Sea inspired murals brighten up Lerwick town centre
Stuart Prestidge
Lerwick’s public arts trail, Locus, has completed stage two of its installation with the creation of three sea-inspired murals.
Glasgow-based Cobolt Collective, founded by Erin Bradley-Scott, Chelsea Frew, Kat Loudon and Edda Karólína Ævarsdóttir, designed the mural entitled “Only da Sea”.
It can be found on the on the Shetland Property Lets/Dowry wall on The Esplanade street-level, adjacent to the Peerie Shop & Café.
They were inspired by a line in Shetland poet Christine De Luca’s poem Discontinuity: “Only da sea can greet an sing at da sam time.”
“Shetland has strong traditions in appreciating poetry, and we felt this line captures the idea of the sea being a living thing, capable of its own emotions, singing to its own melody and rhythm,” the group said in a statement.
“We have extended and warped some of the letters to try and mimic how the poem sounds when it is spoken out loud, again tying in with the theme of rhythm and sound.”
Further artworks will be painted on two adjacent walls on Commercial Street; one on the side wall of Bayes and the other on the side wall of No.88, down Peterson’s Closs.
These artworks have been designed by Gavin Renshaw who considers topography, local heritage and the ability to respond to built environments while creating his art.
Renshaw said: “The concept behind the work was to look at the intrinsic relationship and historical connection that Shetland has between land and sea in regard to not only livelihood and travel but in the spiritual and primal sense of ancient and future culture.”
The Locus project has been funded by Shetland Islands Council though the Scottish government’s Town Centre Fund and delivered by Living Lerwick in partnership with Shetland Arts.
Four newly commissioned sculptures have already been erected around Lerwick and a full map of the art trail can be found at www.shetlandarts.org.
