A giant mural featuring the Roman god of the sea Neptune will appear at Edward Street Quarter in Brighton when renowned local artist Cosmo Sarson installs his work. At 10 meters high, the artwork will be one of the city’s biggest murals and looks set to become a meeting point for locals, as well as a tourist attraction in its own right.
Cosmo revealed his designs in a time lapse video where he discusses the challenges of creating an oil-style painting on an epic scale. Project developers First Base with Brighton and Hove City Council commissioned the classically trained painter to deliver this vibrant addition to Brighton’s thriving street art scene after a competitive selection process.
“Brighton started off as a fishing village hundreds of years ago and this area was once a thriving hub for the fishing industry. Part of the brief was to showcase its heritage. As well as marking the entrance to Edward Street Quarter, I hope this classical God of the sea creates an iconic image for Brighton, ” said Cosmo, who lives in Hanover.
“It’s been a very exciting process because, while I’m known for large scale murals, I’m also known for my oil paintings. I don’t think creating a mural on this scale in the style of an oil painting has ever been done before! I’m looking forward to seeing how the brush work translates onto a larger canvas.”
The time lapse video reveals a smaller version of Neptune, which will soon be printed on ceramic tiles and mounted onto laser-cut steel. The mural will then be installed on an exterior wall at Edward Street Quarter, Brighton’s newest neighbourhood, a mixed-use development under construction on the site of the former AMEX-house site.
A total of 37 artists put themselves forward for the job, but Cosmo was set apart by his experience creating large-scale urban artworks and his distinctive style – dubbed ‘classic with a twist’. Cosmo created the hand painted ‘Angel of Brighton’ mural, a three-story fresco, which depicts a winged woman rising from the ashes against a glittering gold background in the North Laine.
Neptune will join Cosmo’s latest cackling seagulls mural at Brighton Palace Pier which is also ten metres high and features two seagulls with human bodies in striped blue and white deckchairs, laughing and holding hands.
“Brighton is well known for its street art culture and we hope Neptune will be part of the fascinating tours of the city’s best outdoor art. We also predict Neptune will soon become a local landmark and an easy place for people to meet locally – he will definitely stand out in a crowd! We can’t wait for the big unveil later this year. Edward Street Quarter will be home to creative and digital businesses, residents and cafes and shops, so this beautiful piece of art will add to the vibrancy of the development,” added Steve Eccles, Project Director at First Base.
Cosmo was internationally celebrated in 2013 for his giant mural of ‘Breakdancing Jesus’ which he painted opposite Banksy’s iconic ‘Mild, Mild West’ in Bristol. As a freelance scenic artist, Cosmo’s artwork can also be spotted in blockbuster films including Dumbo, The Favourite, The Avengers – Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy and Tomb Raider.
