One key feature of the craft beer movement is its creativity and innovation. Brewers are continually experimenting to produce not just a core range of beers but seasonal and one-off brews. Collective Arts Brewing was founded in 2013 by Bob Russell and Matt Johnson in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Collective Arts have taken creativity and innovation a stage further by working with artists and musicians in a collaborative process which results in limited edition works of art being featured on the cans. I have long been struck by the use of the humble can as a canvas for some very original artworks and designs but have only recently come across Collective Arts as their beers have only been available in the UK since last autumn.
They call for artist to submit work every three months and so far they have received over 16000 submissions and have worked with 650 artists and musicians. Their website is well worth a look as it details the art used in the twelve series of beer releases since 2013. There are even plans to give access to a free song or video from featured musicians via a link on the can. Here are some examples currently available in UK bottle shops.
Owl by Jeff Dillon. Series 10
Nothing for Miles – John Godfrey (Hamilton, Canada). Series 10
Bird Paradise – Dora Wang (Boston). Series 10
Spaceman – Judson Collier (San Francisco). Series 9
Raven – Edgar Allan Slothman (West Hartford). series 9
Hydro has works all over the world and this piece on Brightwell Walk formed part of the Cities of Hope festival and depicts the impact of war on children lives. A blindfolded child holds an AK47 while a menacing, shadowy figure stands behind. It is a very striking image.
Alongside it on Brightwell Walk is a portrait by local artist Tankpetrol of the author Anthony Burgess who wrote the dystopian novel A Clockwork Orange. The inscription reads “We can destroy what we have written but we cannot unwrite it”
French artist C215 has a number of stencil portraits in the city. This piece on Tariff Street raises the issue of homelessness, a significant problem in the city, as elsewhere, currently.
He also has some stencilled images on shutters on the corner of Stevenson Square and Spear Street of which this is just one example.
Across the street is a huge work by the Swiss street art collective Nevercrew. It shows a large crystal with people falling off it from the bottom. It was done as part of Cities of Hope to raise awareness of immigration issues.
On Port Street you can find one of the oldest pieces in the city, by Sheffield artist Faunagraphic, that dates back to 2011. not surprisingly the paint is a little faded in places but it remains a striking image covering the whole side of the building.
Dale Grimshaw created this work to highlight the issue of the independence campaign for West Papua.
I am particular fan of the art that appears on hoardings around building sites and areas of land awaiting development. This is very much here today gone tomorrow in many cases and you have to catch it while you can. The area near the top end of Spear Street and adjacent streets contain some good examples.
One of the points in favour of large scale art works on the sides of buildings is that they are protected to a degree from the influence of others. I particularly like the work by Norwegian street artist Martin Watson on Faraday Street which is a stencil and freehand piece. The leaves on the tree are graffiti tags and it is a really interesting piece created to raise awareness of the environment. Sadly others have added their own tags to the piece.
Also on Faraday Street is this marvellous work by Zadok.
Across Great Ancoats Street and viewable as you cross the road, is this work on the side of Swan Building, in Cable Street by Case highlighting disability issues.
Finally two works that I somehow seem to have failed to note where they were located exactly. The first is on a doorway which may well be on Edge Street and is by Italian street artist Alice Pasquini.
