Painters use graffiti to brighten Wolverhampton underpass

Street artists have transformed the run down subway in Wolverhampton city centre into a multi-coloured wonderland.

Paul Pilgrim, a 43-year-old father of two from Wolverhampton, spent around two years waiting for the go ahead for the project from the city council.

He then invited around 40 artists from as far afield as Cardiff and Liverpool to join forces and give this startling new look to the pedestrian underpass to Wolverhampton's Peel Street car park. And he hopes he can transform many more in the future.

Mr Pilgrim, a full-time insurance salesman and DJ, said: "These guys are the cream of the crop – the best in the country. Each has their own individual style.

"I finally got a date to start the project about eight weeks ago and have been making the final arrangements since then.

"It is a pilot project and if people are pleased with the result it could be the first of many. A lot of the city is grey and dull and this is a wonderful way of brightening it up.

"The local authority told me they wanted stuff with a transport-related theme but these artists have come from far and wide and are giving their time and talent for free, so you cannot tell them exactly what to do.

"They know the rules about no nudity or political messages. I am delighted with the result. It is better than I dared to hope."

Mr Pilgrim concluded: "Street art is a hobby that people have a passion for. It is like fishing. They spend time and money on it because they love it."

Paint for the project was donated by the Dulux Decorating Shop in Walsall and scaffolding towers were also loaned to the crew.

Mr Pilgrim and friends spent two days putting emulsion on the peeling walls of the subway to provide a base on which the artists could spray their work.

The central feature is a portrait of Walsall-born former graffiti artist Goldie, who was well known in the area before hitting the big time. It was produced by Tom McCabe, aged 28, from

Quinton, who said: "It is my way of paying a bit of homage to him. It took eight hours and was hard work but it was worth it. I would be disappointed if immature people came along and defaced it with graffiti."

Former printer Mark Lester, aged 44, from Walsall, who completed a massive 50-foot-long mural in the subway with a friend, said: "I painted with Goldie about 20 years ago. He is a multi-talented guy. This kind of work used to be looked at as vandalism but is now rightly seen as street art, and there is a real market for it."

Mr Pilgrim allocated each artist a 'pitch' of wall on which to work. He explained: "I knew the style of each of them and just mixed and matched. These people are dedicated to painting. Street art has become a lot more acceptable and if you go down the right channels you can get areas like this that are dedicated to it. Hopefully other people will appreciate the effort we have put into this and not try to deface it."

Bryce Davies, aged 30, who had travelled from Cardiff after being invited to take part in the project, added: "Some people produce an outline of their work before they start while others just make it up as they go along. I have been doing this for 15 years and am now able to make a living out of it. I get paid to do everything from repainting somebody's bedroom to large scale work in the community."

Councillor John Reynolds, Wolverhampton City Council's cabinet member for city services, said: "This is a very artistic way of tidying up an eyesore for visitors to Peel Street car park. These artists are very talented and it is great to be able to give them a platform to showcase their work and demonstrate that graffiti can be a welcome addition to an area."