THE PUPPET SHOW WALL

I had read about this street art wall on Facebook and also in our local paper, so decided that it might make a good subject for Silly Saturday - actually it would probably be better for Wide Angle Wednesday, but once we had found it, I decided that it would be my SS Blip.

After our usual Saturday morning coffee at Jack’s, Mr. HCB kindly took me to where we thought it was, but we couldn’t see anything from the road.  If, as I had thought, it was behind the Westcott Place garage, I said I would need to walk along the canal path, so I did that while Mr. HCB went to find a parking space.

I eventually found the wall and whilst taking the photographs, I wondered who had done this amazing work.  I spoke to a man walking past, who I later found out was called David, and he told me that he was just going to see his son, who lived in the next street, and he knew all about it, so he invited me to go with him.  I don’t usually follow men I don’t know, but I was anxious to find out more about the mural, which I did.

I was told by David’s son that it was done by a group called The Visual Drop and that they had a Facebook page.  I looked them up when I got home and even found a Youtube Video showing how it was done - which is very interesting and you can see it here.

I rang Mr. HCB to let him know where I was and he said he had wondered because he was standing right opposite the wall art and I was nowhere to be seen!  I then explained that I was finding out more about it, and wouldn’t be long!

There is quite a lot of street art in Swindon and I know that this could be classed as graffiti and political, but apart from that I think it’s quite brilliant and it certainly brightens up what would otherwise be a large expanse of blank wall.  I have put a close up of the face in as an extra so that you can see how good it is - I think the names at the top left are the artists who painted this - and also a view of the whole wall.

I found this quote by Banksy, arguably the most controversial street artist in the world:

“Imagine a city where graffiti wasn't illegal, 
     a city where everybody could draw 
          whatever they liked. 
Where every street was awash 
     with a million colours 
          and little phrases. 
Where standing at a bus stop was never boring. 
A city that felt like a party 
     where everyone was invited, 
          not just the estate agents 
               and barons of big business. 
Imagine a city like that 
     and stop leaning against the wall - 
          it's wet.” 
Banksy, Wall and Piece