An elusive artist is preparing to add his 50th work to the streets of Teignmouth.
The anonymous Ghost TQ14, also known as Teignmouth Ghost, is behind the brightly coloured, pixelated artistry adorning the walls of various buildings in the town.
Ghost stared in the first lockdown when he was living alone and had no internet connection. ‘I had a stockpile of wood, paint and craft stuff. So, to avoid madness, I just started making weird things,’ Ghost said.
A friend told Ghost about a French street artist called Invader, who leaves his Space Invader-tagged work in cities around the world. ‘I thought it would be funny to emulate that but in Teignmouth and tag my work with a Pac-Man ghost,’ Ghost said adding that he has been surprised by the response. ‘People say they see the ghost and it makes them smile and that makes me smile.’
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Ghost set up an Instagram account and Facebook page to document his work and then created an online ghost hunt map for children and adults to find them all.
Then people started requesting them. ‘I’ve had so many requests I have had to say no to anymore,’ Ghost admitted.
Each piece is very time consuming to make. They are hand cut out of plywood, edge sanded and rounded off, then each tiny square is painted twice. Two coats of epoxy resin give the artworks a glassy look and a layer of yacht varnish adds further protection.
‘Some of the more complicated ones can take a few days to make so I can’t really sell them,’ Ghost said. ‘I have had a lot of requests but it wouldn’t be worth it, the materials are not particularly cheap and it is just too time consuming. It was never meant to be about money though I just find it funny and it’s become like a strange little game to me and it gives me something to do when I’m feeling restless.’
Ghost’s immediate plans for the future are to work through a long list of requests as well as preparing for a ‘big one’ to be released over Easter.
‘After that I suppose I will just see, maybe people will be sick of the ghost by then,’ Ghost suggested. ‘I love Teignmouth and lots of people say they like the ghosts and it’s a positive thing for the town so that’s got to be a good thing.’
Ghost’s motivation is enjoyment. ‘I do them because I find it funny. When I speak to people about them and they don’t know it’s me, it makes me chuckle. As long as people like them, and as long as I find it funny, I will keep Ghosting Teignmouth.
Pac Man vs Mario near Teignmouth Back Beach (Jo Bowery / MDA)The tenth ghost – 1 Up Mushroom at Pellew Arcade (Jo Bowery / MDA)Teenage Mutant Ninja Ghosts (Jo Bowery / MDA)Teignmouth’s 20th Ghost was Daffy Duck (Jo Bowery / MDA)Tin Tin and Snowy ghost above Relish on Northumberland Place (Jo Bowery / MDA)My Little Pony prances above Envy Hair Salon on Northumberland Place (Jo Bowery / MDA)Pulp Fiction ghosts keeping watch outside the Oystercatcher cafe (Jo Bowery / MDA)Worms on George Street (Jo Bowery / MDA)Wiley Coyote outside the very helpful Healthy Pet Shop in Teignmouth (Jo Gask)