Graffiti and Street Art in Brighton; The Layman’s Guide to the Best Graffiti in Sussex

Brighton Graffiti and Street Art: Looking at photos of great graff in Brighton, but don’t know what to make of it? Then you are in the right place. No longer shall you look at photos of graffiti and street art and be made to feel stupid. At Brighton Graffiti and Street Art, we believe in making the pieces that Sussex has to offer accessible to Joe Everyman – afterall, isn’t that the point of graffiti and street art?

We don’t just want to give you a concise archive of the best pieces of graffiti in Brighton, we aim to go that extra step to share the best Graffiti in Brighton, and then explain a little more about it. Be it stencils, spray can art, marker pens, stickers or anything made by a creator of graffiti, our explanations of the Graffiti here in Sussex will be simple and non-patronising, but will allow you to really appreciate the street art we show.

Don’t know your bite from your bomb? Lost between a throw up and a tagger? Check out our Graffiti Glossary to learn the speak, then spy our photographs of the best graffiti and street art in Sussex, and you’ll get to grips in no time with all the dope pieces you want, without feeling like a total toy!

If you don’t know what we’re talking about, learn more about graffiti and street art terminology here. Or, learn about the history of modern graffiti.

Simply scroll down to Categories Section to look at the Graffiti and Street Art that Brighton has to offer. With stencil graffiti, spray can art, stickers, wheat paste posters or alternative street art, it’s without a doubt the best graffiti in Sussex!

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‘War is Naughty’ Stencil Graffiti, Edward Street, Brighton

'War is Naughty' Stencil Graffiti, Edward Street, Brighton

Click on the Image above to see a larger version

WHERE: On the corner of Edward Street and Grand Parade, on the grey building beside Fitzhugh Gates Solicitors

PIECE BY: unknown

LEGAL: No, this graffiti stencil is an art crime.

OUR RESIDENT ART EXPERT, SAYS:

This stencil is a good piece of graffiti. Not only does it employ the effective method of sending a highly political message via the medium of humour, but it does it in three words “War is naughty”! The horror of war is a common focus of graffiti, and it can be dealt with in many different ways. However, we like this piece as it pokes fun at the ridiculousness of war and is simple enough to stick in the mind. Bravo, we say!

‘Colleen is a…’ Graffiti, behind the Thistle Hotel, Brighton

'Colleen is a vaginal infection'

Click the image above to see a larger version

WHERE: Behind the Thistle Hotel on Brighton Seafront, by Brighton Pool Valley Coach station.

PIECE BY: Anon.

LEGAL: No, this graffiti is illegal.

OUR RESIDENT ART EXPERT, SAYS:

We’ll be honest, this needs no introduction, it’s not art, we just thought it was funny! Want to know how to do graffiti in its most insulting form? This clinches it! It brings the dis right down to where it hurts (quite literally!)

It’s probably a good thing this graffiti is no longer up. Poor Colleen!

‘Muggle’ Tags Graffiti, Various Streets Around Brighton

Muggle Tag, Gardner Street, Brighton

Muggle, Lamppost, Preston Circus

Muggle, Garage Door, Preston Circus

Muggle, Grit Bin, 7 Dials

WHERE: These  tags by Muggle are on Gardner Street in the North Lanes, Elder Place at Preston Circus, and the Grit bin tag is outside the Shakespeare’s Head pub on Howard Place.

TAGS BY: Muggle

LEGAL: No, these graffiti tags are illegal.

CAN I  SEE IT: Yes. You can check these graffiti tags out!

OUR RESIDENT ART EXPERT, SAYS:

These graffiti tags are the perfect example of the sort of tags that are prolific on the streets of Brighton. They can’t really be called pieces or even street art, and although not particularly thrilling to look at they show how taggers get up their names around town. Using marker pens instead of a spray can, and focused in Seven Dials and Preston Circus, Muggle is obviously making it clear to anyone in the neighbourhood that this is the patch where he operates as a graffiti artist.

