A giant mural featuring the climate activist Greta Thunberg has been created in Bristol. It was painted onto the side of the Tobacco Factory in Bedminster, by local street artist Jody. As of July 2021 the mural has been painted over and is no longer visible.
The wall is a popular one. A prime location which features prominently in the popular Upfest street art festival. That event isn’t happening this year. It’s taking a hiatus after running for 10 years in a row. This year, instead of a full scale festival, the team behind Upfest have produced a series of individual murals. It’s part of a series called the ‘Upfest Summer Editions‘.
Greta Thunberg Mural on the Tobacco Factory
Jody’s choice of portraying Greta Thunberg in Bristol captures a sentiment. The climate activist, still only sixteen, has transformed the debate around climate change. From Sweden, Greta has already spoken to the United Nations. She was also courted by British parliamentarians. Her message is that urgent action needs to be taken now. That is in order to safeguard the planet for the future.
Well known for his work around Bristol, Jody is a popular and regular contributor to Upfest. Rooted in the graffiti and street art history of the city, the mural represents his biggest wall painted to date. He decided to depict Greta to honour her ongoing work raising awareness of the global climate crisis.
Environmental Street Art
Showing a giant Greta standing half in, half out of the ocean. She stares intently straight ahead and looks unconcerned that she is half submerged. She stands wearing her identifiable rain mac with long braids hanging down. Around her swims a polar bear whilst on the surface icebergs surround her. Above, menacing skies lurk.
Painted in as environmentally conscious way as possible. Jody says that around 65-70% of the wall was painted with the use of an electric spray gun. This was powered by using solar cells from the Tobacco Factory. In total only 25 actual traditional spray cans were used in its creation. The attempt to create the mural in an environmentally sustainable way was he says “a big consideration considering the theme of the wall.”
The mural of Greta was visited on 17 June 2019. To see more articles about street art in Bristol have a look at:
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