STREET ART MCR

Presenting Manchester street art and artists. All photographs copyright of Gareth Hacking unless otherwise stated.

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Mexico '85

I first noticed Mexico '85's work on my first street art hunt around the Northern Quarter. Crows, Leafs and Squirrels were dotted all around the NQ, all with his distinctive tag. He's also responsible for a bunch of graffiti work, as exemplified by his Sunshine Studio shutter design.

You can find more of his work over his tumblr site.

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Mancsy

Mancsy is a Manchester based street artist who, once a month, goes around the Northern Quarter and sticks up a limited edition print of his own design. Printed in black and yellow and all (as far I'm aware) featuring The Manchester Bee, they designed normally tie in with current events - The print featured below was photographed on the Queens Diamond Jubilee weekend, for example.

You can see past editions on his website and, if you'd like to keep track of when new pieces are going up, you can follow him on twitter.

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Wheatpaste Aliens

I found these little aliens guys on both Cambridge Street and Great Marlborough Street near Hotspur House. No details on the artist but I do like they strange unusual design.

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/watch?v=Ma7lyfYzIw8

I found this curious graffiti link sprayed onto the wall outside MMU's Holden Gallery. But it was only while adding the above photograph to the Oxford Road Street Art collection that I that checked where it might lead to. And what did I find? Daniel Johnston's True Love will Find you in the End. Lovely.

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AliCè

AliCè is Alice Pasquini, an Italian visual artist who visited Manchester earlier this year, leaving behind a number of strikingly detailed pieces around the Northern Quarter.

If you’d like to see more of her work, have a look at her website and on flickr.

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Ghosts are Everywhere

The Mario boo ghost appearing in graffiti, tiles and sticker form.

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Faceless People

Here's four large scale wheatpaste posters that appeared overnight on the Mancunian Way support columns on Oxford Road back in January. Unfortunately the printed tumblr link doesn't provide any information on the artist.

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Haacht

The Haacht stickers appeared overnight back in March all along Oxford Road and elsewhere in Manchester. I’ve no idea of the purpose behind them or found any clues online, unless it's a very obscure viral marketing campaign for the brewery based in the town of the same name in Belgium. Still, they're a distinctive design all with striking images. You can still find a fair few dotted around the city if you have a look.

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Sneak

Sneak's distinctive large-scale hand-drawn wheatpaste designs have been appearing all over Manchester city centre for a couple of years now.

Commenting on modern life, technology and the disconnect between real and digital life, I find there’s something quite poignant about them.

If you'd like to see more of his work, you can find it on his website and on flickr.

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The 42's of Manchester

A few months back I noticed the number 42 graffitied in two separate places on the same day. An interesting connection but I thought nothing more of it until I spotted it again. And again. And again.

I've now found it in locations all over the city centre, Hulme, Chorlton and Trafford Bar, with the photographs below just what I've collected so far. There's definitely more out there - there's at least 4 visible on the concrete walls alongside the tram tracks just before the Trafford Bar stop.

They all look to be the work of one person, but for what purpose? A Gang sign? A crazed Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy fan? I don't know. But I'm sure somebody does.

(Actually, I'm wondering if it's worth setting up a Tumblr just dedicated to collecting them EDIT: I went ahead a created the Tumblr blog - you can find it here and submit photos here).

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Liberation Thru Imagination

Found scrawled in the concrete on Medlock Street - A nice piece of permanent street art.

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Manchester Street Poetry

There's a seam of poetry running through Manchester's streets, a prime example being Lemn Sissay's Flags that runs along Tib Street.

I've found a couple of street poems dotted around city, written on walls and stuck on posts. I'll be adding more if I come across any others.

"I sit atop the heavy stone wall, With a chilling breeze blowing through my hair. I watch the people below, I listen; A man pushes a pram, a child cries, The jingle of keys and a rumble of wheels on stone. As the sun glares down on me, It forms a silhouette across the glassy slope. From atop my fort I am queen." "and now I know nothing but regret for every moment that has passed before this point and now I know nothing but the inner glow of knowing and now I know nothing but"