October, 2019 | Postcards From Here and There

Digbeth Street Art Part 3

In this final part looking at the street art of Birmingham’s Digbeth area I look at the art to be found in the streets around Lower Trinity Street. You can read Part 1 of the series here, and part 2 here.

Continuing the tour leave the arches linking Gibb and Floodgate Streets by making a right turn back into Floodgate Street. You will retrace your steps from earlier until you pass the junction with Little Ann Street. Stay on Floodgate until it makers a junction with Fazeley Street. On your way you will pass this mural by N4T4.

A short walk is now needed to get to next area. Turn right at the end of Flood Street onto Fazeley Street followed by a right into Heath Mill Lane. Cross over the road so that you can shortly take a left turn into Alcock Street. Half way along take the right turn into Hack Street. There is a lot of art to be found here.

Hack Street runs into Bromley Street and at the end turn left back into Heath Mill Lane.

Go into the car park on your left, there is a art on all the walls here. Immediately on your left as you enter is this mural entitled Yankin Chains by Brighton based street artist Snub23 which was painted for the High Vis Festival 2018.

A nearby mural which appears to be for the new Eastside Rooms hotel and conference centre features these two excellent portraits.

On exiting the car park turn left back onto Heath Mill Lane and then left onto Lower Trinity Street. There are a number of significant pieces here including the portrait of Muhammad Ali by Manchester based artist Akse.

This striking mural is by the Made You Look Collective.

There are also two works by Justin Sola.

The piece Earth Is Mine is by Dynamickart.

On the corner with Adderley Street are three murals by Israeli street art collective Brokenfingaz.

Continue down Adderley Street.

At the end of Adderley Street turn right onto the B4100 and head back towards the city centre. Take one last stop at the car park on your right. There are a lot of tags here along with this interesting piece by Graffoflarge.

On leaving the car park head back towards the city centre to complete the walk.

I have not been able to identify all the artists of the works shown and may also have made some errors. If you can add anything or need a correction let me know in the comments section.

Digbeth Street Art Part 2

In a previous post (here) I looked at the street art that could be seen walking from Birmingham city centre towards the Custard `Factory area of Digbeth. This second part begins at the end of Floodgate Street where it meets the B4100 High Street Deritend. Turn right onto the High Street. Immediately on your left is a car park which is well worth investigating with art on the outer hoardings and inside.

On exiting the car park turn left and continue walking up the main road before making a left into Gibb Street into the heart of the Custard Factory development. Dan Kitchener has another work here that occupies the side of a building. Another wet city scene it has his signature dreamlike quality in the painting.

A little further along is this superb piece, painted for the High Vis Festival, by Philth.

Close by is this work by Birmingham based artist and illustrator Justin Sola.

Under the railway arches is this piece by Andrew Mills with is a tribute to the relationship between Odeon Cinemas and the city, along with its wider relationship with the film industry. The Beatles, partly obscured by a car in the photo below, appeared at the Birmingham Odeon at the height of their fame in 1965.

Just across the road you will find these two works.

Graffoflarge
Hull Graffiti

The railway arches that connect Gibb Street with Floodgate street are home to a mass of street art. You have to be very observant to make sure that you do not miss anything as pieces can be found almost hidden away in alcoves and behind parked vehicles. The most striking mural takes up a whole wall and is by Gent48.

In close up the detail is fantastic.

Looking a bit worn now is a geometric fox by Annatomix.

There are further examples of Justin Solas work although the second was partly obscured by a piece of plant machinery on the day of my visit.

A narrow alleyway brings you back out onto Floodgate street where you turn right. Part three will complete a look at the street art of Digbeth by covering the area in and around Lower Trinity Street.

I have not been able to identify all the artists of the works shown and may also have made some errors. If you can add anything or need a correction let me know in the comments section.

Digbeth Street Art Part 1

The Digbeth area of Birmingham is just a short ten minute walk from New Street and Moor Street stations. It is an up and coming area favoured by designers, artists, musicians and numerous other creative types. Buildings are being redeveloped into apartments and there is a thriving café, bar and restaurant culture. As with many similiar areas throughout the country it has a thriving street art scene. Indeed the area around the Custard Factory probably has the greatest density of art that I have seen anywhere in recent times. If you are short of time this is obviously the place to head for but if you have a couple of hours to spare there is much more to see in then area.

I walked from New Street Station and headed down the B4100 Digbeth before turning left onto Allison Street. On the corner here is a large work by Dan Kitchener (DANK), the first of two that he has in the area. Dan is from Essex and is well known for his works showing rain city street scenes of which this is an example.

Continue along Allison street and then turn right onto Bordesley Street. At its junction with Meriden Street there are two old works on the side of a nightclub.

Diagonally across the road is a car park, Most of the walls contain a variety of colourful tags along with this piece by Birmingham based artist Annatomix. Following a career as a musician and sound engineer she began working as an artist in 2010 and has a number of works in the Digbeth area.

From here head back to Bordesley Street and walk down towards Trent Street. There is. large car park on your righthand side which ic covered in tags. Turn right into Trent street and pass under the railway.

Turn left onto Coventry Street. There is a rather nice portrait on your left here by the Birmingham artist Dan Newso (newso48) but it is now partly obscured by bins and has suffered some damage. He has been a significant contributor to the art of the area for the last ten years or so.

Turn left into Milk Street where you will find quite a lot of art on the walls and building shutters.

At the end of Milk Street turn right into Little Ann Street and walk until it forms a T junction with Floodgate Street. on the corner here is a mural which shows the location of some of the bars and restaurants in the area.

Turn right into Floodgate Street, this is where you will find a high density of street art and there a number of routes you can take as you walk along it.

There is a huge work under the railway bridge which because of its size is difficult to photograph.

In part 2 I will look at the art around the Custard Factory.

I have not been able to identify all the artists of the works shown and may also have made some errors. If you can add anything or need a correction let me know in the comments section.