Painted Castles: Graffiti to the Max!

"QUANTUM SHOT" #532
Link - by Avi Abrams

Some castles are painted by Disney, some by a Brazilian street art gang

We've written about murals on city buildings before, but why stop there? Why don't up the scale and the"wow" factor and turn an ancient castle into a fairy tale canvas? With no limits set to creativity, the results might end up to be as provoking as some Banksy street art masterpieces...

Of course, you'll have to find the abandoned castle first, and such real estate might be in short supply. In this case, the owners themselves commisioned a group of artists to spice up their humble abode... and they came up with -

...Bright Colors!

(image credit: Ben Cooper)

This is the Kelburn Castle in Scotland, close to a wonderfully-named Fairie village (Fairlie, actually) - see here - painted over by Brazillian street artists from Sao Paolo Nina and Nunca Os Gemeos (completed in June 2007):

(image credit: Agnes Frame)

This being a pretty romantic concept, "Painted Castles" end up in gothic romances and other inspiring fiction (see the book cover on the left, for example) - so the stately Kelburn castle (on the right) prepares to get the unusual art treatment:

The plans are made (not on the computer, it seems, but the good-old way):

And the final surreal product simply boggles the mind:

(image credit: Tim Kirman)

As you can see, Brazillian graffiti tradition is very vibrant, color-rich and transient / energetic. Taken out of its urban context, it illuminates the Scottish countryside with bold colors and shines through any rain-soaked misery the world can throw at it...

"Kelburn is thought to be the oldest castle in Scotland to have been continuously inhabited by the same family. The original Norman Keep, designed for defence rather than comfort, was probably built by 1200. The original Keep is now enclosed within a grander castle, completed in 1581." (source)

The street art coolness extends to the roof and chimneys:

(image via)

Here is the time-lapse video of how this castle got painted:

Link

You think this idea is unique and bright colors (some say "thankfully") are confined only to this particular castle in Scotland? Think again, or rather look at this castle in Sintra, Portugal -

(images via)

Often considered the first expression of romanticism in castle architecture, this Palácio da Pena was built in 1839 on a steep hill (see how it almost floats in the clouds); Moorish, Gothic and Romantic influences can be traced in its highly fanciful shapes and colors:

(bottom right photo by Zita Kamugira)

Rather more modern example of a colorful castle in Dublin:

(image credit: Victor)

and in the Czech Republic, the Cesky Krumlov castle is full of colorful spires and unbridled architectural imagination:

(images credit: Omid Tavallai, Nathan Bergeron)

Proper lighting inside the castle can always bring out additional creepiness, or sophisticated artistry of the decor and various set pieces:

(image credit: Robert)

Sun-painted castle

Sometimes nature conspires to show us that some of the most spectacular things are still, well, natural. No painter's hand touched the castle in the next picture (Wawel Castle in Krakow, Poland), and yet the ancient walls are immersed in golden glory of a sunset, the color applied in a smooth, sublime way - but only for a few fleeting minutes...