filthy luker installation
a graffiti exhibition at the royal west of england academy? that’s either recognition from on high, or the top notch galleries are trying to shift some units. certainly things bode well as we approach the building on the evening of the private view. filthy luker’s inflatable installation throws lurid green tentacles into the sky and boulders have been painted with creatures’ faces. climb the grand stairway and cheo’s large painting stands tall and expectations rise. we grab a free drink and make our way round the show…
first impressions are good. 3dom has some skateboards on view, along with some examples of his excellent draftsmanship. that boy can draw! as is usual for a graff show, the paintings extend beyond the confines of the canvas and over the walls. the what collective present an interesting exhibit and da’s giant stencil work is very impressive.
dan’s mini stencil of the larger piece
in many respects the show defines the key players in the bristol graffiti scene, with the notable exception of banksy and to that end it can be viewed as a success. and to see the walls of the rwa treated with such irreverence is a delight, but closer inspection shows that respect has been given to these walls inasfaras they’ve been covered with a protective layer. all to be expected really, only it gives the feeling that it’s not totally authentic.
sickboy’s £5k painting
sickboy’s corner was pretty impressive, though not sure where i’m gonna find the £5,000 to buy his painting? he’s always got an eye on the market, pity it’s not a flea market. feek and nick walker are amongst those featured and there’s enough to see to make it worthwhile, but it’s over too quickly and we’re back in the shop area before we’re ready. as we back-track a man steps up to a podium and calls for quiet. then he starts going on about street art and i get that lack of authenticity smell creeping back up my nose. we make a sudden exit.
all in all it’s good to see such a show at such a place, but when it comes to keeping it real, i’ve seen exhibitions with more kudos than this, and there’s always the streets. if i’d been asked to pay £4 entry i’d have paid it, but i’m glad i didn’t.
crimes of passion: street art in bristol
21 march – 2 may 2009
queen’s road, bristol
open mon – sat 10-5.30, sunday 2-5