This gallery contains images of Bristol ephemera – subjects of a temporary or changing nature. These include public artworks, local events, transient elements within the built environment and wildlife.
You can explore other galleries using the drop down menu under the Bristol Gallery tab.
Painted pillars below the Cumberland Basin flyover, early April 2015. The work is part of the on-going ‘Art under the Flyover’ project (www.artundertheflyover.com)
Could these Clifton dustbins be the smartest in Bristol, or is it just a numbers game?
Reflections from the cabin glass add to the dream-like imagery of artist Luke Jerram’s ‘Withdrawn’ exhibit in Leigh Woods, Bristol
Artist Richard Long’s ‘Boyhood Line’, on Durdham Down. The artwork is part of the Exhibition TIME AND SPACE, Arnolfini, 2015. (Details at: www.arnolfini.org.uk)
One of around 1,000 clay starlings forming a ‘murmuration’ on The Downs in Bristol. Lead artist Zoe Cameron worked with the residents of Henleaze, Stoke Bishop and Westbury-on-Trym to create the installation, in place until 25 October, 2015. It highlights the plight of starlings whose numbers have been falling dramatically in recent years.
One of around 1,000 clay starlings forming a ‘murmuration’ on The Downs in Bristol. Project leader Zoe Cameron worked with residents of Henleaze, Westbury-on-Trym and Stoke Bishop to create the art installation in October 2015.
Old rolling stock forming part of Bristol Harbour Railway. The Railway is operated by Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives and runs for about a mile from M Shed to the B Bond Warehouse on the south side of the Floating Harbour. The railway’s origins date back to 1872.
Sabres rattle under the archway of the Church of St John The Baptist, the only remaining old city gateway in Bristol. Built in the 14th Century, the church, also known as ‘St John’s On The Wall’, is at the lower end of Broad Street and is Grade 1 Listed.
The Bristol Whales ‘swim’ in a virtual sea. The Whales were created by Cod Steaks (http://codsteaks.com) for the city’s year as European Green Capital and first appeared in Millennium Square amidst an ocean of plastic bottles. They were moved to Bennett’s Patch and White’s Paddock Nature Reserve, where the base picture for this image was taken, in 2016.
‘Hollow’ was created by artist Katie Paterson in collaboration with architects Zeller & Moye and is located in the University of Bristol’s Royal Fort Gardens. The external structure is Douglas Fir, whilst the interior contains samples of 10,000 tree species from around the world.
The sculpture was produced by Situations and funded by the University of Bristol (http://www.bristol.ac.uk) and Arts Council England. It opened in 2016. Details of ‘Hollow’ can be found at http://www.hollow.org.uk
Hot air balloons ride the early morning thermals over Redland on 5 August, in a preview of the 2016 Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.
The Fiesta takes place from 11-14 August. Full details at: http://www.bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk
The junction between Bridge Valley Road and Clifton Down serves as a handy ‘pit stop’ for Thomas Leezer of team LottoNL Jumbo as he makes a quick wheel change during the Bristol stage of the Tour of Britain on 10 September, 2016.
Major events like this add to Bristol’s appeal as a lively, vibrant city in which to live.
A detail from the artwork ‘19240 Shrouds of the Somme’ seems to highlight the individual tragedies created by one of history’s most horrific battles. The work, by Somerset artist Rob Heard, was installed on Bristol’s College Green to mark Armistice Day.
The SkyView Ferris Wheel pictured in Anchor Square during its winter visit to Bristol.
If they proceed and gain approval, plans recently proposed by developers for a new construction at nearby Waterfront Square could potentially include a permanent 55 metre high wheel and a new hotel, adding to the city’s leisure offer.
Bristol is a cycling city that looks great even in winter. A bike serving as a planter adds a splash of colour to Ambra Vale.
The steep hills of Bristol’s Kingsdown area give its streets a special feel and the wildlife can be surprising.
Urban foxes are a common sight across the city but the Lynx is a rarer beast. This one, painted by street artist ATM for Biome Productions, is part of a programme designed to draw attention to the plight of the species.
This engaging, and perhaps romantic, couple have an excellent view across Bristol from the top of Marlborough Hill (BS2).
A two-headed goose keeps a watchful eye over Cotham in Bristol (BS6) from the roof of a property in Saint Matthew’s Road.
‘Ring A Royal Phonebox’, painted by Timmy Mallett, captured in the Mall Gardens, Clifton, Bristol during its two month visit (August/September 2017).
