Bristol (United Kingdom) | The Tension Within - Day 66

This apartment complex was of many sights that caught my attention in Bristol. I love bright colors, how they casually blend into each other, as well as the immense size of the piece. 

I take the stairs down into the kitchen, where I am greeted by Louise. "Good morning, Darling!" she says. I share my experience regarding my failed attempt to reach the Fiesta and my inability to find public transport to the Fiesta. We brainstorm a few more ideas, and I explore them further while having breakfast and doing laundry. 

A 10-minute walk from the house is a cyber cafe that does laundry and serves food. It sounds odd and not something I would have thought of, but it works! More importantly, it is ideal for me! I start my laundry, order breakfast, and pull out my laptop. Below is my breakfast, two eggs, and bacon on a piece of sourdough with a side of parsley-mushy peas. I haven't had a proper breakfast in over a month; this tastes so good, and it is well prepared! 

Getting to and from the Fiesta before 8 am and after 8 pm is a real challenge. Ashton Court is located 4+ miles southwest, as the crow flies, of Bristol. The train is on strike starting today, which is useless to me. I remember a conversation with Gemma and Alex while in Belfast. They both lived in London and talked about how unreliable the trains are in the United Kingdom because they always strike. It is strange. The train's website has a notice informing travelers of the upcoming weeklong strike. Looks like my dependence on the train system ended when I left France. Buses do not run to Ashton Court after 8 pm or before 8 am. 

When I return, Louise suggests I take an e-scooter. This possible solution could get me there around 6 am tomorrow, in time for the mass ascent. So I drop off my laundry, head to Ashton Court to partake in the Fiesta, and hope to catch the Night Glow this evening. After a 35-min bus ride, it takes me another 10-minutes to walk over to the field where the festivities are. Below is my first glimpse of the facilities. The main field to the left is surrounded by vendors and carnival-like entertainment. It is HOT today, around 102 F (39 C)! One bonus, the Fiesta is free for the public to attend.

I wander around the event enjoying the sounds and the various smells. The old-fashioned fudge shop has a lovely fragrance. 

Around 430 pm, I can see the shadows of the trees getting long. I wander over to the edge and sit next to other folks who are already finding relief from the heat. Within about 15-minutes, there is another 4 or 5 ft (1.8 m) of shade to my right. A couple eating ice cream wanders over and jokingly asks if I am saving a spot for another 10 people. I laugh, not today, it is just me, and I invite them to sit. They proceed to take off their sandals, and I think, why didn't I think of doing that and quickly shed my shoes and socks. Despite the day's blistering heat, it is pretty pleasant in the shade. I have an excellent seat for when the Night Glow starts.

Around 530 pm, vehicles and trailers start rolling out onto the main field. This ought to be fun! I decide to grab food before things start and head to a little Thai food stand. I check my expectations and brace myself for sub-par food. After all, I am at a fair. I opt to skip the picture of my dinner tonight. However, the Green Curry with Chicken is fantastic! The chicken is tender and not overcooked. I am shocked and grateful for this inexpensive gift, which only cost 12 quids with a drink. I recall being at restaurants that didn't have food that tasted this good. Cars and trailers position themselves within the fenced-off area in the picture below.

A couple of balloons begin inflating; see the picture below. Then, around 6 pm, the loudspeaker kicks on and says "Just like the Papal Election, only two people know if we will fly tonight." Meanwhile, the first few balloons complete the inflation process.

"Ladies and Gentleman, if you look to the end of the field where the Bristol sign is located, we will find out our fate. If the smoke is Green, we are good to go. If it is Red, the event is canceled as it is unsafe to fly." Then a red smoke bellows out from behind the sign. No Joy! After briefly explaining the weather and thermals to the crowd, the announcer dismisses the crowd. Well, rats! This isn't entirely bad news; I still have another day in Bristol, and the early dismissal means I can get back to City Center quickly via the bus system and explore Bristol, which I am ooking forward to.

I take the M3 bus back to City Centre. Only a couple more stops, and I'll get off. The bus driver opens his door, relays some information, and the guy behind me jumps off the bus quickly. After the stop, the bus makes a sharp left, deviating from it's route. I am not sure what just happened, but I quickly realized that the driver said, "This is the last stop for City Centre." I am on an alternate bus route due to construction and am heading back towards Fiesta. I go along until we approach Queen's Square, an area I wanted to explore. I press the "Stop" button and get off at the next bus stop.

