Bristol: The Birthplace of British Street Art

How did graffiti start in Bristol?

In the early 1980s Bristol had a thriving underground culture of sound systems, reggae, punk and the new sounds of hip hop and electro. Young people who saw Wild Style and Style Wars began to copy New York graffiti. Robert Del Naja, who painted as 3D, started in summer 1983 and is often described as one of the first graffiti writers in the UK. He also mixed in stencils and comic-book imagery, which influenced the city's later stencil artists.

Del Naja was part of the Wild Bunch sound system, which grew into Massive Attack, and he went on to design the band's artwork. Graffiti and music in Bristol grew up together.

Why does Barton Hill matter?

The youth club at Barton Hill, in east Bristol, became an important meeting place for young writers in the 1980s. The youth worker John Nation encouraged graffiti there as a form of expression. For many of the city's artists, including the young Banksy, Barton Hill was where their journey began. The book Children of the Can: 25 Years of Bristol Graffiti (2008), by the writer Felix Braun, tells the story.

Who are Bristol's key graffiti artists?

3D (Robert Del Naja)

A pioneer of Bristol graffiti from 1983, and later of Massive Attack.

Inkie (Tom Bingle)

Started painting alongside 3D, Banksy, Goldie, the Chrome Angelz and Nick Walker in the early 1980s. He later led the See No Evil project and is still active in Upfest.

Nick Walker (born 1969)

One of the original Bristol stencil artists, part of the movement that influenced Banksy. His suited figure pouring red paint survives on Nelson Street from See No Evil in 2011.

Banksy

Emerged in Bristol in the 1990s and became the world's best-known street artist. See Banksy.

Many others, from Cheo and Mr Jago to Will Barras and Felix Braun, helped make the scene.

What are Bristol's most famous works?

• The Mild Mild West (1999), Stokes Croft: Banksy's teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at three riot police, painted over three days in daylight in response to police raids on free parties.
• Well Hung Lover (2006), Frogmore Street: a naked man hanging from a window ledge. When Bristol City Council asked the public whether it should stay, 93% said yes.
• See No Evil (2011 and 2012), Nelson Street: the street's grey office blocks were repainted by 72 artists in 2011, led by Inkie with Bristol City Council. Three murals were kept by public vote.

What was Banksy versus Bristol Museum?

From 13 June to 31 August 2009, Banksy took over Bristol Museum and Art Gallery with around 100 works, many hidden among the museum's own collection, and a burnt-out ice cream van at the entrance. He reportedly asked for a nominal fee of £1. Queues stretched around the block, and the show drew about 300,000 visitors.

Where should you look for street art in Bristol today?

• Stokes Croft and nearby Nelson Street in the city centre.
• Bedminster and Southville, especially North Street, where Upfest paints new murals.
• Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, which still displays a Banksy.
• Weston-super-Mare, half an hour away, home of Dismaland in 2015 and the Weston Wallz festival.

Bristol has no officially designated legal walls; the council says artists need permission from the property owner. See legal graffiti walls and UK street art festivals.

Where to go next

Compare Bristol with London's graffiti story, or plan a wider trip with the best UK cities for street art.