Gallus Collective have launched a range of two t-shirts featuring the mural of a bagpiper which sits on the corner of Paisley Road West and Mosspark Boulevard in Cardonald.
It comes after the Glasgow Times reported earlier this week a person calling themselves a ‘concerned citizen’ had started a petition to remove the mural due to it being “hostile and provocative” towards a neighbouring Italian restaurant.
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(Image: Katielee Arrowsmith / SWNS) The ‘Cardonald Piper’ t-shirts feature the image by artist Dan McDermott of Spraywell Murals of a bagpiper in full Highland dress with a stag and Highland cow in background with the words “ye ragin aye lol?” underneath.
The mural was unveiled in October last year as the third mural in phase one of the Cardonald Murals Trail.
It has been subject of much discussion this week after a petition was started on Change.org calling for the mural to be removed, saying it was “erected without the consent of the citizens of the G52 Craigton/ Cardonald area”.
READ NEXT: Restaurant owner calls petition to remove bagpiper mural ‘nonsense’
(Image: NQ) The petition starter also claimed it is not a reflection of the surrounding area and was causing “community tensions and upset”.
However Mimmo Rossi, who owns Bella Vita which sits below the mural, said he wanted to make it clear he is “not involved in any of this” after a Facebook post on community page Craigton, Glasgow about the petition sparked the initial debate.
Mr Rossi says he was in fact “delighted” when the artwork was started.
He said: “This is all a lot of nonsense – I want to make it clear that we are not involved in any of this.
“I’m very, very angry about it.
“We actually fed the artist – he came in for lunch and to use the toilets, and he’s a fantastic guy.
“We were delighted to know that he was doing the mural.”
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He added: “People are saying it might be offensive to me because I’m Italian, but that’s a load of rubbish. I love it.”
It has since been reported the ‘concerned citizen’ who started the petition has apologised to Mr Rossi.
The petition has been removed from Change.org. It gained less than 10 signatures in its first four days.
You can view the Cardonald Piper t-shirts at gallus-collective-shop.fourthwall.com.
