Leaving Cert Art: Public art, murals & street art
How often Public art, murals & street art comes up on the Art papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.
HL Asked on 3 of the last 3 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker
OL Asked on 3 of the last 3 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker
Quick ones on Public art, murals & street art.
- Studio art
- Site-specific art
- Portable art
- Keith Haring
- Banksy
- Bordalo II
- Public building projects fund art commissions
- Galleries must show a share of Irish art
- Artists pay a tax on each work they sell
Show the answers
(a) Site-specific art
(b) Bordalo II
(c) Public building projects fund art commissions
Higher Level
Asked on 3 of the last 3 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker
Every paper, year by year
| Year | Where it came up |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Q1 |
| 2024 | Q6 |
| 2023 | Q4 |
Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.
More Public art, murals & street art questions
Public art, murals & street art, 2 marks
John Kindness's Big Fish (1999) by the Lagan in Belfast is covered in?
- Stainless steel spikes
- Recycled plastic bottles
- Printed ceramic tiles
Show the answer
Printed ceramic tiles
The tiles carry images and texts about Belfast's history, some made with local schoolchildren. The salmon celebrates the cleaner river's returning life.
Public art, murals & street art, 2 marks
Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate in Chicago has a surface of?
- Woven willow over a steel frame
- Mirror-polished stainless steel
- Painted and polished concrete
Show the answer
Mirror-polished stainless steel
The seamless bean-shaped form reflects the sky, the skyline and the visitors, so the public literally becomes part of the work.
Public art, murals & street art, 3 marks
Why do new public artworks often cause debate in their community?
- Public money, taste and meaning are all at stake
- They must be removed again within a year
- They are put up without any planning permission
Show the answer
Public money, taste and meaning are all at stake
Public art is paid for by, and seen by, everyone. Rows over works like Dublin's Spire show how cost, style and meaning spark argument; many later become loved landmarks.
Ordinary Level
Asked on 3 of the last 3 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker
Every paper, year by year
| Year | Where it came up |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Q2 |
| 2024 | Q4 |
| 2023 | Q3, Q7 |
Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.
More Public art, murals & street art questions
Public art, murals & street art, 2 marks
What is site-specific art?
- Art that can be shown anywhere
- Art only sold online
- Art made for one particular place
Show the answer
Art made for one particular place
A site-specific work responds to its location: its history, people, shape or landscape. Moved elsewhere, it would lose much of its meaning.
Public art, murals & street art, 2 marks
What is a mural?
- A carved stone statue
- A large painting made directly on a wall
- A small portable painting on wood
Show the answer
A large painting made directly on a wall
Murals brighten public spaces and can tell local stories. Irish towns now host street-art festivals, such as Waterford Walls, that add new murals each year.
Public art, murals & street art, 2 marks
Street artist Banksy is best known for which technique?
- Spray-painted stencils
- Oil paintings on canvas
- Bronze casting
Show the answer
Spray-painted stencils
Stencils let Banksy work fast in public. His images often use humour to criticise war, surveillance and consumerism, and he keeps his real identity secret.
Other Art topics
- Art elements & design principles
- Fashion, costume & jewellery
- Galleries, museums & curation
- Graphic design & advertising
- The working artist & career
- Visual Studies Framework
- Art & the environment
- Artists: processes & media
- Artists: theory & thinking
- Craft: textiles & ceramics
- Photography, film & animation
- Architecture & interior design
- Art as social commentary
- Product & vehicle design