GALLERY: Westdene is ‘arted up’

A drive through the quiet suburb of Westdene might yield more than expected lately, as many of the walls have been covered with graffiti art by some of the most well-known artists in the country.

The end of September marks three months since the outset of the Westdene Graffiti Project. The project was prompted when Westdene resident, Clint Hill, commented on the I Love Westdene Facebook page, a casual “Let’s art up Westdene”. This garnered enough enthusiasm for Derek Smith to inject his own support. Smith is an amateur photographer who has a particular interest in photographing graffiti. A seven year hobby has seen Smith gain a strong footing in the world of graffiti art. He saw potential in the Westdene area to showcase some artists’ pieces.

“If you get the walls, I’ll get the artists,” Smith told Hill, and the Westdene Graffiti Project was born. The team collaborated in finding willing participants and pairing their walls with keen artists. A total of 17 walls have been adorned thus far with another eight set to be completed by the end of October.

“I strongly believe that street art can do a lot to beautify any place if you do it in the right way,” Smith said. In his opinion the art can also prevent the occurrence of less appealing graffiti as amateur artists are less likely to ‘tag’ a decorated area. “As soon as you put recognised art on the wall, the chances of it getting tagged are minimal,” suggested Smith.

Most of the participating residents have allowed great freedom to the artists, offering their walls to individual creativity in return for a free artwork. In cases where residents request a specific piece they are responsible for paying for the work. Artists involved in the project include popular South African names such as Falko Starr and German-based, Benr1.

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