Brisbane’s art scene has turned to the streets in recent years with some stunning murals appearing on the sides of buildings, empty walls, under bridges, on pavements, cycleways and down laneways. The murals aren’t graffiti but commissioned or permitted street paintings that show some extraordinary talent and imagination. The artistic styles range widely from edgy surrealist imaginings to realist paintings, others with strong symbolic or political statements while yet others choose to be witty commentaries – in fact the styles of paintings are so broad as to defy an all embracing description other than they are public pieces, urban art on display for anyone who seeks them out or encounters them while traversing the inner city.
Images: Coniston St Fortitude Valley, Winn St Fortitude Valley
The street art phenomena now enhances locations in the suburbs ringing the city centre, most especially in Fortitude Valley but also in neighbouring New Farm and Spring Hill, across the river in West End and South Brisbane and more in Paddington and Milton. Seeking out the venues provides an entertaining way of exploring some of the corners of the inner city precincts with new pieces appearing all the time that add to Brisbane’s street art culture.
Some businesses around the Valley have had the vision to recognise how embellishing their building with works by gifted muralists can turn their businesses into local landmarks. Tryp Hotel in Constance Street exemplifies how the right street art can help make your business very cool, from the face imprinted across the front of the hotel to the climbing backpacker on one exterior wall and even the mural of a cloudy sky in the glass-sided lift, this hotel attracts visitors who’ve discovered the art.
Images: Tryp Hotel, Fortitude Valley & Gotha Street Fortitude Valley
Image Credit: Paul Manias