In the southern part of Queen's Square is Wapping Warf. A quirky neighborhood that lies along both sides of the docks. This section has several restaurants located within these cargo shipping containers.

Bristol was founded around 1000 AD and about 500 years later became of the most important ports in the United Kingdom. Bristol was famous for its illicit trade of food and firearms, which led to its prosperity in the mid-1500s. The city has pushed boundaries for hundreds of year's and is now home to 440,000+ people, making it the 14th most populous city in the United Kingdom. Though it was founded around the same time as many cities in France, it has an entirely different feel. This is what I want to explore tonight. I am not interested in exploring historic buildings or architecture. This city has a different story to tell.

I wander north from Wapping Warf and begin to uncover the city's story. Along the way, I pass this colorful piece located in an alley.

 

Which continues into this photo.

The windows of this building located at the north end of the docks catch my attention. I am really enjoying this eclectic vibe of Bristol.

I like this photo and think it is an example of the beautiful tensions that exist below the surface of this city. There are some remarkable monuments here. I have no idea which one is pictured below, nor do I care to find out. These monutments all take a back seat to the city's modernization. Like in the photo, whereby the tower appears behind the newer more modern buildings.

This iconic and enormous piece by Nick Walker represents another tension point. I can feel the tension between the original artist and those who think they can improve on their work. The red and black lines below are not original and were added by an anonymous person.

Banksy's original work from 1998, titled "The Mild Mild West," has been defamed and restored twice. The original had a teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail that was the city's list of demands. Banksy painted it as a response to the city's demand to end unlicensed rave parties in Bristol in the early 1990s.

Then there's Banksy's Well Hung Lover, a satire of an adulterous couple. Another tension exists between Graffiti artists and anti-graffiti groups. An anti-graffiti group in Bristol believes the best way to stop Graffiti is to defame the pieces. In their minds, this will deter people from wanting to view and support Graffiti. So they throw paint bombs on the Graffiti. I also notice the tension between those that want to beautify the city while defaming it.

Another tension point is that the city has invited multiple worldwide Graffiti artists to create pieces in Bristol on several occasions. The city has even closed streets to allow Graffiti artists time and space to be artists and brighten the dull streets. Yet, there is a robust anti-graffiti movement within the city.

For example, this vibrant, See no Evil piece was painted by multiple Graffiti artists to commemorate the week long invitational events in 2011 and 2012.

One of my favorites is this striking piece by Italian Graffiti artist Pixel Pancho, of a robotic-looking phoenix, which appears in northwest Queen's Square. I love how he picked colors that blend with the surrounding buildings while injecting contrasting complimentary colors.

And there is a tension between poorly known Graffiti artists with different styles fighting for their creative space or canvas.

The piece below catches my attention because it resonates with me. It is an issue that is dear to my heart and one I have struggled with in the US. The issue centers on private property rights and keeping people from enjoying beautiful open spaces. Around the skeleton reads "Our Right to Wander, Do Not Criminalize Trespass," and at the bottom, "Do not let them steal our Freedom." This is one of the reasons I plan to visit Norway in the future; the country believes that land belongs to everyone and we all have an innate right to trespass. Notice that the piece appears on top of at least four other works. I think this makes street Graffiti so dynamic; it evolves with the times. There is a tension between Graffiti artists who incorporate political or satirical messages in their works and others who choose not to. Is one better than the other?

I've always loved comic book heroes, but I don't recall a Captain Jamaica! I laugh as I ponder what are his superpowers? I love the vibrant colors of the piece. In the photo below I notice another tension point. What is the purpose of the piece? Is it for non-artists to enjoy indefinitely? To beautify the city? Perhaps it's purpose is complete once the paint dries? or does it provide another purpose, the opportunity for other Graffiti artists to make their work stand out?

Lastly, I notice the tension between business owners and Graffiti artists. This is a commercial printer building. How would I know this if the sign was not hanging left of the roll-up door?

Bristol is world-famous for its Graffiti; I have revealed only a tiny portion of the street Grafitti that makes this city unique. Banksy and Nick Walker are homegrown talents that started on the streets of Bristol in the 1980s. Notably, they and others have completed pieces across the globe, including in the United States. So I ask you to ponder these small questions; Where is the boundary between Art and Graffiti? What form of vandalism is acceptable to you? (i.e., what does defamation mean to you). And most importantly, why do you feel this way? 

For me, the subtly that exists in these beautiful tension points is why this city resonates loudly with me. I think of times in the past when I didn't afford myself the time to ponder these questions and was deaf to the subtle music playing beneath the surface.