1. The Mild Mild West – Bristol Banksy

1. The Mild Mild West – Bristol

Banksy The Mild Mild West - Stokes Croft, Bristol

Many people believe that this piece stems from the Bristol riots back in the early 1980’s, but according to Jim Paine in the book “Home Sweet Home” that isn’t true at all. In the late 90’s in Bristol there were many free, unlicensed parties at various warehouses across the city. There was trouble at one such party at Winterstoke Road, where according to Jim “Many of the crowd that night were assaulted by police…it marked the beginning of a more hardline approach from the police, using violence as a method of breaking up parties“. The “Mild Mild West” was painted by Banksy on the side of a building in Stokes Croft, Bristol and was done over the course of 3 days in broad daylight. It remains there to this day. Mild Mild West location.

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11. Washing Zebra Stripes – Timbuktu, Mali Banksy

11. Washing Zebra Stripes – Timbuktu, Mali A woman washing zebra stripes was painted by Banksy in the capital city of Mali, Timbuktu and shows a “naked” zebra standing by as his stripes are hung up to dry by an African lady. There appears to be little in the way of any obvious meaning to this piece. It is a playful piece, but maybe the fact that it appeared in the drought-ridden country of Mali and the absurdity of using water in such a frivolous way points to an issue that perhaps the western world could, and should, do more to help impoverished people in the developing world.

10. Sweep it Under the Carpet – London Banksy

10. Sweep it Under the Carpet – London (Image credit: Canon Snapper) Possibly one of the most recognisable Banksy artworks, Sweep it Under the Carpet appeared on a wall on Chalk Farm Road, North London in around 2006. It shows a woman dressed as a maid who is sweeping dirt under the cover of a brick wall. The piece is said to represent the reluctance of the western world to deal with global issues such as the AIDS epidemic, amongst others. Sweep it Under the Carpet – approx location

6. Steam Roller Traffic Warden – London Banksy

6. Steam Roller Traffic Warden – London (Image credit: Bristol Street Art Blog ) The Steam Roller Traffic Warden appeared on a steam roller parked at the kerbside in Lewisham, London in 2009 and is less thought-provoking, more plain amusing. Let’s face it, nobody likes traffic wardens (right?!) so this is a highly comical piece made even more amusing by the way the warden throws his arms up in the air.

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