ALBURY City Council has ramped up its fight against graffiti by having artworks installed in a laneway previously covered in scribble.
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A series of nine portraits by a year 12 student were unveiled on Monday in the privately-owned strip off Townsend Street between West End Plaza and the Fernwood gymnasium.
Deputy mayor David Thurley said it was hoped the art would be a deterrent to vandals.
“It’s part of the council’s general strategy about graffiti,” Cr Thurley said.
“We have previously had artworks put on up a housing commission block in Springdale Heights and we have decorated the power boxes and traffic boxes around town.
“We feel if we make them into something interesting, perhaps the graffiti gangs will leave them alone and respect the art.”
Cr Thurley hinted other CBD lanes may be up for art.
“I’d like to think so, I don’t think there’s going to be a huge rush to paint laneways everywhere,” he said.
“But a lot of cities have got laneways that are not very attractive, so I think there’s a big opportunity.
“It’s got to be controlled otherwise you will get someone come along to do their own graffiti, we want it supervised and authorised.”
The Townsend Street lane project followed the site being recognised as a magnet for graffiti vandals.
In conjunction with the manager of the building on the north side of the lane, real estate agent LJ Colquhoun Dixon, it was decided to adorn it with art.
The city’s youth council than sought submissions and chose the work of Albury High School year 12 student Erin Macdonald.
She had done a series of watercolour portraits in A4 size earlier this year and they were blown up to 90cm x 120cm for affixing to the wall.
Erin, 18, was pleased to see the pieces displayed.
“It’s pretty good, it’s nice to show everyone works and get others enthused in art,” Erin said.
“The inspiration behind the art is that although everyone is unique and different in their own ways, there is a single thread that connects us all.
“The loose watercolor represents the freedom and expression we have in our appearance and gender, yet the continual succession of lines shows we are all connected to one another, no matter what our background, story or gender.”
Erin said people gazing in Albury had been the starting point for the figures in the works.
“I used to sit down in the street and sketch people that walked past and they developed in my head,” Erin said.
Despite her artistic talent, Erin plans to pursue a career in biomedicine and continue to indulge her painting on a recreational level.
