Grown up graffiti: Three ways to get on a trend you can banksy on
Once an art form for teen rebels, consensual “graffiti” is now a multi-billion dollar industry thanks to the popularity of anonymous artist Banksy. Here are three ways to get on the trend.
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When workmen demolished a farmhouse in Kent, England, last month, they accidentally destroyed Morning is Broken, an exterior artwork by the world’s most famous muralist.
Banksy had posted three photos to Instagram showing the silhouetted boy at a window, pushing back corrugated iron curtains with a cat beside him – a piece likely worth much more than the house.
And while most of us won’t find a Banksy painted down the side of our digs, there is no doubt that wall art is on the rise Down Under.
Indeed, the Wall Art Market report by Allied Market Research suggests the US market is set to grow from $20billion to $35billion in the 10 years to 2031. And where America leads, Australia tends to follow.
Popular wall art motifs include nature, wilderness, plants and flowers, following the post-Covid biophilic trends. Such backdrops are often teamed with natural wood, coral and plants to layer 2D impact with tangible items. Urban, edgy and retro themes are also popular, including Parisian and New York cityscapes that emphasise your architectural street cred.
The easiest way to get the effect is to buy a ready-made decal and let the image you choose say who you are and what you like.
You can also hire an artist to create something bespoke, or attempt to paint a mural yourself.
Whatever you choose, a wall mural changes the feel and perceived size of a room and will become your home’s biggest talking point.
Commission an artist
If budget permits, nothing beats commissioning your dream wall. The UK-born Australian artist Thomas Jackson specialises in images of nature, in particular breathtaking murals of native flora and birds.
For more artists, you can head to bookanartist.co to find Australian-based mural painters and graffiti artists – there are about 60 in Sydney alone, and around 80 in Melbourne. Prices can start at as little as $300 depending on the size and style. There is a huge range of images on the site that’s sure to give you inspiration for your own.
Expect to pay anything between $20 and $50 per square foot, with $1000 being the average price. Painting the wall is much like any other painting job in terms of preparation, fumes and moving furniture, it just takes a little longer to paint.
Paint your own
OK, it’s a bit of a wildcard, but imagine the satisfaction if you pull it off. And it can be done with a few simple hacks.
Find an image that you love – the fewer colours and complications the better. If you go with a strong and simple monotone image, then a DIY mural is very achievable.
Buy your paint by colour matching at somewhere like Bunnings. Choose a decent interior oil-based gloss or matt and some smallish paintbrushes, around 25mm brush size.
Once you have an image that you like, ideally project it on to the wall using a clear acetate and a projector.
Alternatively, you can create a stencil or even attempt to draw on the wall with a pencil. Break the wall into squares forming a grid and replicate each larger wall grid from a smaller one on your image.
Cover yourself in old clothes and the floor in sheets and let out your inner artist.
Cheap cheat with decals
It’s not original and it’s not a painting, but if you prefer to take baby steps, then a wall decal or mural wallpaper is a great way to start. There is a host of websites offering wall art, including affordable mainstream interior design and craft stores such as Spotlight and Temple & Webster.
Obviously you’re going to get something off-the-peg rather than off the wall, but it will still have a dramatic effect on a room. Start with a decal and work up to a full mural as a progressive design step.
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