The special phone box was painted in aid of Childline’s 25th anniversary. It has been on public display since 2012 at locations including the Royal Albert Hall, the O2 Arena and outside Windsor Castle.
A team member changes a light bulb outside the Moscow State Circus Big Top on Durdham Down Bristol, October 2017.
The Circus has been a regular, and much loved, visitor to Bristol over recent years. Its artists provide what is regarded as one of the most spectacular circus displays in the world.
The Circus is in town until 15 October. Details at: https://moscowstatecircus.com
Detail of the Severn Princess which was one of three ferries carrying vehicles across the Severn between Aust (10 miles north of Bristol) and Beachley in Gloucestershire.
The Princess operated from 1959 to 1966, when the first Severn bridge opened. The boat was later found as a wreck in Ireland. It was brought back to Beachley by the Severn Princess Restoration Group in 2003 and now sits not far away on the bank of the River Wye in Chepstow.
With the support of Mabey Bridge Ltd, the Group hopes to get the Severn Princess to a state in which it can become a permanent heritage feature.
One of the Cormorants that counts Bristol’s Floating Harbour as home. After fishing in the harbour, they rest and dry their wings on the jetties and buoys.
This one is photographed on the jetty close to the Nova Scotia pub and Underfall Yard which seems to be a favourite location and one at which they can often be seen.
The ‘Exploration Obelisk’ on Redcliffe Quay, Bristol contrasts with the tower of the church of St Thomas The Martyr.
The Obelisk is the work of Philippa Threlfall (http://www.philippathrelfall.com) while the sphere at its top was made by the blacksmith James Blunt.
The church tower dates back to the 14th Century, although the spirelet and pinnacles were remodelled between 1896-7. The church is currently leased to the Bristol Romanian Orthodox Church.
The Thekla floating night club stands proud ‘alongside’ the church of St Mary Redcliffe, seen in the background.
The Thekla, moored in the Mud Dock section of Bristol’s Floating Harbour, is today one of the city’s key music venues. It is owned by Daybrook House Promotions. The ship itself was built in 1958 in Germany and originally carried various cargoes between ports in northern and western Europe.
This intriguing sculpture of an old lady appeared unexpectedly in Victoria Street, Bristol at the beginning of week commencing 23 April, 2018. According to the artist, who wishes to remain anonymous, it is based on a real person called Ruth. It’s nice to think of her as a feisty lady telling any challengers to get on their bikes.
The sculpture is believed to be unauthorised and so likely to be removed by the city council. However, there has apparently been some support for leaving it in place, as it has been attracting a fair amount of interest.
You may not be able to grow pineapples in Bristol but local artists can certainly create them.
This one can be seen on the corner of High Street and Bridge Street at the end of Castle Park.
This house on the corner of Kensington Road in Redland, Bristol sports an unusual exterior feature in the form of a woven nose. You can find it just near the Kensington Arms public house – an ideal spot for a sniffter!
The Bagheera cruises towards the old crane on Princes Wharf in Bristol’s Floating Harbour.
Operated by Bristol Packet, the Bagheera is a glass and aluminium sight-seeing boat built in Amsterdam.
The Fairbairn steam crane on the quayside is the only surviving example of its type in Bristol.
The cross-harbour ferry, operated by No. 7 Boats, on its way from Capricorn Quay to the SS Great Britain in Bristol’s Floating Harbour.
No. 7 Boats (https://www.numbersevenboattrips.com) was established in 1999 and, as well as ferry services, provides leisure cruises on the Floating Harbour and River Avon.
A touch of nostalgia alongside the Bristol to Bath cycle path, as a steam train passes by on the Avon Valley Railway. The Railway, centred at the Victorian Midland Railway station in Bitton, operates along a three mile stretch of restored track.
The engine is ‘Sapper’, built in 1944, which is on loan from Road & Rail Steam Services. Details of the Railway can be found at: https://www.avonvalleyrailway.org
A Gelada, or ‘bleeding-heart’, monkey surveys the terrain on the outskirts of Bristol. This creature’s more usual habitat is the highlands of Ethiopia but this one is a surprising resident of BS10. ‘Home’ is Wild Place off Junction 17 of the M5 (just in South Gloucestershire but sporting a Bristol post code).
Established by Bristol Zoological Society, the project – which has an emphasis on protecting threatened habitats – provides visitors with the opportunity to view the animals at close quarters. Details at: http://www.wildplace.org.uk
Bristol’s creativity can sometimes make its presence felt in surprising places. This striking bird’s nest signpost can be found on the corner of Briavels Grove and Ashley Hill (BS6).
