Massive Aardman mural to appear in Broadmead from today

Massive Aardman mural to appear in Broadmead from today

Posted on: 10 Oct 2023

A bold new mural has taken over Quaker’s Lane in celebration of one of Bristol greatest artistic legacies.

 

Aardman Animations is one of Bristol’s biggest artistic success stories – which is saying something considering how many there are – and are the origin of some of the most recognisable characters in all claymation.

 

From the humble yet mischievous clay-man Morph to the global phenomena of Wallace & Gromit and their sheepy spin-off Shaun, Aardman’s profile raises year on year, leading to campaigns and collaborations such as their fundraising work with the Grand Appeal and the iconic “Gromit unleashed” statue campaign.

Now, Aardman can add a new, brightly-coloured feather in their cap: a new 11.5m mural in celebration of their beloved characters.

 

Designed by Aardman artist Lorna Harrington, the mural was realised by local artist Dave Bain, featuring nine of Aardman’s biggest characters, all riding a rainbow that spills out of the mural onto the pavement to join the 3-D “Made in Bristol” sign just beneath the mural.

“One of the key things Lorna did that cemented this composition was the flow of that rainbow, coming over the bridge and sweeping down onto the floor – inspired, brilliant input.” said Bain. “It’s been really fun – a really good challenge to bring something so that people recognise it’s Aardman, but they also see it’s a stylised version of it.”

 

“I do love Feathers – Feathers McGraw – the humour of the disguise with the rubber glove has always made me laugh so much […] we thought, ‘let’s leave Feathers until the last day, and just pop him in right at the end.’”

To celebrate the mural and get in the creative spirit, visitors will be able to get involved with creative workshops at Prior in Quakers Friars – including clay modelling, mural painting, and workshops with both Dave & Lorna. Alongside these workshops, local street food vendors The Cheese Connection will be on hand to serve up delicious gourmet cheese toasties in classic Wallace & Gromit spirit.

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Patrick Bate

Patrick is a filmmaker with so much Bristol in his blood the white blood cells are graffiti'd. Educated at the Northern Film School in Leeds, he’s returned home to be a Videographer and Reviewer for 365Bristol and BARBI. When he’s not messing about with cameras, he enjoys playing guitar, spending far too much time on tabletop RPGs, and being an awful snob about cider. Have a look at his work here, or get in touch at patrickb@365bristol.com.