Vibrant vibes: following Banksy’s footsteps in Bristol
A secret hero with spray cans
On a walk through Bristol, you can discover the works of the artist Banksy, as mysterious as he is famous. Despite lots of speculation, his identity remains a secret, but he has gained worldwide recognition through his often socio-critical, ironic, pointed and yet endearing art. Some of his most famous works are to be found in the streets of Bristol, where they appear unobserved overnight, just as they do in many other cities across the world.
Protest with teddy: “The Mild Mild West”
A teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at the police? Sounds crazy at first, but it fits in with Banksy’s socially-critical and provocative art style. The wall graffiti in the Stokes Croft district refers to an event that happened in Bristol on New Year’s Eve 1997/98, where police officers attacked guests at an unlicensed party. “The Mild Mild West” is one of Banksy’s first artworks. In contrast to the creation of his other graffiti works, Banksy painted this piece over three days in broad daylight in 1999.
Hissing and purring: “Cat and Dog”
One of Banksy’s earliest works can be found amongst the collection of graffiti art in Bristol. It shows a graffitiing cat approaching two threatening dogs. The “Cat and Dog” work of art can be admired at the intersection of Foster Street and Robertson Road in the Easton district of Bristol. Regarded as Banksy’s home district, Easton now attracts many fans of the artist who want to explore the beginnings of his career.
Wonderfully absurd: “Well Hung Lover”
The UK’s first legal street art work shows a melodramatic scene: a naked man dangling from a windowsill, escaping from his lover’s furious husband. This mural appeared in 2006 under the title “Well Hung Lover” on the wall of a former sexual health clinic. In the meantime it has been vandalised twice with paint, but it can still be admired thanks to several restorations.
Shimmer of love: “Mobile Lovers”
The “Mobile Lovers” appeared on a door in the middle of a stone wall in 2014. The couple is shown in a close embrace while both are simultaneously hypnotised by their phones. The only light within the work of art comes from the screens that light up both faces. Shortly after its discovery, the artwork was removed from the stone wall by the local Youth Club with a crowbar and sold. The proceeds benefited the club, kicking off a big debate about who street art belongs to.
Flower power: “Valentine’s Day”
The first of the two Valentine’s Day works by Banksy appeared on 13 February 2020. At midnight, Banksy announced on his Instagram account that the work was his. It shows a little girl holding a slingshot. An explosion of red roses and poppies shoots into the sky above it. The graffiti is located in Barton Hill, the place where Banksy began his art.
Protected twice over: “The girl with the pierced eardrum”
“The girl with the pierced eardrum” is a parody of the famous work “The Girl with the Pearl Earring” by Jan Vermeer. In Banksy’s version, however, the pearl earring is replaced by a perfectly positioned yellow alarm box on the façade. Like most of Banksy’s works, it also appeared overnight. The work of art was discovered in October 2014 and in April 2020, an unknown person added a further element. Since then, the woman’s face has been covered by a huge mask that is reminiscent of the coronavirus crisis.
Grandma’s giant sneeze: “Iiachoo!!”
With the work “Iiachoo!!”, Banksy created a massive sneeze that envelops the surrounding rows of houses. It shows an older woman who sneezes so hard that her walking stick and handbag slide out of her fingers and she loses her dentures. The painting was created on a wall in Vale Street, the steepest residential street in England, with a 22-degree gradient. This creates the spectacular visual effect that the neighbouring houses seem to tip over from the woman’s sneeze. The work of art was revealed at the end of 2020, a few days after the decision to administer coronavirus vaccines in the UK.
Header - Photo by Stephen Hyde on Alamy Stock Photo
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