Sydney street-artist’s change of heart after Queen Elizabeth tribute was the target of black paint

Sydney street artist Stuart Sale was hurt when he saw black paint streaming down his work. But upon reflection, his feelings towards those that painted over his piece have since changed.

Artist Stuart Sale has revealed what he will do with his mural of Queen Elizabeth after it was disfigured three times. Picture: Instagram @stuartsale / Reddit

When inner-west Sydney street artist Stuart Sale first saw that his mural of the late Queen Elizabeth II was vandalised for a third time, he was gutted.

But now the talented business owner has had a change of heart, embracing those who reworked his piece into what it stands for today.

On Tuesday, Marrickville locals woke up to a new take on Sale’s portrait of a young Queen, painted at the start of the month just hours after news broke about her death.

Overnight, the previously reworked art had attracted a large blob of black paint that looks like it was spilt down the centre of the piece.

It was the third change made to the mural painted on a Sydenham Road wall and follows the addition of what Sale described as a “horrible” epithet before a second person or group added the Aboriginal flag.

“Quite an important conversation has come about from the reworking of (the painting) with the Indigenous flag,” he told news.com.au on the day he saw the third addition to the mural.

“I thought it was really powerful and made the work that I originally made, more powerful than I could have ever hoped it would have been.”

But a disheartened Sale couldn’t say the same about the inclusion of the black paint.

“It’s basically back to vandalism now,” he said. “I’m not really sure why someone would want to do that or what they’re trying to say.”

Sale is no longer hurt by the addition of black paint to his mural and is looking forward to seeing what will come of the piece. Picture: Instagram @stuartsale / Reddit @some_tenno

That night, Sale took a moment to determine the future of the artwork. It was the first time he’s ever experienced someone disfiguring his work in such a way, especially a piece of art that was crafted to “document” a point in time.

But on reflection, the inner-west local had an epiphany that would determine the mural’s future.

“When I was driving past the first time I saw it, I reacted straight away but the one thing I regretted was that I called it ‘vandalism’,” Sale told news.com.au in a second interview.

The artist revealed that while he was initially hurt by the fact that someone had covered the Aboriginal flag, he realised that the latest reworking was a reflection of something greater.

“All human beings are compelled to express themselves, that’s what art is,” Sale said.

“The first reworking posed another question about subject matter and the relationship between the two things and now the third act has asked that aged-old question of ‘what is art?’”

Sale then went on to describe art as “anything (a person) does to express themselves”. This could be through painting, dancing, cooking or even playing sports.

Artist Stuart Sale is the talented person behind the mural of Queen Elizabeth on Sydenham Road Marrickville which has since been reworked by multiple others. Picture: Instagram / @stuartsale

The street-artist also said while everyone is entitled to having their own thoughts on the mural, he didn’t believe that he had a right to determine what should be considered as a creative piece of work.

“Who is anyone to say my painting is art and the first and second additions aren’t and so on. There’s no good or bad in art and everyone is entitled to their opinion,” he said.

It was from this conclusion that Sale decided he would step away from his artwork, with no intentions to paint over it. In fact, according to Sale, someone has already added a fourth reworking – spraying a smiley face on the piece.

“That’s probably someone who has no idea what the work is. It has a life of its own now,” he said.

The local artist has invited others to contribute to the piece, which he describes as a gift to the street.

“I hope the picture carries on,” he said. “Whether that upsets people or makes people happy, it’s people expressing how they feel.”

Sale’s now reworked mural of the Queen isn’t the last piece by him that Sydneysiders will see on the city’s streets.

While Marrickville is home to Sale’s art, more of his work is featured across country sheds, in beachside restaurants like Bondi’s That English Place and Zinc Bar Cronulla as well as online.

Originally published as Sydney street-artist’s change of heart after Queen Elizabeth tribute was the target of black paint