Vandals target Banksy mural in Bristol
One of Bristol's most famous graffiti murals, Banksy's Mild, Mild West in Stokes Croft, has been defaced.
A clean-up operation is underway on Monday after red paint was splattered across the giant piece of street art, one of Bristol-born Banksy's early works.
Shopkeepers, residents and workers in the area this morning said they were shocked by the vandalism to the 10-year-old mural, which shows a Teddy bear aiming a Molotov cocktail at riot police.
An organisation called Appropriate Media, an anti-graffiti group, has claimed responsibility for the vandalism and has called for the 'appropriate and legitimate use of public and private property'.
Chris Chalkley, chairman of community group People's Republic of Stokes Croft, climbed up a ladder and began cleaning the emulsion paint off the mural this morning.
He believes the vandals struck late last night or in the early hours of today.
Mr Chalkley said it was the second time the art had been targeted inside two weeks and believes vandals are distracting from the good work being done to improve the neglected area.
He said: "We've done a lot to change the vibe of the area with street art and this is an important piece.
"I think it was voted the second most identifiable image in Bristol and it's an iconic piece of work. People walking past have been stopping and are genuinely quite shocked by what's happened."
Joel Black, 26, from Southville, who works as a chef at the Zazu's Kitchen across the road from the mural, said: "It's just mindless vandalism isn't it?
"It's a nice, well thought-out piece of art and someone has come along and defaced it."
The mural is painted on the side of bricked wall of Nurettin Sayin's barber shop The Point.
The 40-year-old, from Stokes Croft, said: "I was really upset to see it had been vandalised. It's one of the most famous paintings in Bristol and I've even seen people from Spain here to photograph it.
"They should clean it up and put it behind toughened glass so it's protected."
The attack on Banksy's Mild, Mild West piece follows the vandalism of one of the mysterious artist's newer works in London.
Just days after he daubed his work on a wall in Hendon last month, someone spray-painted over the word PRICE-LESS.
In January, it was revealed that the Mild, Mild West street art will be brought under cover as part of a new housing development.
Bristol City Council's development control (central) committee approved plans that will see the mural housed in a glassed cafe area in front of a new block of flats but some say the move will leave the art partially obscured from public view.
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by Pogo the Clown, A correction
Tuesday, April 07 2009, 10:19AM
“Delicious*ly* ironic, I meant to say. Pardon the typo.”
by Pogo the Clown, Little Snideton
Tuesday, April 07 2009, 10:17AM
“So... lemme get this right.
Person A draws a picture on a wall. This is graffiti (a criminal act). Luckily, it's quite tasteful and has been done by someone famous so the wall owner decides to overlook the crime.
Said work now becomes a mural. i.e. no longer a crime scene.
Person B also paints on the same wall. Again, a criminal act. However this time, it's not as good as what was originally there and the wall owner decides not to endorse it. Therefore it remains a crime scene.
So these new vandals have created a greater work of art than Banksy. Not only have they vandalised vandalism (which is delicious ironic, you must admit) but they've created a work which hovers in a null zone between criminal and artistic until it's actually viewed.
Sort of like a rubbish Schrodinger's mural.
Very clever. Very deep.”
by chris, bristol
Tuesday, April 07 2009, 2:38AM
“what's with 'vandal'? don't you people read - the guy who owns the building likes the piece.”
by gertbigwheels, south bristol
Tuesday, April 07 2009, 12:03AM
“Some one puts there tag on a wall.Look at me i can write, I am a some body.The media as given us the values of Jade or Jordan.They value material things but don't value the environment.Why don't they deface bill boards instead.”
by NegativeCause, Bristol
Monday, April 06 2009, 11:01PM
“Why do these people exist?
Do you ever see anything positive in anything? So what would you rather see on blank walls than colourful graffiti? You website is just a load of drivell with a pointless cause and no valid explanation!
"We call for the appropriate and legitimate use of public and private property"
You dont even suggest what you are going to do to support this?
So looks like your answer is to enforce defacing something that the majority of people enjoy for your own selfish agenda! Brilliant, well done - you sad narrow minded negative fundamentalists!
So anything that becomes popular now should be destroyed - what a wonderful world this would be if everyone was like you - Always seeing some conspiracy or negativity in whats around you with nothing positive to say about anything unless it fitted your own personal agenda! I sense a tinge of jealousy here as you obviously have no talent.....”
by Dominic, Bristol
Monday, April 06 2009, 10:52PM
“Vandalism vandalised by a vandal - so what? - must be a slow news day”
by gertbigwheels, south bristol
Monday, April 06 2009, 9:38PM
“Banksy as made vandalism fashionable.Across the river from the paint works is the work of wanna be banksys.He is loved by the bep.Is it because of his lefty politics?”
by Spartacus, Bristol
Monday, April 06 2009, 9:34PM
“You have to question the motivation of the people behind this. No one could be stupid enough to think that the way to protest against what they see as a blight on the community, is to make deface something that, on the whole, the community either loves or tolerates.
So they must have either done it for a bet, or to make themselves feel important.
Whoever you are, are you happy now?”
by Ryan, Whitchurch
Monday, April 06 2009, 7:41PM
“Good! it's graffiti, so why is it not been removed by the council in the first place? next one should be the one at the bottom of park street...”
by Phil, Stokes Croft
Monday, April 06 2009, 7:23PM
“Toff, I think you need to get yourself some new investigative reporters. Appropriate Media are allegedly a group of UWE students on an MA course in "fine art" (really talented aren't they?!). They don't even have the brains to form their own opinions - much of their "manifesto" has in fact been lifted from an article in the guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/sep/22/arts.visualarts Almost makes you wonder if it's a joke by Banksy himself. I shall look forward to seeing your new rag being recycled as bedding by the local residents. Free can of special brew with the first issue?”