Street Art in Bristol: Where The Wall.
- 1life2dream
- May 3, 2017
- 3 min read
Bristol a culturally diverse city in the south west of England, widely known for it's music, theatre and less widely known by some for it's street art, although fast becoming Europe's street art capital.
Being a Bristolian, sometimes it is easy to forget what lies on your own doorstep. One Sunday afternoon I decided to do a walking tour of Bristol's street art. Most people have heard of Banksy and are aware of his links to the South West, last year we not that far away we saw Dismaland, but what many people don't know is how much the street art scene thrives in Bristol and it is much more than just Banksy.
In fact walking around Bristol if you look carefully you will spot the work of a whole array of artists on buildings, walk ways, walls and doors. Ranging from the very subtle and delicate to the vivid and animated. Often political, these works of art can make big statements as well as being a beautiful addition to the cityscape. Allowing the people of Bristol as well as local and international artists to have the freedom to communicate their message. Whether it political, personal or pays tribute to someone or something, street art is a form of expression that takes a high level of skill and dedication.
The art work in Bristol is often rapidly changing, so a piece of work can be there one day and gone the next. The skill of hand painted and stencil work can be seen, both require a level of expertise that Van Gough, Monet or Rodin would have been proud of. As new artists emerge they often take their inspiration from existing artists such as JPS, Banksy, and BUZZ (who many pay tribute to in their own work since his passing).
A whole new culture is emerging in this city with the evolution of festivals such as UPFEST, new artists are demonstrating their skill and the response has been very positive. There is a clear distinction between the idea of vandalism as it was often considered in the 80s to modern day street art, these pieces of work are carefully thought out, well planned pieces, with a message, story, personal insight or just sometimes humour that suits the situation. The network between artists all over the world is strong and many travel to others countries to demonstrate their skill with others travelling far and wide to be a part of the street art culture in Bristol.
Local street artists and groups actively secure permission from building owners to transform a concrete or brick wall into a work of art. Many landlords commissioning works and providing a brief to suit their needs.
Works of art can command into the 1000s and 10,000s of pounds. Secure yourself something that has been improved or enhanced by a renown artist and the value of your property can sky rocket, no doubt this will continue as the popularity of street art grows.
Whatever you believe street art to be, it is so much more when you find the time to make that connection with the artist and appreciate their work. This is art on a large scale, taking skill, technical precision, finesse and encouraging the viewer to want to know more about the story, the technique used, the person in the picture, the politics behind the image and much more.
To find out more, take a tour with Where the Wall the street art tour with the local connection. Find out more about Bristol's street art and art culture that expands beyond everything I (as a Bristolian) thought about 'grafitti.'
Thinking about joining the street art movement, join UPFEST from the 29th - 31st July. Europe's largest street art and graffiti festival.
Comments