Efter a Hard Day’s Graft is a brand new public artwork designed by illustrator Laura Darling and based on an idea from Love Lochee, which was funded by the Community Regeneration Forum, Lochee.
Located on Methven Street in Lochee, the 40-metre long mural illustrates workers leaving Camperdown Works, or Cox’s Mill as it was known locally. The mill operated from the 1850s until 1981 and at its peak employed thousands of workers, mainly women.
Laura discussed her design: “I wanted it to feel like you are part of the crowd as you walk along the street. The loose, hand-drawn lines in bright ‘crayony’ colours are designed so that your eye bounces along the drawing, instead of focussing on any one figure.” She spent a week painting the mural with help from local volunteers.
“I started out this project with the aim of illustrating an important part of local history, but when I began painting and got chatting to people from Lochee, it became so much more than that. I was touched by how friendly, warm and encouraging people were and nearly everyone who stopped to speak to me had a connection to the mill, either working there themselves or waiting on the corner for parents/grandparents to finish work.“
Efter a Hard Day’s Graft is part of an ongoing Heritage Trail of public artwork in Lochee. Keep in touch with Love Lochee and IYN Lochee on Facebook.
Besides this stunning project, Laura Darling is an Amps Supporter and along with other local illustrators last year she was chosen by the community to develop Put Your Stamp on Dundee – read more about it here and keep up with how it develops.
