Street Stories Wolverhampton to Launch With Local Legend Goldie “Delighted to Back This Project”

"It’s amazing to see the seeds we planted three decades ago, still bearing fruit today. I’m delighted to back this project." – Goldie

The first superstar of the breakbeat jungle movement, Goldie pioneered drum’n’bass as a form of musical expression. He was involved with breakdancing crews around Wolverhampton while refining his talent for graffiti. Going back to his roots, Goldie has now become part of Street Stories, an initiative to reignite city centres by filling vacant shops with exuberant artwork.

Street Stories is a project to make city centres thriving, exciting places to visit. Launching in Leicester, it has since swept Colchester, Stirling, and is set to land in Wolverhampton in collaboration with Enjoy Wolverhampton BID. Instead of vacant shops reminding us of economic struggle, our cities can be beautiful open-air art galleries which are a joy to stroll through. This draws attention to the empty store space to bring in new business too. For this fourth Street Stories, Goldie’s story will be told as something of a headline act. A Wolverhampton legend from humble origins, Goldie is a testament to the fact that our beginnings don’t have to define how far we go in life. Goldie was part of the graffiti revolution in the UK, helping to popularise the medium and bust through class barriers. He would go on to reshape jungle and drum ‘n’ bass.

‘Inner City Life’ is a particular reflection of his early experiences in Wolverhampton.

“My experience in art is reflective of my music . . . It’s reflective of my soul.”

On coming up as an artist from humble origins, Goldie said: “As long as you do, to the best of your ability, what you really want to pursue, and your dream, you could be anywhere.”

Goldie’s own graffiti will be integrated with young artist Eve Whitfield’s digital portrait of the man himself. Eve is a recent graduate from the University of Wolverhampton. She achieved a first and won an award for outstanding professional development in visual practice.

Eve’s specialty is semi-realistic portrait illustrations. She loves to capture people and their stories in her work, so she was an ideal candidate for Street Stories. Her portrait subjects include Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and now Goldie. Her other subjects include cars, food, and character illustrations of Jesse Pinkman, Walter White and a range of Star Wars favourites.

Street Stories Wolverhampton is set to launch in March and April, with eight fantastic artworks being installed across the city centre. The project is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered by Enjoy Wolverhampton BID.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/wolverhampton/2024/03/24/watch-as-goldie-gives-the-seal-of-approval-to-piece-of-artwork-depicting-him-in-wolverhampton-city-centre/