As one of the world's street art capitals, there is far more creativity in the streets of Bristol than could ever be summarized in just one blogpost. This city is the hometown of the most recognised name in modern street art - the great Banksy; and he's not alone. But what really stands out about Bristolian street art is its incredible diversity. The colours, themes and styles vary both within and across the city's neighbourhoods, and masterfully capture the atmosphere and mood of each.
Bristol's Stokes Croft neighbourhood is covered from the ground up with art, making the entire area a huge outdoor gallery. The people here live in colour, and don't take themselves to seriously; except on the things that matter, like community and freedom of expression. This is the kind of place where the demolition of an abandoned building often used as a canvas by street artists was recently halted in response to protests by Bristol residents. In Stokes Croft and the adjoining Montpellier residential neighbourhood, art is business, art is a call to action, and it's just plain fun.
Bristol's Stokes Croft neighbourhood is covered from the ground up with art, making the entire area a huge outdoor gallery. The people here live in colour, and don't take themselves to seriously; except on the things that matter, like community and freedom of expression. This is the kind of place where the demolition of an abandoned building often used as a canvas by street artists was recently halted in response to protests by Bristol residents. In Stokes Croft and the adjoining Montpellier residential neighbourhood, art is business, art is a call to action, and it's just plain fun.
Although the density of street art is without a doubt the highest in Stokes Croft and Montpeiller, the rest of the city doesn't go untouched by the influence of public art. The city centre houses one of Banksy's more famous works, a mural of a man hanging off a window ledge after his lover's husband returns. JPS Artist's 'Big Deal' is just around the corner, depicting a business transaction between toddlers. A maritime mural advertises a fish and chips shop called Catch 22. A slightly more unconventional piece, the shoe tree on College Green is both a continually evolving, public piece, and a great mystery. For a different kind of street art, Millennium Square contains a few surprising pieces, including Cathy Pilkington's dogs swimming in a rubber puddle, and the newly installed Energy Tree.
Even the peaceful residential neighbourhood of Cliftonwood is no stranger to being an outdoor museum. In fact, it's colourful houses, each facade painted a different pastel colour, makes it a giant functional installation in itself. To complement this, Cliftonwood street art takes on a very different identity from what may be found in the likes of Stokes Croft. The area's strong sense of community is reflected in the highly cohesive, subtle mosaics scattered sparsely on garden walls and above doors. A mosaic of the neighbourhood itself welcomes visitors to the city's most colourful district, and the Bristolian theme continues throughout. From a permanently parked bicycle planted with flowers, to the hot air balloons that float along the streets, breaking up white walls, this area's art truly captures the light and colourful Bristolian mood.