The artists keen to get involved and leave their mark on the Duke of Lancaster begin to come flooding forward and October sees two more artists leaving their ‘corrupt’ statements. Bristolian artist, Bungle, creates his imposing character, ‘The Face of Authority’. This piece was the biggest challenge the artist had ever taken on and the finished result is an intimidating and impressive figure

The Duke's rusting hull has lain derelict off the North Wales coast for 28 years, a corroding bulk jutting into a dramatic seascape. But now, as Darren Devine reports, moves are underway to turn decaying cruise liner the Duke of Lancaster into an open-air gallery

Maurice Blunt had drifted away from the street art scene that defined her teenage years when she spotted the Duke of Lancaster from a train.

For Blunt the moment was an epiphany that left her almost wanting to pull the train’s emergency handle as a vision of “something special” flashed through her mind.

The moment would re-awaken her slumbering enthusiasm for street art and crystallise her role in a movement she both loved and felt semi-detached from.

Her vision was to transform the Duke of Lancaster from a long-forgotten liner into an open-air gallery bedecked in the creations of some of Europe’s edgiest and best-known street artists.

Blunt, who has called her project DuDug (a Welsh play on words for the Black Duke), said: “ I got in touch with some of my old contacts and ran the idea of painting her by them.

“Some were happy to help, others had retired and some new fresh names were thrown into the pot.”

Nowadays she is a 38-year-old Manchester and Dublin-based events coordinator. But Blunt says that although when she was a teenager she admired the work of friends, her own lack of artistic talent meant she was never fully immersed in the culture of street art.


Read more: Wales Online www.walesonline.co.uk/news/need-to-read/2012/12/14/graffi...

Tags:   duke of lancaster ship ferry graffiti mostyn flintshire dock balaclava mask hood razor wire rust The Black Duke bungle

© All Rights Reserved

Ok, time for a story. There are hundreds of photos on flickr of the wonderful graffiti that graces the hull of the old "Duke of Lancaster" passenger ferry that lies in an old dry dock at Mostyn, North Wales (You can read the history of the "funship" elsewhere). But for all the photos, there is one piece of art, to my mind the most beautiful one, which is hardly ever seen. It is "Mauricamai", the geisha girl who was painted on the old car door in the stern of the ship. As has been mentioned elsewhere the whole ship is sealed off by sea on two sides and by barbed and razor wire fence everywhere else, with a permanent 24/7 guard living in a caravan on the site watching the various CCTV cameras.

It is possible to see Mauricamai but only if you circumvent the razor wire by climbing down the rubble and rock below the high water line aft of the ship. But it is steep, extremely slippery, with sharp and jagged steel reinforcing poking out of the slime covered rubble, and ankle and leg breaking holes down between the rocks. You only need to go 40-50 yards but it is a torturous marathon. Don't be tempted to go below the rock onto the mud at low tide. You will disappear fast. As our dog discovered. She sank to her belly immediately and struggled to get out even with four wheel drive. It was clearly extremely dangerous down there. But don't go too high or you break the sky line or what the guard doesn't see with his eyes, the CCTV will capture.

We eventually got into position to take a few shots but felt so uncomfortable about making the difficult journey out decided to go sooner rather than later, taking the higher route that was easier but left us visible to the nearest CCTV camera mounted high on a pole that could see down below the bank where we were. Having taken the easier route out and skirted round the end of the razor wire we were climbing back up towards the path when three men came down towards us striding fast, two carrying sharp, pointed metal tools. The steely set to their faces and the way they headed straight past us heading where we had been pretty well indicated we had been seen, and they were out to sort us out! After all there was absolutely no one else about. Thankfully we must have moved faster than they thought and they didn't match us with the CCTV images, assuming the intruders were still round the back of the ship.

I believe I am correct in saying that only the Queen owns the land below the high water mark and that as long as you stay there you cannot be guilty of trespass. OK we might have popped up above the high water mark, but it could only have been a navigational error and I just needed to get my bearings.

But I have to admit the thought that three men, two carrying improvised weapons to 'greet' us has left me slightly shocked. The light wasn't great. The subject was in shadow. Clambering over those slimey rocks and obstacles was a nightmare. "Mauricamai, I love you, but you aren't worth the hassle!"

Tags:   duke of lancaster ship ferry mostyn dock north wales graffiti art mauricamai geisha black duke ship

© All Rights Reserved

The ship really is rusting now. It's only a matter of time before these images are eaten up by the rust

Tags:   duke of lancaster black ship fun mostyn north wales rust corrosion graffiti mauricamai ferry art

© All Rights Reserved

Irish artist Fin DAC has created a beautiful image, depicting a Geisha character. Titled ‘Mauricamai’, this painting is tucked away around the stern door of the ship. It has been purposefully positioned so it can’t be seen from the coastal path – it can only be seen if the ship’s dock is opened to the public...or you slither across the rocks at low tide to avoid the guard.

For those wishing to be a good geisha, your lesson starts here. You're so good! youtu.be/YPYjR2tcq8c (not suitable for children and prudes)

Tags:   Mauricamai geisha duke of lancaster black duke ferry ship mostyn graffiti rust Fin dac

© All Rights Reserved

Watch the artists: vimeo.com/48299610

Tags:   duke of lancaster mostyn dock ship ferry graffiti flintshire rust

© All Rights Reserved