Weapon Of Choice

Yet another small, independent cubby hole of an art gallery to pop up in an oft overlooked corner of Bristol. St Michael’s Hill is a major thoroughfare granted, but this shop flanks a weird little Greek takeaway and not much else.
The art on show is invariably graffiti-​inspired, often featuring graphicsy elements to it. Predictably, a lot of cultural referencing goes on about life in the urban jungle. Some of the pieces are interesting, something of them are just a lurid mess, but no mattery our opinion there’s always something to take a gander at.
Price tags aren’t through the roof (this being art, after all) so even the lowliest of collectors should find something in their budget. Lots of work is local as well, making it an ideal Bristol memento.

Only in Bristol! I mean, only in Bristol could the art movement of this generation culminate and materialise into a ‘high street’ outlet, where what was once an art form defined by its illegal nature of it’s location has become so mainstream you can buy pieces in a shop.
But it is such a brilliant business idea, I am jealous I didn’t think of it, even though I couldn’t have done as good a job as they have with Weapon of Choice. Reading the reviews below has been very helpful, I didn’t actually realise the scope of artists that displayed their work here or who will be in the future. I thought it might all be work produced by the owner, but I think it’s even more exciting now I know it will act as an exhibition space for this art movement.
The work there today was technically brilliant and the artist clearly has a very funny, intelligent, creative streak, and has produced this almost abstract, surrealist graffiti art.
If you are coming to this city from elsewhere and you want a taste of Bristol’s cultural significance and its influence on a broader scale, visit this shop, it’ll tell you everything you need to know.

Weapon of choice is a welcome and eventual addition to the Bristol street art scene. With people cashing in on Banksy references and riding the coattails of Bristol’s 80’s and 90’s glories, it was only a matter of time until something organic and real produced something like this.
Sine I moved here in 2004, there has been a burgeoning scene of genuine artists putting stuff up on the walls of the city, just for the fun of it. Weapon Of Choice has given this movement and the people that encouraged it a spiritual home. It has paid host to a number of shows by local heroes such as Andy Council, 3dom and Lokey and Sepr, while extending it’s borders to names such as Mick Hockney and Lorenzo to provide top quality exhibits and solo shows from a selection of the country’s top artistic talent. There was even a Banksy original from his 2000 Severnshed show on sale for a cool £40k during the gallery’s formative weeks.
The exhibition opening nights take place on a Friday and there is beer, run and wine (for a small donation) and music to accompany the event. All the while there are prints, canvasses, t-​shirts toys and select garments for sale all year round, so it is well worth visiting if you are in the area.
The place seems to rely on sponsorship from Puma and other brands to stay afloat, but this means that there is booze on the opening nights and competitions to win pairs of Suedes and Clyde’s so this works for everybody. Check it out.

The WoC gallery is an absolute must-​see for anyone (visitors and locals alike) who take pleasure in the graffiti-​clad walls of Bristol. Weapon of Choice is very much a product of its surroundings and originally started as a graffiti/​live art/​music night at the bar Mr Wolfs.
Since these monthly nights started the WoC brand has been popping up everywhere, from club nights to graffiti festivals, and the gallery on St Michael’s Hill has just celebrated its 1^st birthday.
Not just a gallery (showcasing the likes of Andy Council, 3Dom and Inkie) the space also sells related books, clothing — featuring designs by local artists, trainers and limited edition prints. The guys that run the shop are knowledgeable and friendly and the exhibitions are always showcasing both old and new local and national talent. If you sign up to the e-​newsletter you get an invite to exhibition previews — great for getting a free cider and chatting to local artists too.
The brand itself is here to stay and is something of an institution within local art circles, showing that graffiti is a credible art form and not just something to be painted over and ignored.

I spent about 6 months wondering what exactly Weapon of Choice did. Eventually i found the time to wander in and found a new favourite spot in Bristol.
If i ever leave Bristol i will certainly save a little and go and purchase a little number from Bristol’s liveliest art gallery because it will undoubtedly be a faithful manifestation of everything that i love about the city. It will be bright, independent, full of character, the perfect piece of Bristol to take with me.

Got to hand out massive respect to these guys. I saw some their live graffiti at a festival at the Tobacco Factory and I was well impressed. I’ve since seen their shows at Mr Wolfs. You’ll recognise their wicked graffiti from all across Bristol, so this store seems perfect if you want to own a little piece of the vibrant artwork of the city. Aside from the artwork itself, there’s a range of cool merchandise and gifts that are worth a look, too. I’ve bought a few presents from here, in fact, as it never fails to put over that personal I’ve-actually-thought-about-your-gift vibe.

If Bristol’s could be represented by one image, it would doubtlessly be one of the hundreds of works of graffiti plastered across the city. Weapon of Choice jumps on this bandwagon, with a little street art gallery and shop just up from the Christmas Steps. Created by Bristolian artist, Cheba, this brand is well known and respected across the city, you can recognise the swirling white-​on-​black logo without realising you’d ever seen it before.
The shop here features exhibitions from a variety of Bristol’s finest graffiti-​style artists as well as printed t-​shirts, trainers, toys, accessories and skateboards. Check their website for details of live graffiti events and gallery openings.