A painted city: Belfast's tradition of public art

Abstract

A Painted City: Belfast’s Tradition of Public Art emerged out of an interest in the artistic impact of the century long tradition of political murals in the city of Belfast. The intention was to determine if the presence of the painted murals and the act of painting in public influenced the artistic production of contemporary artists. This research centres on artists and arts professionals with interviews focused primarily on the artists’ training and artistic practices. A thematic analysis of the interviews sheds light on the shared experiences of mural artists from both sides of the sectarian divide. By providing a brief history of political mural painting in Belfast, and linking that history to traditional or sanctioned murals created by trained artists, this thesis demonstrates that the political murals are an important part of the history of public art in the city. Studying the murals as examples of public art, rather than only political propaganda, further demonstrates their influence on the city’s visual culture. While Belfast’s political mural trends can be linked to public art movements by academic artists, the research shows that the self-taught political muralists have had the most significant influence on the city’s use of painted walls as an essential part of its creative identity. Discussing these influential artists using the language of art criticism validates their practices and connects them to the field of art history. The research finds that self-taught artists and especially those who create political murals have had a significant impact on younger artists working today in the contemporary Street Art movement. With government and private sector efforts to improve Belfast’s urban landscape, the continued presence of the political murals provides a visual record of the city’s past. As the city continues to manage the peace process, question of the future of the political murals is one that has yet to be answered. However, a new generation of artists have flooded the city with art in public spaces creating a dialogue between the city’s past conflicts and its hopeful future.