Street artist Gus Eagleton will pay tribute to a local musician with a new mural in the CBD.
The painting in Icon Alley, which is part of the Brisbane Street Art Festival’s Ipswich program, will feature a large-scale portrait of singer St Jonnie from local band FeelsClub.
“I wanted this piece to have a connection to the city and all the members of the band are from Ipswich so it shows a bit of the place’s cool side,” Mr Eagleton said.
St Jonnie (left) and his FeelsClub bandmates. Courtesy: FeelsClub
“I like my work to be relatable and I often mix portraits with a bit of conceptual art and landscapes.”
The popular Australian street artist has his own links to Ipswich, having moved from his hometown in Coffs Harbour to Goodna in 2009, ahead of studying at the Queensland College of Art in Brisbane.
“I didn’t have much of a sense of street art back then, but I started to notice it a bit more while I was catching the train and I was fortunate enough to go to TAFE with some cool artists and big time graffiti people who sparked my interest and pointed me in the right direction,” Mr Eagleton said.
Since then, he’s gone on to turn his love of murals into a full-time job, painting walls in dozens of cities across Australia, Asia and the UK.
Two of his paintings also feature on the walls of the historic Woollen Mills building in North Ipswich.
Mr Eagleton said he thinks the redevelopment of the CBD presents the perfect opportunity to shake up Ipswich’s art scene and encourage more street art.
“Public art is just a really positive and enjoyable thing,” he said.
“People sometimes kick up a stink about it, but at the end of the day it’s just paint on a wall.
“It doesn’t have to last forever, and not everyone has to like it, but I think when artists are given the opportunity to do their best work, it can be really inspiring and encouraging for the people who see it in progress and then see it on a daily basis.”
Painting for the Ipswich program of the Brisbane Street Art Festival is underway across the city.
Street art workshops will be held on the weekend of 8 and 9 August. Gus Eagleton will be hosting two Aerosol Masterclasses across the weekend, which are both already sold out.
You can also meet the artists at their walls to see their finished work or tune in to the Studio 188 Swich Up Live-Stream for artist interviews, live music and a Scribble Slam from the Ipswich Festivals Facebook page or Twitch.
The Brisbane Street Art Festival Ipswich program is presented by Ipswich City Council in partnership with the Regional Arts Development Fund, Coates Hire and Dulux.
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>>> Street art festival brings opportunities for artists, murals for city