Have you seen more tags by Muggle? If so, let Brighton Graffiti and Street Art know!

UPDATE: So, it turns out that Muggle is a musician based in Brighton, UK. Tagging is one way that DJ’s can get their name known around town! Check out Muggle’s Myspace page.

‘Fuck the System’ Stencil Graffiti, William Street, Brighton

Fuck the System, Brighton Police Station

Click on the image above to see a larger version

WHERE: On William Street. Just behind Brighton Police Station. This stencil appeared all the way along the back of the police station on the pillars.

PIECE BY: Anon.

LEGAL: No, this is definitely an illegal stencil!

OUR RESIDENT ART EXPERT, SAYS:

Although we’ve seen this self explanatory stencil in numerous places around Brighton, this illegal stencil graffiti is on almost every pillar down William Street on the back of the police station. We like how this graffiti artist has cheekily flirted a very strong anarchist message on the back of the police station itself. They obviously weren’t doing a very good job this day!

Protest Point Stencil Graffiti, London Road, Brighton

Protest Point, London Road

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WHERE: Just behind London Road. On Providence Place/St. Peter’s Street, just behind London Road and near to St. Bartholomew’s Church.

PIECE BY: Anon.

LEGAL: No, this is an illegal stencil

OUR RESIDENT ART EXPERT, SAYS:

Another anarchist piece of graffiti. This affirms the power of protest – often the only influence we have over government. It is obviously a take on the fire assembly point sign. Although this is a clever stencil, it’s a shame this is tucked so out of the way because not many people will see it!

Chances are it’s still there, much of the graffiti in this area remains in place for a good period of time. Can you find it?

North Street Graffiti, Brighton

Mickey Mouse Graffiti, King’s Place

Mickey Mouse Graff, Detail

Rolf Harris Kangaroo, Kings’ Place

Click on the thumbnails above to see the larger version

WHERE: Head down North Street from Churchill Square. Just after Barclays bank on the left is King Place. If you turn down here, take the first right and then the first left and this graffiti is on the surrounding walls (If it’s still there!)

PIECE BY: Saber, Retna, Ewok.

LEGAL: This is a commissioned mural.

OUR RESIDENT ART EXPERT, SAYS:

Once again this is a great example of some of the commissioned murals available to see around the centre of Brighton. Although near the main road, this piece is well hidden so it hasn’t been bombed over. The first piece shows Rolf Harris as a Kangaroo, homage to Harris himself, as it is drawn in his style. It says “Frosty Freeze RIP”. Unfortunately even we can’t decipher the wildstyle lettering.

However, if you look more closely at Rolf Harris Kangaroo, just to the right between the mural and the green lettering on the doors, you can see a pink stencil at the top of the pillar. Does it look familiar? It should! It’s the same stencil as on the Bond Street Graffiti. Whether this is just a separate tag or if the artist had a part in creating this mural, we aren’t sure. You decide.

The next piece depicts a hip hop version of Mickey Mouse. He has gold teeth, his ears are speakers and he holds an Uzi in each hand. Hip hop was and is a great influence on graffiti, so it’s good to see this influence so clearly. All in all, these pieces are excellent and they are nice and bright. Good fun we think!

Orchid Flower Tag Stencil Graffiti, Marine Parade and Gloucester Passage, Brighton

Red Flower, Gloucester Passage

Blue Flower, Marine Parade

Click on the thumbnails above to see a larger version

WHERE: Red flower: Head down Gloucester Road towards the Old Steine. You will see The Eagle pub on your left hand side. Immediately after the pub there is a mews, and if you turn left into it you notice a small alleyway leading onto Gloucester Street. This is on the same alleyway as the “what if this is it?” graffiti.

Blue flower:  Marine Parade. This piece was (unfortunately) on the side of the old Victorian lift headed down towards Concorde 2.

