Thanks to the “Picture This Dublin” crew I finally figured out where one of the pieces I’ve been trying to find for weeks is actually located – down by the lock gates at the end of Hanover Quay. I’ve walked around them four five times but didn’t realise what was hidden as I walked along from Ringsend\Irishtown back towards town by the new center that is emerging at Grand Canal Dock.
Anyway I headed down along the Grand Canal after work. Just over Baggot St Bridge I noticed this and thought it was somewhat striking. In the end though the light, shade, textures, colours and wit all really came together in this for me, I love it.
And then it was onwards over to Grand Canal Square where I nearly got myself killed dashing across the road.
Seriously Dublin City Council, or SDCC or Fingal Council or whoever is responsible should ramp up the priority for pedestrian crossings before I actually do get myself killed. Anyway I did make it to Grand Canal Square uninjured, physically at least, my ego was decidedly bruised. Despite my attempts to casually make it over to Hanover Quay without attracting any more undue attention I can’t help thinking that pretty much everyone thought I was a complete twat who’d just barely avoided being run over for being stupid.
Thankfully Hanover Quay was quiet enough and there was street art to be photographed to take my mind off the embarrassment.
This is on the same building as Joe Caslin’s “Our Nations Sons” installation but faces east not west. I gather that this was a collaboration effort by Askem and some others at an event in 2012. It’s got a lot of character, kind of French/Belgian comic art style. Or maybe The Beano crossed with Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” with a dash of Viz. But it definitely has character.
Down by the end of this quay is where the pieces I was actually here to see can be found. First there was this rather interesting head profile/skull that is a collaboration piece by DMC ( Dermot McConaghy http://www.manchini.co.uk/ ) who owes me a print of Saudade that I hope is on the way right soon now) and vERA kRUZ.
And just opposite this was this interesting stencil on a bin. Kind of an odd metaphor but I suppose it makes sense to someone. The only thing I can find that is related is in this “We Make Money Not Art” page http://we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/street/?page=2 . It’s definitely the same stencil, but I’m still none the wiser as to what it’s about. The old Irish Lights ship that has had a “Save our Ship” campaign running for a bit is also tucked away down here in part of the extended zone of Irish Waterways buildings and docks that takes up all of that end of the dock area.
Finally right at the end of the quay I found what I had come here looking for.
It’s on the gable end of the Plurabelle Paddlers canoe club building. This is a piece by an artist who goes by the simple but effective policy of just using his name - Eoin ( http://artbyeoin.com/ ). Wonderful work which was well worth making to effort to find. The only problem is that now that I’ve seen this one I’m going to have to find his other stuff. Which is pretty cool by me to be honest.
Around the other side is another amazing piece of tiled mosaic work by Orla Kaminska. ( http://www.orlakaminska.com/ ) . Not too happy with this shot but the light was proving really hard to tame at this point – sun was going down but was a long way from sunset so I was battling glare with a lens that just loves making a mess of glare.
On the way back into town I took another shot of that recent Canvaz piece on City Quay and finally took a picture of the now quite worn looking, but still epic, “Love Hate” Crossword piece on George’s Quay. ( http://www.canvazstreet.com/ )
Wrapping up for the evening I spent an hour or so wandering around the O’Connell St/Abbey St/Parnell St/ Capel St zone looking for something new. What I came up with was this roller shutter piece on the “On€ to Fifty Shop” on Liffey St ( near Henry St) by Mels ( http://evolveurbanart.com/evolve-artists/mels2/ ) and a really shiny new “Solus was here X” piece that I was quite chuffed to find tucked away off Parnell St on Jervis Lane Upper because that is just around the corner from my favourite street in Dublin – Little Britain St.! ( http://solusstreetart.com/ )
It almost makes up for the fact that someone painted over my favourite piece of street art ever – the “Pink’s not Dead” stencil on Little Britain St. Here’s another copy of that that I found on Saturday. It is very much my sort of art so I’m not saying where this one is just in case the demon cleaner who killed the last one is reading this.
2 comments:
"Saudade" being an interesting word... First time I came across it was the Chris Rea song he wrote in tribute to Ayrton Senna - which sums up the sentiment really. You're taking some interesting shots these days - exploring a new avenue ( literally and figuratively)
It is an interesting word and the Ayrton Senna example explains it very well.
I've known the Welsh word "Hiraeth" for a long time and that has almost exactly the same meaning. In my mind "Hiraeth" is inextricably tied up with the emotions of exile because I learned it while feeling terminally homesick during the first year after I emigrated. I think that is just my own take on it though Wikipedia seems to think they are the directly equivalent.
Either way English is a poorer language for not having words that describe this sort of loss/regret.
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