Capuchin Lane - Dermot Clarke
The People's Patch
Hereford-based artist Dermot Clarke creates fun, bold mixed-media murals. Over time his practice has become less literal, exploring abstraction and representation, taking inspiration from Henri Matisse and Victor Vasarely.
As well as teaching at the Hereford College of Arts, Clarke works as a freelance fine artist and graphic designer, with specialist areas in technical illustration, graphics and fine art. He has created illustrative branding and murals for a broad range of local businesses in Herefordshire and nationally.
Clarke explains how his design process took shape: "First of all I spent a bit of time in the passageway and I looked at how I could bring a bit of fun and humour to the space, and make it feel a bit softer. I wanted to focus on a minimalist surface pattern to really enhance the space."
His mural design draws on the history of Capuchin Lane and the distinctive shapes found in an everyday vegetable: "I didn't want to go too literal with the design as people would see it in their peripheral vision as they walk through the passageway. It is loosely inspired by cabbages because the original name of this passageway was Cabbage Lane in the 13th century, so I played with the cabbage motif as a vehicle for surface pattern design. I bought a load of cabbages, and started sketching them and extracting different shapes and patterns. They have really beautiful shapes when you look closer."
The final design was developed in partnership with the Church Street Charitable Trust, who represent the independent shop owners sited along Church Street, and other surrounding businesses.
The artwork is no. 5 on the Hereford Public Art Trail.