City/Town

We Buy Stolen Goods

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“Up the gangbangers.” Hoods from the New Lodge Road (some recent disturbances: Belfast Live | Irish Times | BelTel | Irish News) leave a graffiti message on top of Ed Reynolds’s (web) mural, seen previously in The Old New Lodge, On My Wedding Day, St Patrick’s and Faces From The Past, the last of which includes an image of the mural getting a coat of anti-graffiti varnish.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Newen

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From the Twitter feed of Colombian street artist Visual AGP (Anderson García Pérez | (web): “Newen” means “strength” or “energy” …  birds represent the freedom and colors of the Wiphala [the flag of indigenous peoples of the Andes].”

“Graficalia” refers to a street art festival aimed at minimising youth violence in their home town of Cali, Colombia.

Compatriot Sancho was also in Belfast for Hit The North/Culture Night: see Empezando Con La Magia.

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Freshly Made For You!

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Leo Boyd (web | previously) resurrected his ‘PSNI ice-cream wagon’ for Culture Night/Hit The North, along with Laura “Lamb” Nelson (profile), and added a trio of winged police land-rovers like wooden ducks ascending along a living-room wallpaper and vintage ice-cream advertising. The piece drew the response shown in the second image, but this was apparently too direct a comment and was quickly painted out.

Both artists are currently members of Vault Artists (web | Fb | ig) (formerly Belfast Bankers).

Update 2018-11 damage and grafitti

Update 2019-01 further damage

X06454 2019-01-10 ice cream blue+

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Copyright © 2018/2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Update: replaced by a Clockwork Land-Rover

The Art Of Precious Scars

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Kintsugi, according to WP, is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with a metallic lacquer, which means that the repair is visible, and “treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.”

Conor McClure (web | Fb) writes that “My Hit The North piece is based on the link with this philosophy and mental health in our society. Rather than have to hide round the stigma of mental illness people should be able to display their scars and wear them with pride.” October 10th was World Mental Health Day.

Previously: More Wolf Than Woman | Spring Wings

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Community Activist Extraordinaire

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John Leathem, chairman of the Divis Tower Falls Residents’ Association, died in his flat on the 19th floor of Divis Tower in August last year (2017), after returning to the Tower four years previously when he was diagnosed with cancer (Irish News | Tele). He was described by Sınn Féın MLA Fra McCann as “a champion for the people of no property” (An Phoblacht). This new mural is outside his former office on the first floor.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Yes For Unity

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The IRSP last month (September, 2018) launched a campaign on Facebook, youtube, and twitter to poll various districts on the question of a border poll. “Unity referendum now! British occupation has been a disaster for the people of Ireland. A united Ireland is the way forward for all the people of Ireland.” The one above is on the fence around the North Queen Street play park; the one below (“88% of Divis people”) is below Divis tower.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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