Power of artin action on the streetsof the city

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then a piece of street art in Southsea speaks volumes about the true power of art.

Residents all over Portsmouth are growing familiar with colourful artworks appearing in public spaces, often bearing the enigmatic signature My Dog Sighs.

In the same way Banksy became an artist of world renown, the artist working under the name My Dog Sighs has a growing international reputation, with a large online following.

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Whereas graffiti was once frowned upon, street art has become an accepted part of the urban landscape, and residents of Southsea have become familiar with, and possibly fond, of one such piece on a boarded-up Bakery shop in Albert Road, titled The Southsea Hug.

The artist has even been known to add seasonal flourishes to his work, sometimes turning into a festive snowy scene in December.

But then another graffiti artist ‘defaced’ the mural with the slogan Feed The Homeless.

Street art defaced by grafitti? There’s a modern conundrum for you.

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But, quick as a flash, My Dog Sighs responded in a positive way by attaching shopping bags to his artwork in which people can drop off food donations to help homeless people.

Removing the earlier message, he wrote instead: Actions Speak Louder Than Words.

And so it proved, people have been keen to donate to the point where the bags were overflowing.

An uplifting sign of the milk of human kindness flowing on the streets of a city, and a reminder that we all have the power to do something positive to help people less fortunate than ourselves.

Art for art’s sake is all very well – but this is art in action.