Huge gable-end mural a stylish nod to Dundee’s housing heritage

A huge mural that has been painted on the gable-end of a Hillcrest Homes tenement block in Dundee’s Stobswell is one of the city’s biggest and most colourful artworks.

The impressive masterpiece is the work of artists Fraser Gray and Martin McGuinness, in partnership with Hillcrest Homes and with support from Dundee City Council and paint donors Dulux Decorator Centre. The artwork forms part of the Open/Close series of street art in Dundee, which has seen a trail of vibrant artworks created around the city.

The massive design, which occupies the huge-gable end in Cardean Street, opens up the inside of the building by painting a scene of a Stobswell close on the outside. The mural plays with the building’s dimensions to create a dynamic perspective, and offers a fond nod to Dundee and the Stobswell area through everything from the colour palette to the various visual aspects of the image.

Funding for the mural was also supplied by the Stobswell Forum – a local volunteer community organisation working to improve the Stobswell area.

Artist Fraser Gray said: “The design was chosen as a homage to ‘the close’ – a place that functions as a connection between the family, the home and the community. Injecting bright colour into the environment was also one of the key objectives highlighted through engagement with the local community.”

Martin McGuinness said: “As a lot of people live nearby, we wanted to create an artwork that was visually rich – something that people could look at day after day and still discover something new.”

Hillcrest chief executive Angela Linton added: “We have previously enjoyed a fantastic partnership with Open/Close in Stobswell, where with our support 20 unloved doors were given a new lease of life, becoming canvases for some very bright and creative pieces.

“With this huge gable-end mural being one of the biggest in Dundee, it’s an amazing opportunity to be involved in creating a hugely unique piece of artwork that will not only put Stobswell on Dundee’s creative map, but can be enjoyed by the local community for many years to come.”