On the hunt for Banksy

Yesterday, some locals recommended that I visit the neighborhoods of Clifton and Stokes Croft because these two areas best showcase the differences in the city. I followed this advice and visited both neighborhoods in the morning. While Clifton is the neighborhood with the deepest pockets, Stokes Croft is full of craftsmanship, art, cultural offerings, and a diverse mix of people with various styles. However, it is also evident that Stokes Croft has more homeless and disadvantaged people. However, I decided to hold off on taking pictures in the morning, as there were still plenty of plans for the afternoon.

As I really love the style and political statements of Banksy's works, I set out to visit all of his works in Bristol. However, at the beginning, I made the mistake of just walking to the furthest 'Burning Tyre,' his latest work in Bristol. After about two hours, I arrived at the destination, and unfortunately, the school premises where the work is located were not accessible. Well, I was a bit disappointed and took the bus back to the city center. From there, I rented one of those yellow bikes. All you need is an app to unlock it, and then you can leave it anywhere and log out. Nonetheless, I spent the rest of the afternoon tracking down these works, as they are spread out in different locations and sometimes not easy to find, which takes quite a while. I couldn't find one of the small ones (Designated Picnic Area) because it apparently is located in a private garden. I didn't want to pay extra for admission to the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery to see the 'Paint-Pot Angel,' and I already saw the 'Well-Hung Lover' yesterday.

Since the 'Grim Reaper' is no longer on the nightclub ship where it was originally installed, as it was cut out during a restoration of the ship, I briefly visited the free, but worth seeing, M Shed Museum. The 'Grim Reaper' is currently on display there until it is sold.

So, I rode my bike back to Stokes Croft to see the 'Mild Mild West,' which is directly above the beautiful Canteen bar. It depicts the increasing attention and police intervention against raves in abandoned warehouses in the 90s. There is another large painting called 'breakdancing Jesus' by Cosmo Sarson right across from it, which I couldn't just ignore.

Then I continued to the 'Rose Trap,' one of Banksy's earlier works, relatively small and now framed and protected by glass. I couldn't quickly figure out the reference to the location here. As I mentioned earlier, I couldn't find the 'Designated Picnic Area,' so I went on to the 'Cat and Dog.' It is located on a garden wall surrounded by various graffiti, so it's probably a community project. The 'Masked Gorilla' is attached to the outside of an Islamic Center, probably a reference to the veiling of women? However, the owners of the building did not appreciate the value of this artwork and painted over it. Since then, attempts have been made to restore it, but only a vague version of the original image is still recognizable. The 'Eastville Banksy,' which is apparently inspired by the film Falling Down, is also not appreciated, as it is not clear if it is by Banksy. Numerous tags now cover the image. Back in the city center, I decided not to look at the 'Paint-Pot Angel' and instead went to the 'Planning Permission,' which is well hidden in a dead-end alley above a loading dock. The image itself is already a statement. Finally, I went to see 'The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum,' which is also located in a narrow alley in the middle of the harbor area but is clearly visible when you arrive on the right street. Inspired by Johannes Vermeer's oil painting 'Girl with a Pearl Earring,' this work features an alarm loudspeaker in place of the pearl, hence the name.