9 December 2012 Last updated at 09:08

Duke of Lancaster: Street art murals on beached ship

Duke of Lancaster with Kiwie pirate (left) and Pirate Emil (right)

A decommissioned cruise liner has become the home to a range of urban artwork murals. The Duke of Lancaster has been docked on the banks of the Dee estuary in north Wales since 1979. (All art image photos by Annar 50)

Street artists from across Europe, including Hungary, Latvia and Russia, have taken to leaving their bright and often surreal works on the stranded vessel. Some of the work has been completed at night. Here the Council of Monkeys stretches the full height of the hull.

The artwork is coordinated a group called, DuDug - a wordplay on the Welsh for "black duke" - which is campaigning to have the site reopened to the public as the centre of an arts festival.

The street artists, with names like Zombie, Bungle, The Cream Soda Crew, MrZero, Soulful Collective and SweetToof, create works that offer their comment on modern life. This one, by MrZero, is called the prophet of profit.

One of the people behind the project, Maurice said: "I was travelling to Dublin when I spotted her from the train. I almost pulled the emergency cord. I knew then I wanted to attempt something special." Here, MrZero offers his interpretation of Black Duke.

Street artist Goin spray paints the hull of the Duke of Lancaster

The street artists often work for days to put their imagination in to paint on the ship's hull. Maurice said she has 22 street artists signed up to help make the Duke of Lancaster an open-air gallery.

Eduk the Diver is the largest work on the ship so far. Created by The Cream Soda Crew, a four-strong team based at nearby Colwyn Bay, Conwy, it is an estimated 14m (45ft wide) and 18m (60ft) high.

The eye-catching work Mauricamia, by London-based artist Fin DAC, stretches the full height of the Duke of Lancaster's stern. It is the one area on the ship which cannot be seen from the coastal road. The aim is that it will only be seen by most people if the vessel is once again opened to the public.

North East Wales

Duke of Lancaster: Street art murals on beached ship

Share this page

Related Stories

Services

About BBC News