Our recent art trail trip into town was inspired by the announcement of a Banksy exhibition at The Minories gallery in Colchester. I believe this has been the most successful exhibition the gallery has ever held. The gallery is supported by also being a popular cafe. But with no sign of tea and cakes this time, they've had to charge an entrance fee for (I believe) the first time.
We had to book in advance and choose one of the hour-long slots in which to pay our visit. Arriving just ahead of our slot, there were already a few people milling around the entrance, but it was only a couple of minutes before we were allowed in, divested ourselves of various bags and coats in the cloakroom, and were let loose in the first of a number of rooms.
Although Banksy had garnered all the advance publicity, there were dozens of other artists on display, most in the same street/urban art category, mostly aimed at highlighting social inequalities and injustices in one way or another, from graphical slogans on canvas to political dissent stenciled on walls. (And two of the pieces actually were sprayed on walls that had to be wheeled carefully in cradles into the Minories garden!)
The pictures here have been straightened but you might find reflections and other light pollution. Thankfully, Mel picked up the catalogue that went with the exhibition, although it didn't feature all of the displayed artwork, so I'm pleased I spent some time snapping photos.
These are all Banksy pieces. I'll so another post featuring some of the other artists.
