From the pages of a book spring a world of adventure: a sailor lass looks through a spyglass for landmarks that will lead to buried treasure, where “X” marks the spot, while the ship is assailed by a tentacled monster from the deep. Work by friz (Twitter | Web) outside the Crescent Arts Centre on University Road, with shots of the writing to the left and right (by some the TMN crew), and a quote from John Webster’s Duchess Of Malfi, below: “Whether we fall by ambition, blood or lust, like diamonds we are cut with our own dust.”
Kieran Doherty died on this date (August 2nd) 1981 after 73 days on hunger-strike. The new mural above depicts scenes from his funeral on 1981-08-04. The portrait of Doherty in the top left replaces a similar one in the same location; the plaque at the portrait’s top-right corner remains from before. The angled panel shows Doherty’s parents, Alfie and Margaret.
Below are two details – the hearse and the volley – taken in early July but at that time largely complete. At this time, the (in-progress) mural drew criticism for featuring masked gunmen (BBC | Tele). Finally, there is a shot of the whole wall at an early stage.
The photograph on which the central panel is based is by Derek Spiers; see also this set at hungerstrikes.org. The volley took place outside the Doherty family home in nearby Commedagh Drive (Belfast Media).
Here is a final set of images of the New Lodge community mural, painted by Ed Reynolds. Above is a detail from one of the panels. Below are a wide shot of the whole, a picture of Ed repairing the vandalism which can be see towards the left of the wide shot, and finally one of the crew covering the piece in an anti-graffiti varnish.
More images of the work in progress can be seen at Ed’s web site, steadyhanded.com.
Carlos Latuff’s cartoon Do Not Disturb – War Criminals Working is reproduced as part of a new mural in the Short Strand – shown in full below. An aproned Benjamin Netanyahu sits in a Gaza trough, filled with the blood of people he butchers with a cleaver in his right hand while gesturing for secrecy with his left. The world watches with some concern, Ban Ki-Moon and the UN look away, and the Arab League is asleep. Barack Obama prevents any intervention with an outstretched arm.
Mural celebrating the old Tiger’s Bay First Flute marching band, established 1983. The mural is in the style of the UDA’s insignia; of late a UDA power-struggle has been taking place in the area – see Split.
In the background is a board showing the Union flag, the Ulster banner, and St. Andrew’s saltire (the latter pair are also featured in the lower corners of the mural), which in June replaced a ‘Mother – Daughter – Sister’ board celebrating women and designed by children from the local Mountcollyer Youth Club.
“Oppression breeds resistance”, in the form of Leila Khaled and an IRA gunman, and a clenched fist in the colours of the Palestinian flag. This is a new pro-Gaza mural in McQuillan Street with Irish “Tıocfaıdh ár lá” [our day will come] and Arabic “يومنا قادم” [our day is coming] (and in the shields “Saoırse” and “حرية”[freedom]).
The artist is DD Walker (“Rebel Rebel”), who painted the “Against Established Law” Che Guevara mural last (2013) October which this replaces.
Another pro-Palestinian piece, sponsored by éırígí, just round the corner from Where Is The World? Israeli ground operations in Gaza yesterday (July 22) entered their third week.
Out-of-this-world work by Scottish artist (Mark) Lyken (Twitter | Fb) – signature at the top, in the middle – on the front of Menagerie (Tumblr) on University Street. Wide shot below.
Gazans flee ahead of smiling soldiers from homes set ablaze by a tank flying the Israeli flag. This new mural on the international wall associates the current Israeli invasion of Gaza (Operation Protective Edge) with the US/South Vietnamese attack on the village of Trang Bang during the Vietnam war by modelling itself on Nick Út’s 1972 Pulitzer prize-winning photograph for the Associated Press of villagers fleeing a napalm bombing (WP). [Authorship is disputed – it might be by Nguyễn Thành Nghệ – see World Press Photo.]
On the ground in front of the mural are tealights that were lit in memorial and solidarity.
This fake shopfront on the main Antrim Road through Glengormley pretends to be a bookstore but was once the Thyme Cafe. It’s not clear where the “restaurant” signage comes from.
Extramural Activity 