Glas vegas
(Glasgow graffiti on Hill Street: Glasgow, UK)
One day this will be torn down or painted over or simply have something built right in front of it. I hope that day is far off because I love this graffiti. It is five minutes walk due west from my home and overlooks a massive, noisome motorway and in tandem, a beautiful view over the rooftops of the west end. The best time to go is sunset as it offers a clear vista of the sky, but also the accentuated coloured light over the red sandstone chimneys. It was a great viewing point before I left for China over a year ago – it was overgrown in the best possible ways, wonderfully bijou and satisfyingly overlooked by most people. It has been recently spoiled by contractors moving in and creating quite monstrous flats that must have the view as their selling point.
The graffiti remains thus far, adding some typically Glaswegian snazzy sparkle to the area – albeit in an eyecatchingly transitory way. On the left of the Barrowland-esque neon letters, the glossy night time view of high rises (and the glass pyramid of what could be the Forge shopping centre), and on the other, the cranes, Science Centre and lush parkland the city offers. The artist has taken some licence with the azure skies and candyfloss clouds, but I’ll forgive them that since they have created something that makes me feel better each time I walk past.
– Today Rosie is taking a day off in Glasgow, UK –
