Upfest festival's 75 Walls street art project completed

Farrah Fortnam uses paintbrushes rather than spray cans for her environment-themed designs

A street art project which has seen eye-catching designs created on 77 walls has finished.

The 75 Walls project was created by the team behind Bristol's Upfest Festival, which had to be cancelled due to Covid-19 for the second time this year.

Artists exceeded the target of making 75 murals on buildings across the south of the city.

"It's amazing to be back painting," said Upfest founder Steve Hayles, who hailed the quality of the work.

Arts Council England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's Recovery Fund both funded the project.

Essex artist Dan Kitchener created his atmospheric design freehand with spray paints

Farrah Fortnam was among the artists involved this year. She said she wants her work to convey important messages about the climate.

Her mural on North Street, Southville is inspired by a trip to the rainforest in Borneo and unlike many of the artists, she uses paintbrushes rather than spray cans.

"I'm doing my largest piece ever and it's all done with individual brush strokes. It gives it that movement that I can't get with a spray can.

"It's really important, the ephemeral movement of a shoal of fish, or leaves. It's really effective and gives it that canvas texture which is fantastic," she said.

Carl Read has painted at every Upfest since its inception and was invited back to be part of the 75 Walls project.

He had some help from his children in coming up with his 'Be Kind' design, and his son and daughter both feature in the final design with paintbrushes in hand.

"With everything going on through the past year with Covid I wanted to get out a nice positive message. A lot of people are suffering through mental health.

Insane51's huge artwork on the Tobacco Factory in Southville can be viewed differently using either a blue or a red filter

"I spoke to my little girl and said if I could paint a slogan on a wall what should I say. She said 'oh something like be kind'.

"When kids come out with a positive message it just puts a smile on your face and that's what I want to do; make people smile," he said.

A number of murals which were vandalised in July have now been repaired, with only two still needing work.

Mr Hayles said his team are now focused on planning next year's Upfest.

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-58205795

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