Recent developments in the Glasgow street art community have raised concerns about the future of the public art in the city.
On 24 February, the Glasgow Times reported that a mural by artist John Byrne had been obstructed by student accommodation construction. The mural, titled 75 BC, depicts Billy Connolly and is located at the corner of Osborne Street and Old Wynd. A spokesperson from Streets UK, a Glasgow based consultancy firm on social value, told the Glasgow Times that during the planning phase in 2023, developers considered methods to retain the visibility of 75 BC but found it was “not possible”.
Merchant City and Trongate Community Council objected to the plans to remove the mural, commenting to the Glasgow Times, that “Many of Glasgow’s murals, including those paying tribute to Billy Connolly, are major tourist attractions, admired not only by city residents but visitors from all around the world. We have long campaigned for the finest of these artistic murals to be protected, including against being wholly or partially obscured by developers who fail to fully appreciate their significance”.
However, a council spokesperson shared with the Glasgow Times that murals throughout the city were always intended to be on the trail but were intended to be temporary, in order to “bring life” to stalled developments across the city”.
Another mural on the trail, painted by Smug (Sam Bates), titled St Enoch and Child mural, which is located on George Street and High Street, was removed to clear the way for essential repairs from the Wheatley Group, as reported by Glasgow Live in late January. Glasgow Live wrote that locals were saddened by the news, with one reacting, “So sad, it’s one of my favourite Glasgow murals”.
While new murals across the city are being planned, Glasgow City Council took a controversial decision earlier this year to approve an AI-generated design for a mural on 11 Elmbank Street by artist Rogue One. The BBC reported that the mural design received criticism from social media users and other local artists, as the mural was meant to depict the country, it featured a bald eagle, a species not found in Scotland. Rogue One revealed to the BBC that he originally did not have time to create a design for the proposal, so he outsourced the design to Derek Paterson, the owner of Balmoral Estates, who used AI to create the design that Rogue One will paint.
The Glasgow Guardian reached out to a student involved in the local street art scene for comment. He stated, “It’s all about loyalty and respect in this game, and out of love for these people, I’m not sure I’d be able to contribute to this research and provide the information that you need”.
The Glasgow Guardian reached out to Rogue One for comment.
Image Source: Glasgow City Council/ Balmoral Estates
