Street artist Chris Ashmore has fiercely defended his mural of snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan on the back wall of the Spot On snooker club in Sheffield, speaking out after critics online compared the portrait of the seven-time world champion to a zombie or a skeletal figure following its partial unveiling.
Here is the kicker, public art always invites strong opinions, but the digital echo chamber can turn a work-in-progress into a viral sensation overnight for all the wrong reasons. While local residents walking past the Langsett Road venue offered mixed reviews, the online mob quickly seized on the unfinished aesthetic.
The Bottom Line
- The Project: Commissioned by the Spot On snooker club on Langsett Road in Sheffield to honor Ronnie O’Sullivan.
- The Backlash: Social media critics likened the unfinished portrait to a zombie, a skeletal figure, or Michael Jackson due to early perspective distortions.
- The Defense: Artist Chris Ashmore explained that the mural is only two weeks into a five-week schedule and lacked critical touch-ups because uneven ground prevented the use of a standard scissor lift.
Perspective Problems and Scaffolding Realities on Langsett Road
When public murals hit the internet before the final brushstrokes dry, nuance usually dies a fast death. That was certainly the case when Chris Ashmore’s tribute to Ronnie O’Sullivan made its unexpected debut on the back wall of the Spot On snooker club. But Ashmore points to a very practical, mechanical reason for the awkward early phase.
“I usually use a scissor lift, where you can stand back and see things as a whole, but I couldn’t use it as the land is too uneven,” Ashmore explained to the BBC, detailing how working from a fixed scaffolding platform severely limited his field of vision while blocking his overall perspective. “When the scaffolding came down, I came away and boom – it’s gone viral.”
When you are inches away from a brick canvas, proportions can easily warp until the final smoothing passes and contrast adjustments are applied from afar.
Managing Fandom, Virality, and Thick Skin in the Digital Age
Public figures in sports and entertainment attract intense scrutiny, and their likenesses often carry immense cultural weight. Yet, the artist remains unfazed by the sudden wave of digital derision.
“I saw people saying it looks like Michael Jackson or a zombie,” Ashmore noted to the BBC. “I’ve got thick skin, I’ll be OK, but it didn’t feel fair.”
With three weeks still remaining on his five-week commission timeline, Ashmore is focused entirely on completing the scheduled touch-ups that will bring the seven-time world champion’s portrait into its intended focus.
| Project Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Artist | Chris Ashmore |
| Subject | Ronnie O’Sullivan (Snooker World Champion) |
| Location | Spot On Snooker Club, Langsett Road, Sheffield |
| Timeline | 2 weeks completed out of a 5-week schedule |
The Broader Cultural Fallout of Unfinished Public Art
Public art used to develop quietly behind hoardings and scaffolding, revealing itself only when the artist laid down their brushes for the final time. Today, every stage of creation is subject to immediate capture by smartphone cameras, stripping artists of the grace period traditionally afforded to works in progress.
As Ashmore returns to the site to finish the remaining three weeks of work, the episode serves as a reminder of how quickly digital commentary can distort creative reality. Whether the final version silences the critics or merely fuels a new wave of online commentary, the mural has undeniably put the Langsett Road snooker club at the center of the cultural conversation.
How do you feel about artists sharing unfinished work in the social media era, or should scaffolding come with a disclaimer? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.
