Bansky and Bristol's Art Scene

Street art above a restaurant in city center

          When most of you see graffiti what do you think? Do you link it with crime? With being in a bad neighborhood? That's usually how it's seen in the states. However, in England and in many other parts of Europe, street art is just as legitimate as any other form of art. I know that  many of you love art, so this week I am going to focus on street art in Bistol. I'll specifically be talking about the artist Bansky since he started out here.

Graffiti or Art?

          In the U.S., all graffiti is considered vandalism by law. Legally, there is no difference between art and tagging. Many people also share this same viewpoint. Most of my family members consider all graffiti to be vandalism and consider none of it to be art. In the U.K. however, the laws and viewpoints are different. In the city of Bristol specifically, graffiti is totally allowed (in most places) and most people support it. As a matter of fact, one of my friends called Bristol's street art scene as "one of the best in the world". The city of Bristol has worked with organizations like Global Street Art to created areas around the city where graffiti artists can have free reign. Because of this, Bristol is considered to be a "painted city". In areas like the city center, most buildings allow paintings on their walls and even use them as forms of advertisement. Many apartment buildings, especially student accommodation,  boast massive murals along their sides as well. 

a painting in city center used to advertise the Little Chinatown neighborhood

 

A mural on a residential building

 

a mural on student accommodation

          Graffiti itself is a sub-culture here in England. The street art culture is now very much tied with the identity of Bristol as a city. You can do graffiti walking tours, visit pop-up galleries, and can even take street art classes. To many, especially people in younger generations, having your house "tagged" is considered an honor and can even increase the value of your home. Even older generations are getting more into it and have become more accepting. Some people are still against Banksy's messages, however, and will take opportunities to vandalize his work. Many of his pieces have been destroyed over time by those who disagree with his viewpoints.

So who is Bansky?

          Banksy is a political street artist who started out here in Bristol. His identity has always been a secret, so he is only known by his alias. He started off as a normal street artist in the 90s, and eventually grew to be a worldwide phenomenon. All of his works depict anti-war, anti-capitalist or anti-establishment themes. Once he started making money off of his work in Bristol and London, he began painting in other countries. Some of his other most famous works are in Gaza. My friends describe Banksy as "clever with the whole secret identity thing, interesting and important political messages, and just generally very talented". My friend's grandma however described him as "a vandal. Not an artist". Most of my friend's with younger parents who grew up around the time of Banksy's rise say that their parents love his art and how he uses it to get people's attention on political issues. Some are even conflicted because they agree with his messages but disagree with graffiti. The opinions on his art are very much generational, as are the opinions on graffiti in general.  

Banksy's Most Famous Bristol Pieces

Well Hung Man (painted in 2006) is the first piece of legal street art in the U.K.! This piece is just on the other side of the street from where I live and I never knew its importance until not too long ago. The paint splatters are not part of the original painting and are actually a result of a vandal with a paintball gun. However, Banksy liked the addition and has made no attempt to fix it. This piece is a huge tourist attraction,  especially because of its convenient location in the city center.

 The Mild Mild West was drawn in response to all of the unlicensed raves in the 90s that got shut down by police. The painting was specifically created after riot police attacked party-goers. This part of Bristol, known as Stokes Croft, has been well known for decades as being the center of rave culture within the city. Lots of abandoned warehouses means lots of places to set up a DJ and have a party.

 Queen Elizabeth II as Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie) painted to commemorate the Her Majesty’s Jubilee (the 60th anniversary of her ascension as queen). This painting can be found just across from Bristol's major hospital and just down the road from the main university campus.

 

Girl with a Pierced Eardrum  is a parody painting of Vermeer‘s Girl with a Pearl Earring, but instead of an earring it's a security alarm (hence the pierced eardrum). Banksy painted this piece as a deceleration that reports of his arrest were all false. Sadly, the piece was vandalized within 24 hours of its appearance as someone threw black paint over the woman's face.

In Conclusion 
          As I've said, graffiti is a huge piece of culture here in England, and especially in Bristol. While some see it as a crime, most see it as art. Whether it is saying something political or is just a pretty picture, it can be found everywhere. There is actually a lot of graffiti in downtown Portland. Have you seen any? Maybe the "Keep Portland Weird" piece on SW 3rd? Do you see this graffiti (or any graffiti) as art or as a crime? Do you think that Bristol's initiative to have legal graffiti zones is a good idea? I'd love to hear your opinions!