Art Gallery No 1.
This is the 2nd part of my blog re-discovering Birmingham
My 1st look at Birmingham was to go look at the Digbeth street art.
Birmingham has changed a lot since I was young. The Bull ring has been pulled down and replaced with a chrome and bubble wrap cathedral. Instead of having to risk life and limb crossing the mad petrol fueled chariots storming up New street, the streets have been pedestrianized. However peer underneath the veneer and you you will still find parts of the original city based on industry and engineering.
Digbeth is an area adjoining the new chrome and glass retail palaces. However it is a huge contrast. Instead of glitzy shops and covered arcades, you get lockups and small workshops, a local open air market and the coach station. You could never call it pretty, but it is authentic and in recent years it has started to get a reputation for its alternative culture and street art.
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| Digbeth Viaducts |
At one time street art was defined as vandalism and much money was spent dissuading such things. However there has been a reappraisal in recent years and a realization that done well it can be an asset to an area and the skill and quality of the work should be applauded (Obviously nothing to do with Banksy, and the money the art world could make from street art).
You can even do tours of street art in areas like London, but you don't have to go that far since Digbeth are has started to be recognized in the same way. Therefore with the help of the Digbeth Art Walk map to explore it for myself
While I had brought my camera with me, the biting winds and sheer laziness meant I couldn't be bothered to get it out and used my phone instead. The walk is pretty easy to follow and you meander through the railway viaduct that splits the area, until you reach thea place called the Custard Factory, which has become the hub of the area. Apparently you often find fashion photographers using the wall as urban chic backdrops to photograph their supermodels . Obviously it was to cold and too early for such shenanigans so apart from various people going to work I had the place to myself
I couldn't help myself thinking how much my mother would of loved this area. My mother was always was always a bit of a rebel. Unfortunately growing up in the 50's, suburbia rebellion just wasn't done so she grew up as a housewife until doing a Art degree as a mature student. She then spent most of her life generating art work on a project documenting characters on TV. When she died there were masses of sketches and doodle, which apart from a couple of pieces were nerver published. In the same way, street art is art for art sake. Although some of the artists get recognition, generally it is done because its cool, and the chances are the work will be overwritten in a few years by someone else.
To be honest by the time I had reached the custard factory area the biting cold wind and my need for sustenance made me head back to the city centre. I guess I had covered about 1/3rd of the trip, but it was well worth it, and will definitely go back when it is a bit warmer and I have more time.
On the way back I paused at Digbeth market. While only small, the market is a hub for locals and I suspect a great location for street photography. Unfortunately I had to eschew ed my longer lenses, and have not so far perfected the art of surreptitious camera usage, so I contented myself with trying to take images of the local starlings.
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| Digbeth Market |
I love starlings, and while naturally a bird of the fields, they have always had a natural population in Birmingham. Long before murmaration become a word I understood, i remember the vast flocks coming to roost on the Midland bank building (now a Apple store) just outside New Street station.
In the market a number were taking advantage of the cover and the plethora of free food on offer much to the annoyance of street holders.
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| Add caption |
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| Starling All you can eat Buffet |
Moving to the centre I realised that I had forgotten that the German market was on( November is not Christmas!!!). The German market consists of a large number of stalls selling purportedly German produce to the local denizens. While popular with those outside the city, this annual event produces mixed feelings due to the disruption caused and the detriment of local independent traders. I must admit I have some sympathy with that view. While I love Germany as a country, it all feels a bit and hollow. Its a bit like going to a "English" pub in a foreign country. It always feels that during the re-location the spirit and the whole reason for their existence has been lost. Combine that with the fact hidden behind the Germanic facade, it is really just an excuse to sell overpriced alcohol and tat, and the fact any attempt to communicate via "Guten Morgen, Mein Herr", is just of likely to elicit "what?" than "Wie kann ich dir heute helfen?" you wonder what is the point.
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| We often joke with nour American colleagues of living close to UK's Islamic state :) (Not) |
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| Tat - but German Tat |
There has been a movement to create a market of independent traders instea and I do wonder whether an alternative markets in a place like the custard factory celebrating local independent tradesman would be a great opportunity to highlight the area and celebrate Birmingham's trading spirit.
After negotiating the German Market, I stopped briefly at Birmingham cathedral. It sounds grand, Birmingham Cathedral, but befitting a city that was just to busy to build large ecclesiastical edifices you could quite easily walk past it, thinking it is just a large parish church.
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| Inside Birmingham's Cathedral |
Anyway now was time for Art Gallery No 2.
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