Australian Street Artist Raises Awareness About Environmental Issues With His Stunning Murals

By
Chris L
-

Fintan Magee is an Australian street artist who is known for producing stunning large-scale murals in his native country and all over the world. Magee’s impressive works usually deal with various society-related issues including climate change, environmental disasters, and migrant crisis.

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2016 recap, in Puerto Rico with @santurceesley

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Magee first gained prominence as a graffiti artist in his hometown of Brisbane, before deciding to pursue a degree in fine arts at Queensland College of Art. After obtaining his degree, he moved to Sydney, where he started working on bigger street art projects and he hosted several successful exhibitions.

Magee’s talent was also recognized outside Australia, and he had a chance to exhibit his artwork and paint murals in South Africa, Indonesia, Tunisia, UK, and the United States among other countries.

Although his works touch a variety of topics, most of Magee’s art represents a blend of realism and fantasy through which he tells personal stories that deal with environmental issues.

Check out some of his murals below.

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‘Four men holding Roman column’ work for @startindia in Goa, India India has more foreign workers than any other nationwith 16 million people living and working outside of the country. While many workers contribute to Health, Technology, Education and other skilled service jobs many others end up in low paid, labour intensive jobs in the construction industry. In countries on the Arabian peninsula major projects such as the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah and the World Cup stadiums in Qatar are highly dependant on Indian labour. Many countries have been criticised by human rights groups for their treatment of foreign workers. Painted in Goa, India, this painting depicts four local workers holding a base of a Roman column. The column acts as a symbol of wealth, opulence and imperial power. The workers form the foundation of the structure, holding balance effortlessly. The work speaks on universal aspects of human culture, power structures and workers rights. Asking a simple question, who holds the foundation we walk on?

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The Water Diviner, Barraba, Australia In 2019, drought has continued to grip NSW, Australia. With over %90 of the state in drought Some areas have recorded the lowest January rainfall totals in 100 years, while for many it was the driest in two decades. The extreme heat continues as most of the state recorded the hottest January average in History. Farm water supplies remain critically low for many areas in western and southern NSW, much of which is experiencing "intense drought". Although the causes of drought are complex analyses have found an increased likelihood of rainfall deficits related to human caused climate change. There is also some evidence to suggest that widespread and prolonged droughts, like the Millennium Drought, are worse than other droughts in recent centuries, and may have been exacerbated by climate change. This mural depicts a local water diviner searching for ground water, using a y-shaped twig or rod or two L-shaped ones. Diviners study the landscape of a farm and walk over areas where they suspect the water may be located, ground minerals and magnetic forces force the sticks to cross or be pushed downwards when water is located. Despite many studies claiming the technique is pseudo-science, Diviners continue to be used throughout Australia as a way of finding ground water. This work was created in regional NSW as a way of bringing tourism into Barraba and stimulating the local economy during the drought. Massive thanks to the Barraba public art committee and the TTTT (tackling tough times together) grant

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