This document summarizes the Dublin Canvas street art project in Dublin, Ireland. It transformed 190 traffic light control boxes from graffiti-covered eyesores into outdoor art galleries by commissioning local artists to decorate them. Dublin Canvas has become a popular public art collection that beautifies the city and features works representing various themes like music, community, and surrealism. It began as a small experiment but has grown significantly, helping to make Dublin less grey and more vibrant through colorful and creative street-level art.

1. Art That Stops Traffic
By Sandra Murphy
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3. What is street art?
• It an art form in its own right.
• This image above of a protester throwing a
bouquet of flowers is one of Banksy’s most iconic
works.
• ‘Anything on the wall that isn’t graffiti’
• Street art has become an integral element of
contemporary art.

4. Writing on the wall for capital: Dublin Canvas
About 50 of the city’s 190 traffic light boxes, once covered with
graffiti, are now suitable for framing.
Dublin Canvas is now actively seeking submissions of artwork
for an additional 85 boxes for the Summer of 2016 boxes.

5. ‘Box Blues’ by
Shalom
Chiaverini
The artwork by the Brazilian
street artist is based on the
blues, with portraits of
musicians Muddy Waters
and Ray Charles.

6. ‘R2’ by Morgan
The acclaimed artist’s pitch for the box was "It would just
look great, the boxes are like abandoned robots anyway."

7. Robert Emmet
and Sarah
Curran by
Hugh Madden
This piece shows the lovers
sending and receiving letters
which turns the traffic box into a
circle. The Front Panel has Robert
conspiring with his fellow
revolutionaries.
The Side Panels show
housekeeper Anne Devlin passing
the letters between them

8. Making the banal pretty
• Dublin Canvas began as a tiny experiment to
beautify the unsightly boxes that control traffic
signals around the city.
• It has become an unexpectedly impressive
public art collection, transforming drab
streetscapes into outdoor galleries

9. Dublin Canvas Gallery
• The sites are distributed between Baggot Street, Camden Steet and the Rathmines area.
• Multiculturalism by James O’Brien is located in Aran Quay

10. Muintir na
Cathrach by
Katie Lyons
“Sometimes it’s easy to go
about your day
without really seeing life
around us. This piece
celebrates the faces that
surround us daily and create
our city’s unique character.”

11. ‘Standpoint’ by Larissa Tamayoshi
This was based on the ‘lack of logic’ in the Surrealism
Movement.

12. ‘I’m sticking
with you’ Ruan
van Vliet
“Cities can sometimes be
stifling, claustrophobic
places so it’s important to
look out for one another and
lend a hand whenever it’s
needed.”

13. –Dave Murtagh, Project Co-Ordinator of Dublin Canvas
“Dublin Canvas is an idea, a project intended to
bring flashes of colour and creativity to
everyday
objects in the city.
Less grey, more play.”

14. ‘Música on the
Box'’ by
Shalom
Chiaverin
Images of Elvis Presley and
Dolly Parton were created
using a hand cut stencil
technique with a mosaic and
triangle pattern.
“This is for everybody who
have the music as a big part
of their lives.”

15. BatterBricks by Cathal McCoy
All four faces of the box reflect the old, familiar brickwork pattern representing the
diverse mix of young people living in the old, attractive ‘inner city suburb’ of
Stoneybatter.

16. Poppy Corner by Donna McGee

17. Street Art Vs. Grafitti
• !Incorporates environment
• !Humour and social
commentary
• Public/private audience
• Goes over environment
• Self promotion
• Mostly spray paint on concrete
17

18. Perception of street art has
changed
• Two decades ago, it was regarded as little more
than vandalism.
• Now spray paint on a wall is seen as the catalyst
for a spate of regeneration, and even
gentrification, in different cities all over the world

19. Street artist Banksy spray-paints message on wall beside Regent's
canal in London

20. BANKSY
The identity of Banksy, a graffiti
artist who has risen to superstar
status over the past 20 years, is
still unknown to the general public.

21. Banksy's philosophy that art can exist outside of traditional
venues like museums, galleries, or displays in people's homes. It
can be found anywhere in our busy world.

22. Public opinion
Banksy's works sell for up to €500,000, though critics say
his, however skilfully executed, should be classed as
vandalism.
Fans include Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who
commissioned a mural four years ago for their private
gallery at their estate in the south of France

23. ‘Banksy Effect’

24. ARTIST
Fin DAC
• Fun Lovin’ Criminals
• Frank & Walters
• Netflix Autographer’s
Behind the Scenes video
series

26. Signature style
• His trademark work can be seen all over the
world from LA to Venice.
• Work outside the Kino cinema in Cork and an
arrangement of women faces on a outer wall of
the Gibson Hotel in Dublin
• Unlike Banksy, Fin doesn't use stencils but
instead does a quick sketch and then paints the
whole thing free hand - and we know who he is!

27. Political message
The striking depicts a maid who cleaned the artist's room in a motel in Los Angeles.
The piece, commissioned by Bono, intended to represent a metaphor for the west's
reluctance to tackle issues such as Aids in Africa.

28. • THE END
• THANK YOU!