Over the last few days, a terribly sad street in the heart of the city has been given a graffiti-centric facelift. Who'd have thought that a lick of paint could purvey such power. Last night Nelson Street (formally known for its tired office facades and limited retail outlets) was abuzz with people and a heady reek of aerosol spray paint tinged the air.
The organisers of the 'See No Evil' street art project (http://www.seenoevilbristol.co.uk/) - billed as the biggest of its kind in the UK and Europe, hope that this extravagant showcase of world class graffiti artists in the city's forgotten district will breath new life into the area. It is definitely already drawing a flood of curious locals, photographers and journalists - if today's crowds were anything to go by, the finale NY-style block party tomorrow should hit the mark.
I was desperate to take my SLR down there to capture the art-in-motion today, and it was a pleasure to see so many people cluttering the street, heads turned upwards in awe. If 'See No Evil' gets enough publicity, I would not be surprised if Nelson Street becomes more of a tourist attraction than Banksy's many statement pieces around the city - it's such an exciting adventure to experience so much artistic diversity in one place. The likes of Inky, Tats Cru and El Mac are topping the talent board of artists, with El Mac's black and white portrait of a woman holding a baby making a visceral, poignant and haunting statement at the top end of the street.
One of my other favourites is the understated 'oasis' mural with birds of paradise weaving around mountains and seascape. Beautiful use of colour painted over a series of dotty-textured metal grills. I can't wait to see how things evolve tomorrow - and I wonder if Banksy will add to this torrent of intrigue by contributing a piece?
The other triumph of this event is the 'pop-up' club (complete with mini-replica of the Millennium Square Mirror Ball, coloured light box seating cubes and an almighty sound system provided by Team Love) at the West Gate building separating Lewins Mead from Nelson Street - it's a prime location for any business, but why has it been left to fester for so long? Whatever the reason, I hope people will realise that this ought to be the beating heart of the city and the 'See No Evil' project is setting a precedence now.
I've proudly been living in Bristol for a year, and in these austere and trying times, it's refreshing to witness a vibrant, thought-provoking act of city-love by those who want to make art the centre piece for change.
More tomorrow, but while I'm waiting to get my pictures developed (five days is the swiftest option in Boots these days!), here's some links to the best found on Twitter so far:
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