A real Banksy?

A few weeks ago a new piece of graffiti appeared on a run down wall of a former garage just round the corner from where I live. This would not exactly be anything of note in a city such as Bristol, apart from this particular piece also had the tag of Bristol’s most famous wayward son Banksy. This was enough to ensure small groups of people gathering to take the obligatory snaps on their phone, and got one teenager so excited he ran towards me as I was on the phone and started screaming “that’s Banksy that is” as I tried be ever so cool and continue with my call as if he wasn’t there. Other than my new phone-call interrupting friend, most people are not convinced it’s a genuine piece, with the questions being “If it’s not Banksy who is it?” and “who the hell is Mason Storm?” Judge for yourself…

bristol loves bikes

I tend to walk most places, even with a bike and all the necessary gear (snowboard helmets double up as heavy duty cycle helmets I was told) sat in my hallway ready and waiting to be taken out, I still opt for using my feet. But I am always in favour of using a bike over a car when the distance really is too much for the feet to cope with, and an exhibition in the foyer of Hamilton House last spring had a brilliant collection of vintage inspired posters to encourage everyone to ditch four wheels and use two instead.

http://www.thebristolbikeproject.org/
http://coexist.hamiltonhouse.org/

Bristol graffiti

I moved to Bristol in the summer of 2009, and joined the back of the queue to go see the sell out Banksy V Bristol Museum. But it’s only after living here for nearly 2 years that I really appreciate the joy of west-country street art, it’s a mixture of Bristol’s laid back nature, and its deep sarcasm (some of the anti-Tesco art that has appeared in Stokes Croft following the now infamous campaign and protest have been inspired) that allows all graffiti that doesn’t offend, the good, the bad and the celebrity, to remain pretty much untouched and exist for the enjoyment of others.

Carnival and sunshine

http://www.stpaulscarnival.co.uk/

Keeping the doors open

Jamaica Studios describes itself as Stokes Croft cultural heart and houses a diverse bunch of illustrators, artists, textile designers and even an embroiderer tucked away in its rabbit warren of white cubes (admittedly white cubes with a fantastic view and great natural light to work in). But now continued operations are under threat and they need to raise 1 million to buy the building and secure the future of the building, part of this has become the annual open studio event were locals get to gaze at the artwork and if we have the cash to splash take it back home with us. As an added fundraising bonus each of the artist has donated a small-framed canvas to the cause that was auctioned Sunday afternoon and you would be pretty hard pushed not to find a style of art to suit all tastes.

The real joy for me though was getting to see not just the diverse array of talent but of the diverse personalities up on display as well as the artwork, from the inspiration walls of Illustrator Bjorn Rune Lie to the cubby-holes and pot plants of Textile designer Harriet Powis. Every artist had their studio set up uniquely to their own needs and is unintentionally giving us a secret glimpse of the creative working life of the studios for the other 364 days of the year.

Tales of vegetable planting by the artist and the obvious involvement of local business such as niche framing in the art auction help to prove the point noted in the fundraising brochure

“The positive effect of artist on our cities is too often underestimated…artists have brought so much more to enliven an area than the developers who have followed them”

Here’s hoping that there will be another open studio event to wander around and wonder at next year rather than a soulless block of flats to walk past.

Article first published in Bristol Design Festival blog: 08/06/2009

http://jamaicastreetartists.co.uk/homepage-c-464.html
http://bristoldesignfestival.com/
http://bristoldesignfest.wordpress.com/