New nature mural brightens Western Approach

Plymouth city centre has a new bit of colour to look at this week. A nature-themed mural went up on Morley Court, over on Western Approach, and the reaction from people living and working nearby has been positive. It is a big piece, and it has turned a wall that used to get tagged regularly into something people actually want to stop and look at.

The work is by Jordan Lauder, a Bude-based artist who goes by the name SpraySaint. Originally from Essex, Lauder spent three and a half days on the wall, and what he left behind is a woodland scene: a large stag takes centre stage, surrounded by rabbits, a squirrel, butterflies and a fox, all set against a forest background. It is a lot of detail for a wall that used to be nothing more than dark, tagged brick, and that contrast is exactly what the commission was about.

Plymouth Community Homes, the city's largest social housing landlord, commissioned the piece as a way of dealing with a wall that was frequently tagged with graffiti. Sarah Chidgey, a housing officer at PCH, put it plainly: the idea was to replace a dark, tagged brick wall with something vibrant and full of nature. It is a practical bit of thinking that has landed well with residents, who have been quick to welcome the change. PCH looks after more than 16,000 properties and homes for over 35,000 people, with its head office at Plumer House, and the mural sits at Morley Court, a residential development in the West End of the city centre. The building itself is a two-storey reinforced concrete structure of about 790 square metres, and there is a bespoke metal replica of Smeaton's Tower standing outside, made and donated by ARC Metalcraft.

This is not the first time Lauder has used art to push back against graffiti. He previously painted a mural for The Lady Eve Vintage shop in Helston, owned by Bee Pellow and Jan Williams, which captured the spirit of Flora Day. At the time, Lauder spoke about the reaction the work got and suggested he should carry on and do the whole street, arguing that street art can lift an area, make it look nicer and draw people in. That same thinking is what has landed this woodland scene on Western Approach.

For a city centre that can sometimes feel a bit grey, a wall full of stags, foxes and butterflies is a welcome addition. It is a simple enough idea — replace a tagged wall with something people like to look at — but it is the kind of small change that makes a noticeable difference to the walk past. Whether you are passing it on your way to work or just live nearby, it is worth a look next time you are near Morley Court.