The Mural
As part of the Southside Cycle Lane commission with Govanhill Baths I planned this mural to be placed surrounding The Bench. The mural as a whole is a sort of juxtaposition between barren desolation and nature encroaching back into life’s rhythms. There was no certain concept in the beginning of this. I choose each illustration on impulse as I worked out the composition. It’s funny that now looking at the work, months after completion, the message, the story seems so obvious. As if subconsciously I was responding to that around me. This feeling that life or the city was becoming a mutant of its self. A sense that our physical and social landscape was shifting at a rate none of us could control. And yet there is a buzz and excitement around that too. The high saturation colours did bring to mind radiation and fallout to be honest, perhaps a nod to constant threats and a sense of the unknown in the world. But when I think of these bright colours covering a space in Glasgow, they highlight the buzz within Glasgows communities, our excitement and enthusiasm to create safe new spaces, our sense of inclusivity and creativity and our absolute joy for life.
Unfortunately, due to Glasgow City Council road structures the mural had to be aborted half way through completion. This was gutting and unforeseen turn of events, so at the moment the mural still only exists as a digital format. I’m hoping in the coming year however i’ll be able to work with the design elsewhere in Glasgow.
