 New artworks are to be installed at three Metro stations tonight (Thursday, November 23) as part of BALTIC’s Spank The Monkey exhibition. Posters by Los Angeles-based urban artist Shepard Fairey are to go up at Heworth, Regent Centre and Four Lane Ends stations. The posters are part of Shepard Fairey’s Obey campaign and link in with art already in place on a tunnel wall outside Jesmond station and on the retaining wall of the car park between BALTIC and The Sage Gateshead. The work has been commissioned by BALTIC to go into spaces usually used for advertising above staircases at the three stations. Andy Bairstow, Nexus Communications Director, said: “Spank The Monkey has excited a great deal of interest on Metro. It creates something different, colourful and thought-provoking for our passengers to enjoy on their daily journey. “BALTIC has commissioned this work from leading international artists and we are happy to support the gallery in providing temporary homes for the art around Metro. “Spank The Monkey is in the spirit of Spencer Tunick and Antony Gormley’s Domain Field – an art event that has an impact far beyond the gallery that hosts it.” Peter Doroshenko, BALTIC Director says: “Spank the Monkey has proved to be a hugely popular exhibition both inside BALTIC and on the streets of Newcastle-Gateshead. “In providing sites for a fantastic array of offsite works by internationally renowned urban artists, Nexus have enabled us to reach new audiences outside the gallery setting. We are proud to announce these new works by Shepard Fairey as the latest addition to this exciting programme.” Nexus offered to take part in Spank The Monkey as part of its Art in Public Transport programme, which over 30 years has commissioned a wide range of temporary and permanent artworks on Metro, at bus interchanges, ferry landings and beyond. BALTIC’s Shepard Fairey commissions at Heworth, Regent Centre and Four Lane Ends remain in place until the end of January. Existing Spank The Monkey works on Metro, until January, include: A 10-metre mural at Byker Metro by Chicago-based Dzine. The mural space at Byker has previously been used by a number of community groups to display art in the last two years, including old people’s groups and refugees. Local people had asked Nexus for it to continue to be used for changing temporary displays.
Mini murals by Space Invader at Gateshead Interchange, complementing those elsewhere in Newcastle and Gateshead.
Two 20-metre long sequences of work in the empty platform spaces at Jesmond station. On the side heading towards Gosforth there are works by Faile (two artists from New York) and Shepard Fairey of Los Angeles, and UK artist Neasden Control Centre. On the side heading towards Haymarket are works by Os Gemeos (twin brothers from Brazil) and Barry McGee (San Francisco).
Howdon station underpass has been painted with a further installation, collaboration between Os Gemeos and Barry McGee. Next month the Dzine work at Byker will be replaced by a new giant mural, this time produced by UK artist Neasden Control Centre. The image shows one of the Shepard Fairey images going into advertising space at Four Lane Ends and other Metro stations.
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