TheyAreUs
Our friend Maser has been extremely busy of late with his latest project TheyAreUs which is a collaboration between himself and the legendary Dublin singer/songwriter Damien Dempsey.
Maser wanted to take people’s focus off the current recession by making a tribute to the city he grew up in. He also wanted to acknowledge the homeless community and raise awareness of their plight via artistic pieces that drew influence from the lost art of sign-writing that was ubiquitous around Ireland during the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
Using the poignant lyrics of local hero Damien Dempsey as the content would hopefully drive home the message to the people of the fair city of Dublin that things could be a lot, lot worse. As Maser says, “I chose sign-writing (as a style) because I wanted it to appeal to as many people as possible, not just graffiti writers. So I started researching Dublin sign writing from the ’30s, ’40s, ’50s and ’60s: that was an artform in itself: the typefaces they used, the leading and layouts. It’s a homage to certain people like Kevin Freeney, the sign writer, who back in the 1930s, rambled through Dublin’s streets on a bike or with a pushcart carrying his paints and brushes. He painted over 700 pieces around Dublin town. So, I thought this was an ideal medium because, in a way, it relates to Damien’s music: the concept, the content.’
These pieces span the city from Northside to Southside; Mountjoy Square to Temple Bar, Ballymun to Inchicore and the goal is to raise money for the homeless in Dublin so two vans can serve them hot beverages and food during the winter months ahead. You can visit the They Are us website by clicking here
All proceeds from the sale of the pieces related to this project will go to the Simon Community. The money raised will go towards a medical van which will assist and help homeless people in Dublin.
Screenshots
These screeshots were taken at the time of site launch, the site may have changed since then.