PIECE BY: Anon.

LEGAL: No.

OUR RESIDENT ART EXPERT, SAYS:

These are beautiful tags. They’re stencils, but are quite intricate so you wouldn’t know it unless you know what to look for. They are a simple but effective take on the common tags that you see everywhere. There may well be more of these graffiti tags around Brighton, but we haven’t spotted any more yet. Have you seen any? Let us know.

Perhaps there are more of these around, and perhaps they are all different colours! It’s nice to see tags that add a bit of colour to the world of vandalism! They may not be around for long so check them out while you still can.

Anti-capitalist poster graffiti, Trafalgar Street, Brighton

Capitalism poster, Trafalgar Street

Click on the image above to see a larger version

WHERE: As you come out of Brighton train station, turn right and then left onto Trafalgar Street. Walk under the bridge and this poster is just on your left hand side on a rail access doorway.

PIECE BY: Anon.

LEGAL: No, this is an illegal piece of graffiti.

OUR RESIDENT ART EXPERT, SAYS:

Another anti-capitalist anarchist piece of graffiti here, and it is right by the train station so that it doubtlessly receives a great deal of attention from commuters and tourists. The sentiment behind this wheatpaste poster is obvious, but it is also probably a statement about the tourist trade in Brighton.

In summer many thousands of people pour out onto the streets of Brighton to shop in the city centre and the Lanes. As any resident of Brighton (and probably East Sussex) will be able to tell you, while the Lanes are lovely, that’s only when they aren’t busy and the city centre is dire pretty much all of the time! Brighton has a great deal more to offer than the tourists really see in the capitalist shopping centre. It’s a seaside resort after all!

We’ve decided that this is a very cool piece of graffiti.

Revenge of the Mad Cow Stencil, St. James’s Street, Brighton

Cowman Slaughters Mancow

Click on the image above to see a larger version

WHERE: This mad cow is on the side of a boarded up shop on St. James’s Street. If you walk up St. Jame’s Street from the centre of Brighton, this piece is on the left hand side just before you reach Dorset Gardens.

PIECE BY: Anon.

LEGAL: No, this is an illegal piece of graffiti.

OUR RESIDENT ART EXPERT, SAYS:

This is another very political piece of graffiti. Although it’s hard at first to tell what’s going on, if you look closely you will notice that the man actually has the head of a cow and the cow has the head of a man. The statement is clear – it’s drawing a comparison between man and animal and perhaps the greed that we exhibit as people.

Given the nature of St. James’s Street and the number of large and global corporations that have established themselves here, it suggests that this graffiti isn’t accidentally placed. On this street, there is a Morrisons, a Tesco, a Co-operative and a Starbucks, all of which are considered money makers who will slaughter the competition without a moment’s remorse – and that is exactly what they have done to this lonely boarded up shop.

Then again, perhaps it’s just revenge of the mad cow!

Keep your eyes peeled for more graffiti like this. It’s not always easy to spot if you don’t know the situation in an area, but it can be well explained if you do. Good luck!

Evil Pacman Graffiti, London Road, Brighton

Evil Pacman, Providence Place

Click on the image above to see a larger version

WHERE: On Providence Place/St. Peter’s Street, just behind London Road and near to St. Bartholomew’s Church

PIECE BY: Anon.

LEGAL: No, this is an area prolific in its bombed pieces.

OUR RESIDENT ART EXPERT, SAYS:

This area behind London Road is probably one of the most notorious for illegally bombed pieces of graffiti in Brighton. If we were to document all of it it would take a very long time! Instead we have just taken photos of some of the bits we think you might like. Amongst the numerous tags near to St. Bartholomew’s Church on Providence Place, we discovered this evil pacman figure. It’s a simple piece, but as is often the case with graffiti it involves a new twist on well known characters from pop culture. Graffiti often takes figures like this and takes on a darker edge: It’s tongue in cheek but we like it!