Westmoreland House Memorial Screen Print

Even before Burning Candy painted the giant skull and crocodile on its upper stories, the gutted hulk of Westmoreland House was a symbol of the dilapidation of Stokes Croft. This very neglect by land-bankers and property owners is why the PRSC, graffiti artists, squatters and other alternative & creative types adopted the area, and how it came to be the Cultural Quarter and Outdoor Gallery we know and love today. The distinctive and always changing walls of Westmoreland House were one of the neighbourhood's main attractions for almost a decade.

This print was the first step in helping Stokes Croft take back control from the forces of gentrification, as the money raised from sales of the first print run helped fund the Stokes Croft Land Trust (SCLT).

As we look to the future, the replacement of Westmoreland House with a brand new development is itself representative of the gentrification of the area, and pushing out of the creative energy that made Stokes Croft one of the ‘trendiest places to live in the UK.’ The setting up of a land trust, to safeguard buildings and land that are community assets, is the only way we can see to hold back the tide of gentrification.

Shares in SCLT were issued to the community, and all property it holds in trust will be protected for the benefit of the community in perpetuity. Money made from sales of the prints helped with the initial stages of creating the SCLT, allowing people to work on creating the necessary infrastructure to get it off the ground.

Read more about PRSC’s ongoing love of Westmoreland House & the Carriageworks »

Product Specification

This A2 limited edition screen-print was drawn by Bristol artist object… and printed in Stokes Croft by the PRSC. It depicts many aspects of this iconic building's history and use since its willful dereliction, and celebrates the layers of graffiti which have built up on its walls over the years.

Each print features hand-painted backgrounds (in pinks & greens, reflecting the Burning Candy pieces that crowned the building), is signed and numbered by the artist, and features an embossed gold-foil stamp.

Size: A2 / 420 x 594 mm
Frame not included