Artist Sam brightens up Kingston Bridge with Commonwealth Games-inspired mural

Oct 29 2009 Lauren Crooks

mural

GLASGOW City Council have commissioned a new sport-themed mural to help deter graffiti vandals.

The artwork - which shows a team of swimmers - is being completed under the Kingston Bridge at Anderston.

It joins a number of other murals across the city including nine Commonwealth Games-inspired paintings on all nine of the bridge's support columns.

The council came up with the idea as a way to stop thugs spraying their names and tags all over the city's walls after spending thousands each year to remove the paint.

But one man with a spray can who won't be stopped is street artist Sam Bates - the man responsible for the artworks.

Sam, 26, can be seen under the bridge using scaffolding and a cherry-picker to reach the higher parts of his display.

He said: "I have done a lot of work with the council, because after I did the first one, we realised that graffiti on the wall reduced dramatically. So these murals started as a way of preventing vandalism around Glasgow - although they do have other benefits. This is a positive version of graffiti - one almost everybody can enjoy."

Sam's first project was in the Merchant City, but since then he has brightened up the nine columns of the Kingston Bridge - each with sporting images. He hopes to have completed the painting next week.

Councillor Jim Coleman said: "Crimes like vandalism can have a huge impact. By being pro-active, we can create a cleaner, safer Glasgow."