Mural to invigorate Torquay streetscape

TORQUAY businesses are banding together to work on a new mural that will reinvigorate a local landscape and reduce the likelihood tagging and graffiti.

As a means of trying to stop future graffiti on the SL Webb Property of the Woolworths store (corner of Bristol and Fischer Street in Torquay), members of the local property group and businesses including Woolworths Torquay and One Agency are jumping on board to sponsor a surfing mural.

 

The initiative has the support of the Surf Coast Shire Council; however, the body won’t be providing funding for the project.

Local surf artist Adam Stanley has been commissioned to complete a right-handed surf break on the currently damaged wall feature, with all parties holding hope it will deter future vandalism.

“For a long time there’s been graffiti on the wall and to clean it up costs $600… inevitably cleaning it up most times results in it being tagged again… it becomes a vicious cycle,” SL Webb Property group member Les Webb said.

“To combat that, I had a thought of putting the mural up to advance the art precinct of Torquay while also having it as a potential graffiti deterrent.

“When we saw the slope on the wall we thought it would be perfect for a right-hand surf break.

“When I approached Adam (Stanley), he said he’d absolutely do it and he showed me some of his ideas and we thought it would go great as the mural.”

 

Mr Stanley said he was thrilled to be approached to complete the mural, citing his excitement to get the brushes out in the coming weeks.

“If there is something on the wall, there is definitely less chance of someone graffitiing on it… if you look around all places, most murals don’t get touched,” Stanley said.

“Its definitely exciting… it’s a nice long 30 metre wall… that length is a preference I’d have to paint a seascape on anyway.

“A right hander will suit it and the coast is full of right-handed surf breaks.

“It’ll be good to have a few days of no rain in a row so we don’t have our paint washing off… we think it will take about two to three weeks.”

Mr Stanley has completed a range of murals around the globe and has hundreds of paintings exhibited on outdoor walls and landscapes.

With clear view of where the new mural will sit from his adjacent One Agency office space, Shaun O’Callaghan also expressed his enthusiasm for the project.

One Agency and O’Callaghan will be funding the paint of the project and are “stoked to be supporting this cool community initiative.”

“Not only will the mural help transform and beautify a prominent public space seen by locals and tourists alike, but it will also highlight the work of talented local surf artist Adam Stanley,” O’Callaghan said.

Works will begin on the mural in the next fortnight.The graffiti wall will be transformed into a right-handed surf break mural.

 

The mural will be painted over the top of graffiti on the corner of Bristol Street and Fischer Street in Torquay.