Fly-tippers put firmly in spotlight thanks to painter
AN ARTIST is going around Manchester painting fly-tipped junk.
Oliver East hopes that by painting items such as discarded wardrobes and cupboards in bright colours, it will make them harder to ignore.
The 40-year-old freelancer, a comic illustrator by trade, believes that communities have become too used to the sight of fly-tipped rubbish on their streets. He says it can take days and even weeks for dumped items to be moved, and says this needs to change.
Dad-of-one Oliver said: “I live in Old Trafford and like a lot of areas in Manchester fly-tipping is a problem.
“It started in about March, there was a fridge down the road that had been there for a few weeks.
“I decided to paint it bright orange as I knew it would be a lot harder to ignore and may get disposed of quicker.
“Then I went out with some paint and painted a discarded bedside cabinet that had been left in pieces near my son’s school.”
Oliver, who also teaches drawing workshops at the Whitworth Art Gallery, has been painting rubbish for several months now, and says most of it he doesn’t even have to search for.
He also stressed that he leaves no mess behind, and even clears what rubbish he can from the area he is working in.
“I’ve done it in Old Trafford, Hulme, Moss Side,” he added.
“I don’t have to go far to find something that has been dumped, I normally just come across it.
“It’s even got to the point where I’ve got friends texting and calling to say they’ve seen something dumped around the corner from where they are if I want to paint it.
“People will stop and ask what I’m doing, sometimes I have to defend my actions, but when I explain a lot of people understand.
“I use a tarp and never leave any additional mess or rubbish.”
After Oliver has painted a piece, he returns and repaints it in different colours until it is moved.
A spokesperson for the One Trafford Partnership said: “Any reported fly-tipping in Trafford is cleared away within 10 working days, so this artist’s painting isn’t on our streets for very long. Although using bright colours is a clever way of making any rubbish left on our roads stand out, we take fly-tipping very seriously and the best way to tackle it is by reporting it to our call centre.
“Our Environmental Improvement Team investigates instances of fly-tipping and will take action where offenders can be identified. It is frustrating for residents who value where they live and it costs the council money to remove it, money which could be better used to help protect other essential services.”