'Legal' graffiti welcomed in city

More than 20 artists will paint on the 360ft DPM wall in the Hilltown

More than 20 of the best graffiti artists from Scotland and Ireland are in Dundee to create new work.

They are painting at the DPM park, believed to be the longest legal graffiti "wall of fame" in the UK.

Each artist will be given a section of the 360ft structure in the Hilltown, which was once a former dairy.

The Paint Jam is not officially a competition - but organisers admit there will be friendly rivalry to see who can create the best piece of art.

The event is part of the "Vapour Trail", which will also feature a screening of Infamy at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) centre.

It's quite unusual and quite progressive for the council to sanction it, because UK-wide, world-wide, it's quite unusual to have such a space because 'graffiti' can be quite a bad word Mark Crilley Vapour Trail

Infamy is a documentary about a group of well-known graffiti artists in America - and one man who is determined to clear the streets of their work.

Mark Crilley, one of the Vapour Trail's organisers, told the BBC Scotland news website how the "wall of fame" was first started a couple of years ago.

"It used to be a dairy - DPM standing for Dundee Pasteurised Milk - years ago," he said.

"Traditionally we've looked for spaces we could paint and this has been the first time that we've had a council-sanctioned space, so literally it is an art space for everyone to use as and when they want.

"It attracts people from all over the UK to come to paint because it's really rare. Some places have vague permissions for people to paint, but this is fully legal.

People are free to use the wall whenever they want

"It's quite unusual and quite progressive for the council to sanction it, because UK-wide, world-wide, it's quite unusual to have such a space because 'graffiti' can be quite a bad word."

However, Mr Crilley wants to promote the positive side of graffiti art and often holds workshops for local children.

"We tend to deal with a lot of kids who can be quite troubled and it is really difficult to engage them in anyway at all," he said.

"Some of these guys do find it quite difficult to focus on something for any length of time, but they will sit with their sketch books at the workshops and they'll sit for two hours straight, drawing and it's incredible focus and attention.

"When they do the paintings it gives them a sense of ownership. It's something for them, it's something they can do without having to have great deals of money."

The Paint Jam will run over Saturday and Sunday, with Infamy being shown on Saturday.

In future years it is hoped to expand the trail further to make it into a festival featuring music acts.