STREET ART: Brighton, Part I


By Martin Macdonald

The coastal city of Brighton, England is famous for its pier, environmental friendliness, gay culture and street art. Yet with regards to street art itself, repeated attacks on Banksy's kissing coppers (2004) on the side of the Prince Albert pub resulted in the venue's owner shipping out and selling the piece in the US in 2011. With the original gone, kissing coppers remains in the same spot but in the form of a chemically transferred image on canvas encased in perspex. Alongside the snogging policemen, images of various icons of music as well as football legend George Best cover the whole of the Prince Albert's side wall.

A stone's throw away, also in the North Laine area, many more works by various talented graffiti artists add energy to Brighton's walls. Amongst them is a 2008 collaboration between British street artists Odisy and Aroe which locals refer to as the Run DMC mural. The piece features Jam Master Jay of the Run DMC hip-hop band playing chess whilst several of the pawns embody other members of the band as well as US rapper Rakim. 

There is a lot more graffiti in North Laine as can be seen below.































































































Note*
For some of the best graffiti in Brighton head to Kensington Street, Regent Street and 
the Prince Albert pub on 48 Trafalgar Street. 

photos: graffiti in Brighton. © ArtworldNow