The Art of Graffiti

Regular visitors to Escape from Tomorrow will have noticed my recent subtle (and not so subtle) references to cycling - yes, I admit it I've become a born-again cyclist: I'm enjoying the physical challenge, the exercise but more than anything I'm enjoying seeing the area I live from a different perspective and at a different pace.

Much of this past weekend was spent on my bike and, despite living in this particular corner of South West England for the past 15 years I've seen sights and heard sounds that I just wouldn't have seen or heard if I'd have been driving my car through the backroads of the Somerset countryside - herons fishing, spring lambs, a couple 'parking' (don't ask!) and ... art.

Yes art.

No doubt you're familiar with the work of Bristol-based steet/graffiti-artist/social commentator Banksy - I've appreciated his work for some years - and while I'm pretty sure the examples I seen aren't his they are undoubtedly 'inspired by'.

First-up, a childhood favourite of mine - Paddington Bear - discovered on the back of a road sign:


Then, later in the same ride I came across this image - ironically on a wall at the local community sports stadium - of a young girl carrying a football and wearing an England football shirt running away from police in riot-control gear:


Art or graffiti? Or both? What do you think?