News / Air pollution
‘Reverse graffiti’ highlights Bristol’s air pollution crisis
A beautifully simple technique has been used to create ‘reverse graffiti’ that’s spreading an important message across Bristol.
Working under the cover of darkness, campaigners created a series of stencilled images on walls and pavements in the city over the weekend to highlight the health crisis caused by air pollution.
Each artwork features a pair of lungs with the simple message ‘our air, our city’ and was created by using a stencil to selectively clean away accumulated dirt and grime, creating a graphic illustration of the damage caused by air pollution.
is needed now More than ever
Internationally-recognised Paintworks-based sculptor and artist Luke Jerram created the stencil for the publicity stunt led by anti-pollution campaign organisation Our Air, Our City.
The pieces of art were created by using a stencil to selectively clean away accumulated dirt and grime – Photo by Simon Holliday
Jerram, who is the brains behind Play Me I’m Yours, Museum of the Moon and the recent Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine sculpture, explains: “Most graffiti uses toxic spray painting materials, but the clean air campaigners are cleaning off pollution to make this imagery. They’re cleaning up the city and making art from the absence of dirt and pollution.”
He adds: “Now is the time for real leadership on all forms of air pollution, which includes cleaning up the city’s air, and preventing the expansion of Bristol Airport.”
In 2018, the artist installed Inhale – a sculpture depicting a diesel particle – on College Green to raise awareness of the problem of air pollution in the city.
Artist Luke Jerram (right) created the stencil for the art-inspired publicity stunt – Photo by Simon Holliday
The Our Air, Our City campaign springs from consultation with a wide range of groups including Bristol Clean Air Alliance, African Voices Forum, Cotham Garden Primary School, Medact, Stop the Maangamizi: We Charge Genocide/Ecocide, Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate and Extinction Rebellion Bristol.
Campaigners set out to highlight the damage caused by airborne pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide.
Bedminster GP Dr Patrick Hart is among those who have committed their support to the Our Air, Our City campaign, to pressure the city’s governing bodies to take urgent and radical action on Bristol’s unsafe air quality.
Dr Hart says: “The city council have been dealing with a huge health crisis this past year. But our polluted air is another health crisis that has been going on for years – it’s just killing us more quietly.”
Campaigners are urging the city’s governing bodies to take urgent and radical action on Bristol’s unsafe air quality – Photo by Simon Holliday
Main photo by Simon Holliday
Read more: Bristol clean air campaign brings together 30 activist groups
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