Central Dunedin Street Art

Travelling around Dunedin city, I have always noticed and admired the stunning and beautiful art that is on the sides of buildings.  I marvel at the incredible size and wonder how the heck does anyone paint such images?  It must take amazing spacial awareness with size, textures, having to deal with a canvas that is often irregular, has windows and pipes in odd places, while trying to deal with colors and daily weather.

'Giant Native Tutara'

So one day I stumbled across an article that my daughter Jessica Thompson-Carr had written for the critic.  As a father sometimes I seem to be the last to know, however none the least I was ecstatic at what she had written.  Of course when I quized Jess about it - she played it down and said she was done in a hurry.  Not me... it was wonderful and I was so proud of her.  You can check it out at http://www.critic.co.nz/features/article/5190/painting-the-town  

This gave me an idea!  I am obsessed with photography and always have been, however this year had decided to take it up a few gears and invest in much better equipment.  I had started a gallery and only recently purchased my own domain name. (www.andythompsonphotography.co.nz) .  So I decided that I would start a photographic project to celebrate the images around Dunedin.  Also with the idea to link this to Jessica's article.  It took me a few months, however finally I made a start.  Well little did I know it was going to grow!

Investigating these wonderful images opened a whole new door.  Firstly I started interpreting the art with my camera in my own way - capturing images that attracted me.  Processing each photo to ensure it did the art work justice.  I also found a little about the artists - not much though - yet?  But through this project it was opening my eyes to all the nooks and crannys of Dunedin visual street art.

All photos have been collected while biking around, finding the right time of day and photographing them, bring them back and processing each image.  I still have so many more to collect, however the experience is enlightening and I have now started another project on the street art around the Dunedin Harbour.  That's my next blog to write with new stories.  I hope you enjoy scrolling through these.  And remember to take a moment to consider the work and effort that has gone into these and marvel at their creation.  They may not be there forever so saviour the images.  Hopefully my gallery may serve as a celebration remembrance to these wonderful creations.

Andy Thompson

Photography NZ