A photography portfolio of the City and County of Swansea by the author/photographer Chris Elphick
Off Nelson Street
Since starting this Swansea blog, I have become quite intrigued by some of the less noticed avenues down the sides and behind the city centre shops. This one, off Nelson Street is particularly picturesque, in an urban bauhaus kind of way:
The Mond Building
This large Portland Stone building is known as The Mond and was designed by the architeckt C. T. Ruthen. Ruthen also designed a few other buildings of note in Swansea, including the old Carlton Cinerma (currently Waterstones) and the old Exchange building near Swansea Marina. . The building is Edwardian baroque in style and dominates Union and Park Street in the city centre.
The Mond was built in 1911 by Sir Alfred Mond and designed to be the Swansea headquarters of the National Legue of Young Liberals. It is now a Listed building.
The Mond was built in 1911 by Sir Alfred Mond and designed to be the Swansea headquarters of the National Legue of Young Liberals. It is now a Listed building.
Dylan Thomas Needs a Nosejob
Titled 'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Octupus', Peter Fowler's large 9 x 6 metre artwork fronts the old nightclub The Venue and was commissioned as part of the city's 2014 celebrations of the Dylan Thomas Centenary in 2014.
The artwork features the poet along with with an eclectic and rather curious mix of images the painter, and local children he worked with on the project, identified as being iconic to Swansea and to Dylan's writing.
Sadly, the piece, only 2 years old, is starting to appear a little worse for wear. Hopefully it can be fixed up as it would be sad to loose this public art from the city.
The artwork features the poet along with with an eclectic and rather curious mix of images the painter, and local children he worked with on the project, identified as being iconic to Swansea and to Dylan's writing.
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| Peter Fowler's 'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Octupus' |
Sadly, the piece, only 2 years old, is starting to appear a little worse for wear. Hopefully it can be fixed up as it would be sad to loose this public art from the city.
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| Dylan Thomas' nose in need of a little cosmetic work |
The 99p Shop is No More
Another Shop Closure
Yet another shop closure in the city centre:
And notice one of the advertised features promoting the move out of the city shopping centre - free parking. Parking in Swansea is way too expensive and it is way too cumbersome driving around looking for somewhere to park.
Plans may be afoot to reinvigorate Swansea's shopping centre, but it is still sad seeing it deteriorate so fast at the current time.
And notice one of the advertised features promoting the move out of the city shopping centre - free parking. Parking in Swansea is way too expensive and it is way too cumbersome driving around looking for somewhere to park.
Plans may be afoot to reinvigorate Swansea's shopping centre, but it is still sad seeing it deteriorate so fast at the current time.
High Street Graffiti by Photini Matsi
After what might be decades of neglect, High Street Swansea is finally emerging from its chequered history in a blaze of colour. After the opening of the marvellously designed 'Creative Cluster', the latest eye-catching to blossom on the once very troubled street is this gloriously graffiti building, designed by the artist Photoni Matsi. It is an incredible and awe-inspiring site and a timely reminder that whilst more and more shops are closing in the city centre, other areas of the city are trully blossoming:
The piece was created as part of the arts project Station to Station. They tweeted about it with the words "Las year you asked for more colour on Swansea High Street, this spring we are delivering it!"
The piece was created as part of the arts project Station to Station. They tweeted about it with the words "Las year you asked for more colour on Swansea High Street, this spring we are delivering it!"
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