Study of 125ft mural hits new heights
Demolition work has begun on the Sixties Charles Hocking council housing block in west London, which boasts the UK’S tallest mural painting. The 125ft mural is known as Big Mother and depicts a forlornlooking, spindly mother and child observing the construction of luxury flats all around.
It was painted four years ago from a crane by Stik, a street artist who wanted to promote the plight of the homeless having once been homeless himself. Days before the scheduled demolition, he offered a 3ft study for the mural for sale at Christie’s to support the Mymural Project, which encourages council residents to curate art on their estates. Stik’s painted wood panel, Little Big Mother, was estimated at £15,000 but, perhaps boosted by benevolent intent, sold for a record £52,500.