British street art has been on something of a journey since its edgy, graffiti-led beginnings in the 1980s, when New York trailblazers became role models for guerrilla artists in UK cities. Back then, as part of a crackdown on illegal tagging in Bristol, British Transport Police raided an “aerosol art project” that later counted Banksy among its alumni. Earlier this month, Banksy was made an honorary professor of the University for the Creative Arts, and an exhibition of his work is due to go on tour.
In Leicester this week, there was further confirmation that spray-can culture is now a mainstream feature of the urban landscape. The tallest work of street art in Europe has just been completed in the city centre, to widespread acclaim and an interview with one of the artists on the Today programme. Spanning 82 metres, the St George’s Tower mural offers a tribute in primary colours to the city’s achievements and heritage; football, rugby and Leicester University’s pioneering research on DNA are all referenced.
