Banksy Gifts Mural To Bristol School As Dedication Thank You

The Street artist Banksy has created a half-term surprise on the walls of a Bristol primary school as a reward for the school naming a building in honour of the artist. The elusive muralist composed the painting at Bridge Farm Primary school in his home town of Bristol. 

The artwork was discovered by teachers as they returned from the half-term break along with a letter explaining “it’s always easier to get forgiveness than permission”.

Although Banksy rarely signs his work, a spokesman for him confirmed this morning it was indeed the elusive artist’s work. Geoff Mason, headteacher at the school, said the school had received a letter from the artist himself. The Head teacher  intends to preserve the mural and has “no plans to sell it”. He said the surprise addition to the school’s surroundings is “inspirational and aspirational” for his pupils.

Banksy is a legendary graffiti artist. His work typically includes satirical social and political commentary, and ranges from murals to sculpture and installation, often playing with the contextual aspects of the work. The artist’s first solo show was held in 2002 at Los Angeles’ 33 1/3 Gallery, and in 2003 he was commissioned to design to cover of Blur’s ThinkTank. Today, Banksy’s work appears internationally; most notably, he painted nine sardonic images on the Palestinian side of the West Bank barrier. In Summer 2009, Banksy took over the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery with an exhibition attracting over 300,000 visitors.. His Dismaland project in Weston Super Mere attracted tens of thousands of visitors and bosted the local economy by £20m. The prophetic street artist created a centerpiece fire-ravaged Disney-like castle with payday lender stalls and a remote controled boat game which highlights the plight of immigrants. The show on the pier featured a Jimmy Savile Punch and Judy, highlighting domestic abuse scripted by the journalist Julie Burchill. 

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