Open-Air Gallery. Baroque and Street Art. Part1
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
A unique project has been completed in the southeast London borough of Dulwich. On the sides of buildings, hidden in courtyards, on sidewalks, on garage doors, or on the facade of a pub, these unusual works of art can be viewed at any time of day or night. Each piece is a contemporary interpretation of a 17th- or 18th-century painting from the Dulwich Picture Gallery collection.
This isn't random graffiti spray-painted in a matter of minutes by secretive, unknown artists. It required preparation and careful planning.
The idea for the project was born in 2011 when Ingrid Beazley, curator of the Dulwich Picture Gallery's education program, met street artist Stik and invited him to visit the gallery's permanent collection of Old Masters Baroque paintings. Known for his simple, figurative style, he sketched several full-length portraits based on works by Gainsborough, Franceschini, and Murillo and said, "If you find me some walls, I'll paint them."
And she did.
Ingrid reached out to her neighbors on Court Lane and, as she noted, found interesting "canvases" on Blackwater Court: on the side of a real estate agency and on the garage doors on Beauval Road. Ultimately, these six murals were very popular with the neighborhood residents.
Notice how Stick played with the lantern on the wall to depict the divine light that the angel is pointing to.
Compare graffiti to the works of the Old Masters. I think it's a very interesting way to bring Baroque art into society.
The following year, Ingrid teamed up with street art expert Griff of the Howard Griffin Gallery. He helped Ingrid organize the participation of other world-renowned street artists in her project. More on that later.
