Nature Overcomes/Kelp Our Oceans...
In this artwork The Kraken rides in from Sidmouth beach over a sea of bird head chaos, rising its tentacles up high into spiral wave shapes representing the power of the ocean.
The spiral tentacles mirror Steve's classic "Wave Wing Bird' style expressing a sense of flow and movement much like the sea.
With one bird head coloured in this puts forward the idea that we are all individual and have something special about us, as does the person next to us, therefore representing everyone giving off a sense of community.
Using spray paint and ink, street artist Steve McCracken aka NONE HERE fills the streets with colour, painting and pasting wherever he goes. His birds offer an escape to passersby, with the intention to brighten up their day. Steve achieves this by his instantly recognisable expressive painting style and use of colour offering a sense of freedom, movement and hope.
Nature Overcomes/Kelp Our Oceans...in situ at Sidmouth Wallspace. Photo Credit: Sarah Hall
This artwork was the culmination of a creative process with young people from Sidmouth. Sharing his street art and paste up skills over a series of workshops at Sidmouth Youth Centre and Sidmouth Skate Park, inspiring young people to explore their connections with the sea, their concerns about the marine environment and nurturing their creative talents.
The art work produced by the young people who took part can be seen on the graffiti wall alongside the Skate park - a place where young people meet and socialise and mentor each other to develop their skate boarding skills. Work was also exhibited at White & Sons shoe shop as a window display. The opportunity to work with the local business community to present and value their work for the public to view created a sense of connection between young people and their town.
The final billboard artwork was painted over three individual sessions to coincide with Sidmouth Sea Fest 2022 - a free annual community festival celebrating sea and coast and the sense of wellbeing it gives us. Steve's piece was a vibrant capture of the sense of shared responsibility the community and in particular young people has about the need to look after our oceans.
This was our first live install which saw Steve work directly onto the billboard and create the work with each step designed to build on a positive connected message:
Stage 1 Steve presented a graffiti type painting blending colours and with the positive and playful environmental tag "Kelp Our Oceans".
Stage 2 saw Steve paint in the Kraken in merging colours into the shape creating an abstract styled piece of work.
Stage 3 saw him bring in his stylised ink drawing bringing the painting to the finished piece.
Steve McCracken - otherwise known as.
