Not only is Newcastle a city of culture and history, it is also a city of creativity. Amongst the neoclassical architecture, some of its streets, nooks and crannies have been decorated by iconic artists to uplift and transform the spaces.
The Pattern Shop
The Grade II Listed building that was once the workshops of English civil engineer and designer of locomotives, Robert Stephenson, has been recently restored into The Pattern Shop, which provides unique, sustainable office spaces. To pay homage to its roots, igloo Regeneration worked with Unit44 to commission two murals, which were created by artists David Shillinglaw and Molly Bland.
David Shillinglaw is known for creating vibrant and eclectic artwork, taking a playful, yet thoughtful approach, exploring themes of identity and the complexity of the human condition.
Molly is a graphic artist and creative facilitator, working with collage and digital design to create playful responses across a range of disciplines like graphic design, illustration, mural painting and textile design.
(Image: https://www.getintonewcastle.co.uk/news/murals-unveiled-to-celebrate-pattern-shop-opening)
The Grove, Byker
The Grove is a multi-use building, primarily a music venue, in an old industrial building in the East End of Newcastle. To celebrate their first birthday, artists Mul and Mr Penfold collaborated to produce a mural, which spans across an entire empty brick wall, welcoming people as they enter St Michael’s Street.
Tim Gresham, aka ‘Penfold’, is a painter, printmaker and sculptor. Previously collaborating with iconic brands like Nike and Disney, he’s motivated by his Bristol city surroundings to create memorable joyous moments.
Mul, aka Alex Mulholland, is an innovative artist and creative director from Newcastle upon Tyne, renowned for his striking large-scale outdoor murals, often infused with his signature flair and fresh creativity.
We’re currently working with Mul at Hancock Gallery, who is collaborating with Prefab77 in an upcoming exhibition, ‘Covert Couture’, on Thursday 10th October. It’s the first collaboration of its kind in the heart of Newcastle, which will be transforming our Georgian townhouse into a unique, urban space.
Mark Shields (a.k.a. Mr. Penfold)
Bigg Market
One of the most iconic areas of Newcastle city centre, the Bigg Market is known for its famous bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants, takeaways and shops. Forming the medieval heart of Newcastle, it was the home of a thriving market and named after a barley called Bigg barley. To celebrate its history and heritage, two murals were created by local artists, James Dixon and Yvette Earl, in the Old George Alleyway on the Cloth Market. The murals began as a concept created by Northumbria University MA Students, which was then shared to professional artists to develop their own designs.
James Dixon is an illustrator and designer, who launched the company, Lines Behind, and has collaborated with the likes of Greggs, Fat Hippo, Tynemouth Coffee and Longsands Fish Kitchen.
Yvette Earl is an illustrator who blends her love for outdoors, architecture and fashion through colourful, intricate work.
(Image: https://ne1biggmarket.co.uk/2021/08/17/bigg-market-murals)
Ridley Place
Ridley Place, situated just off Northumberland Street, had a full revamp last year adding bespoke furniture and planters to the repaved street. The aim of the transformation was to create an improved space and a distinctive destination that people can enjoy in the city centre. With independent shops, restaurants and other professional services calling Ridley Place home, this street is definitely a vibrant hub of local culture and community.
A mural by Newcastles very own PREFAB77 brightens up what was once an exposed brick wall, adding a much needed pop of colour. So make sure to take a look up next time you wander through town.
(image: https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/citylife-news/bright-new-future-ridley-place)
Groat Market
Groat – the name derived from the old Northumbrian word for wheat, was one of the markets from medieval times. To regenerate the Cathedral Square area, Lawless Studio partnered with NE1, bringing in Bobzilla to create his trademark art style on the building.
Bobzilla is a multi-disciplinary artist and art director who uses bold colour, directional lines/flow and shape and has a keen eye for detail. His influence is derived from graffiti, post-war decay, surfaces, sounds and the underground cultural scene in places he’s lived throughout the north of England.
(Image: https://www.lawlessstudio.com/projects/bobzilla)
Newcastle Quayside
An iconic area for sightseeing and visiting, Newcastle Quayside is currently home to what is thought to be the UK’s largest piece of temporary pavement art. Curated by Unit44 Gallery and commissioned by NE1, artist Andy Welland produced ‘Loose Ends 300’. A graphic collage that celebrates Northern solidarity and was inspired by the iconic bridge forms, as well as the River Tyne’s and local people’s energy. The vibrant mural spans 90 metres along a former bus lane to complement the scenery.
Andy Welland is an innovative contemporary artist who’s worked with an array of luxury brands and curated retailers. His work is a celebration of what it is to be human as we navigate and make sense of this chaotic world together – collating collages of shapes colours and forms, inspired by his childhood imagination and nature. His mission is all about optimism; to spark joy through artwork.
(Photograph by Jay Dawson, Ben Hughes and Thomas Lennox Pearson via: https://www.creativeboom.com/news/andy-welland-paints-a-rainbow-and-90-metres-of-fun-for-newcastles-quayside/)
Lime Street, Ouseburn
Ouseburn, which was once known as the cradle of the industrial revolution, is a creative space, which now has many pieces of art on its streets from iconic artists, including Mysterious Al. Working with Unit44 Gallery, Mysterious Al’s ‘Lazarus Style’ solo show was his first in several years. It was hosted in a derelict building on Lime Street, which was formerly Backyard Bikes, showing new pieces of his work as well as a large mural.
Mysterious Al is a contemporary artist who rose to fame in the early 2000s through the explosion of street art and is renowned for art exhibitions in unusual locations.
(Image: https://www.mysteriousal.com/)
Newcastle has endless street art that graces every corner. If you want to see these artworks up close and in person, you can use Street Art Cities to locate them, as well as other street art within the city and all over the world.
Sources:
https://www.getintonewcastle.co.uk/news/murals-unveiled-to-celebrate-pattern-shop-opening
https://davidshillinglaw.co.uk/about/
https://www.mollybland.co.uk/about
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8ufkxKIuCh/
https://www.thegrovenewcastle.co.uk/about-us/
https://www.akafineart.co.uk/mr-penfold
https://ne1biggmarket.co.uk/2021/08/17/bigg-market-murals/
https://linesbehind.com/pages/about
https://www.yvette-earl.com/about
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/history/changing-face-newcastles-groat-market-21757394
https://www.lawlessstudio.com/projects/bobzilla
Share on your Socials:
