I recently spent a few days in Liverpool and didn’t want to miss the opportunity to take a walk through the Baltic Triangle.
Just a short walk from Liverpool city centre and the docks you’ll find the Baltic Triangle. Once an industrial area, it’s since become a cultural hub in the city. In recent years it’s become home to a growing number of creative businesses, cafés and independent retailers.
The name is likely to have come from the area’s warehouses and the trade connection with the Scandinavian countries around the Baltic Sea.
However, what really drew me to the area was its reputation for graffiti and street art. There’s a really strong and vibrant street art scene in the area and I was keen to track some down.
Street art has always fascinated me. There’s always been a fine line between vandalism and art. Artists like Banksy have both divided opinion and pushed forward to genre in recent times. The Baltic Triangle is one of those areas that embraces and invites artists to express themselves .
Street Art vs Graffiti
Generally speaking Graffiti is word based and reasonably egotistical with artists leave their own tags to leave their brand across their town. This is taken to a whole new level with Street Art, where intricate image-based pieces of art are created that can compliment and enhance their location.
“Graffiti predates street art and street art draws its inspiration from graffiti”
Lois Stavsky, Curator of StreetArtNYC
As with all things, whether something can be considered ‘art’ really comes down to the skill of the artist. There’s no doubt that there are some exceptional pieces of work in the Baltic Triangle.
I only had the chance for a brief visit and certainly didn’t discover all the art that’s hidden in and around the area. If you’re looking to find more this excellent blog shows some more examples along with some detailed information on where to find them. Part of me wishes I’d seen that post before my visit but it’s hard to deny that it’s far more rewarding to stumble across these pieces on your own.
A dream location for portrait or street photographers
I’d love to come back to this area and shoot an urban portrait session at some point. The bold colours and contrast of textures and materials are an absolute dream for anyone looking for that urban feel. It’s absolutely chock-full of amazing locations.
I love Liverpool. Its imposing skyline reminds me a little of Rotterdam with its eclectic mix of old and new with the old stone sitting proudly next to the sloping angled glass of modern buildings designed to mirror the waterfront. The Baltic Triangle really embraces that history and will no doubt continue to grow as a creative and cultural hub. I’d really recommend you check it out next time you’re in the city.
Until next time Liverpool, you beautiful thing…
