Cork artists feature on new An Post stamps

AN POST is celebrating Ireland’s street art in a collection of four new stamps.

Two of the stamps feature artwork done by two renowned Cork street artists, Fin DAC and Conor Harrington.

The €1 stamps feature the work of leading exponents of the contemporary art form which had variously been described as ‘guerrilla art’ or just plain ‘graffiti’.

A spokesman for An Post said: “What began as visual art in public locations without permission has quickly grown to become a leading art form in its own right. Urban street art is now a feature of the modern urban landscape allowing artists to communicate directly with the public without the restrictions of the formal art world or the need for gallery space.

“In recent years, street art has itself become mainstream with leading exponents like Banksy getting public attention.”

Conor Harrington, from Cork, but now based in London, paints outdoor murals and traditional gallery artwork.

Fin DAC, also from Cork, is another with an international reputation, working and exhibiting alongside artists such as Goldie, Nick Walker and Jef Aersol.

Fin DAC has recently finished transforming a 100ft long by 35ft wide building facade into a prominent piece of art in Koreatown, Los Angeles.

There was disquiet among some people in Cork earlier this month with a mural by fin DAC on the former Kino Cinema on Washington Street was painted over.

The self-taught street artist behind the mural, whose real name is Finbarr Notte, has created street art both here and abroad. His work was previously chosen to feature on a series of Australian stamps.