork represents the Scottish wildlife and the animals that live there, from red squirrels to badgers, and was created in 2013.
All of Sam Bates creations in Glasgow represent Scotland in some way, but the artwork seen along the stretch of wall from Gibson Street to Kelvinbridge Subway Station shows the history of Glasgow’s transport, from the past to the present. It was created around the same time the Museum of Transport was being built.
The Commonwealth Games murals, commissioned in 2009, represent the many different personalities of Scotland, and Glasgow in particular.
Sam Bates paintings have a special “anti-graffiti” coating that stops the murals getting damaged and can be easily cleaned. This will help the artwork stay on the streets of Glasgow for many more years to come, and will hopefully inspire more street artists and graffiti experts to show their art where everyone can see, and appreciate.
No comments:
Post a Comment