When walking around Bristol, it often pays to look up. If you’re lucky you might even spot a super-hero. This one was caught taking a break on a window ledge in Brunswick Square (BS2).
In Bristol, architecture comes in all shapes and sizes. These bijou ‘residencies’ are to be found in Ambra Vale, Cliftonwood.
Properties at Paintworks, Bath Road, Bristol BS4 are reflected in the ‘eye’ of one of the public artworks at the creative quarter.
The image is a close up of part of the sculpture by Flore Nove Josserand, entitled ‘The Visitors’. It can be found between the premises of the Royal Photographic Society and the Martin Parr Foundation.
Late afternoon sun adds a shadow balloon to the high level installation on the corner of Concorde Street in Cabot Circus, Bristol. The space above the Street is home to many of the colourful balloon ‘sculptures’.
Keep an eye out around Bristol streets and parks and you’re likely to spot a few of the growing number of carved wood and metal creatures adorning trees, gates and walls. This tortoise, in Clifton, is a fine example.
‘Ruth’ is a striking, wildlife-friendly sculpture, created by the brilliant Bristol company Cod Steaks and located in Bennett’s Patch alongside The Portway, a main access to the city. The sculpture honours the work of women during World War II. The location was once a dumping ground for rubble created by the blitz. Today, it is a nature reserve. The ‘reflection’ and soaring gull are mfimage additions to the original that seem to recognise the piece’s thoughtful content and empathy with the environment in which it sits.
This striking ‘mermaid’ artwork by Duncan McKellar, photographed in August 2020, is on the corner of Castle Park in the centre of Bristol, close to Bristol Bridge.
It is one of a series created by the artist, using foam scaffold tubing over recent years.
The St Werburgh’s rooster crows at a virtual dawn in Bristol. The rooster is sculpted from old tyres and sits within the grounds of St Werburgh’s City Farm. The artwork was created by Sabolc Vas, a community artist originally from Serbia.
Sculptures by the artist Hugo Farmer in front of Ashton Court Mansion in Bristol.
Pictured are ‘OHM Boy’ and ‘The Priest’. Also displayed (but not pictured) is ‘The Sargeant’. The sculptures formed part of a collaboration between We Are From Dust and Artspace Lifespace to bring a number of artworks to the location.
Bristol dock cranes viewed through the granite columns of the ‘Full Fathom Five’ sculpture, by Michael Dan Archer, at Portishead.
In all there are 108 columns in the sculpture. Forty of them carry text relating to the seafaring history of the site.
A detail of the commemorative statue of a World War One horse which stands in the Daisy Field, Shirehampton, Bristol. The statue was created by farriers Jason Baggs and Philip Smith. Shirehampton was the location for a Remount Depot through which hundreds of thousands of horses and men passed during World War One.
Detail of a mosaic in the Community Orchard at Lawrence Weston Community Farm. The eight acre farm is run as a charity and is free to enter. Visitors can enjoy the green space, view and pet animals and purchase farm produce. For more information visit: http://lwfarm.org.uk
A little proof from high up on a wall in Stokes Croft, Bristol that you can always find places to cultivate crops, even in the city.
This sculpture can be found at Severn Beach, near Bristol. It was created by the residents of Severn Beach and nearby villages with artist Deborah Aguirre Jones. It is described as: ‘A memory of her mother who, while hanging washing on the line, would stand on one leg and whistle to the birds.’ It was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The ‘Loo Ladies’ sculpture outside the toilet block on The Downs in Bristol.
The work by the anonymous sculptor, gettinguptostuff, depicts Victoria Hughes with one of the sex workers who once worked on nearby Ladies Mile. Hughes was an attendant at the block up until 1962. She befriended the sex workers, offering tea and companionship.
(The umbrella is not part of the sculpture but was added temporarily by the photographer on a very dull, wet day.)
The twisted post box sculpture on the Floating Harbour waterfront in Bristol. The work of artist Alex Chinneck, it is one of four sculptures now installed in the city in an area close to the BT Assembly building and near the Temple Way Bridge. The others are a phone box and two knotted lampposts.
For more about the sculptor visit: https://www.alexchinnock.com
This plinth in Bristol city centre once supported a statue of slave trader, but also philanthropist, Edward Colston. Long regarded as controversial, it gave rise to strong emotions both from those believing it should be removed and those who felt it should stay in situ but with appropriate explanatory historical information.
Whilst the plinth remains, the statue itself was pulled down and defaced by protestors in June 2020 and is now housed in the city’s M Shed museum.
