I think I have a minor obsession with Banksy, Bristol’s home grown art terrorist and street culture icon. I posted on him before here. His very impressive book of works “Wall and Piece” is sitting conspicuously on my coffee table giving vistors the clear message “Yeah, I may look like a typical late thirties Local Goverment IT consultant, but I am actually totally down with da kids and not at all out of place hanging with me homies on da street”.
Well, Banksy has been home from Shoreditch for the weekend and has left us a little present at the bottom of Park Street. Its a fine and witty piece, not his best work, but you have to admire it just for the sheer ingenuity involved in painting the thing thirty feet up a wall in one of Bristols busier areas.
The really interesting thing about this though is that the City Council have decided to open up a public debate about whether to preserve the work or scrub it off. Banksy is a recognised artists who commands a very significant fee for creating just this kind of painting. Bristol is a unique and exciting city blessed with more than its fair share of creative people and radical thinkers. I think we should see this work as Banksy’s gift to his home town, preserve it and celebrate it. Join in the debate yourself at Ask Bristol.
On another, perhaps related note, Bristol City Council voted last night to give the go ahead for a statue of Wallace and Grommit in the city. I loves this place I does.
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:31 pm
*late* thirties?
June 23rd, 2006 at 9:37 am
I can’t hide from it forever Andy. You can’t be far behind mate.
June 23rd, 2006 at 4:42 pm
Whipper snapper me. Barely into them.
June 23rd, 2006 at 4:50 pm
[...] They’ve put both sides on the argument and are giving every opportunity for “late-thirties local government IT consultants” (and everyone else) to have their say. [...]