The Art: Dinozoo 2
The Artist: Andy Council
About the Work:
In 2013, Bristol Zoo approached local street artist Andy Council to promote their new dinosaur exhibition. Council, who had come to fame through sensational works that combined dinosaurs and architecture, went on to produce a dozen pieces that embodied the major elements of English suburbs.
Take, for instance, the Brentry Suchomimus. A fish-eating beast with a crocodile-like head, Council portrays these features through a futuristic aircraft and shipping vessel, representing the Filton Aerodrome and Avonmouth Docks respectively. On the neck lies Brentry Primary School, from which students helped Council with his design. Its chest is hollow, perhaps in reference to the large Pen Park Hole cavern, which has been listed as a site of major scientific interest.
Vibrant and meticulously designed, it’s almost addictive to study Council’s creations to determine what each aspect represents. A clever eye might recognise the pop-culture icon being swallowed by the Cardiff Therizinosaurus, while dinosaur fans will be quick to point out that the bushes that look like feathers serve both as a reference to the city’s lush gardens, but also to the Therizinosaurus’s recent reclassification as a vegetarian.
Architecture isn’t the only thing that provides a skeleton for Council’s dinos. In Whompasaurus, which was used on the cover art of Mochipet’s single Whomp-a-saurus Sex, he uses a sound system, while Trainerceratops is made entirely of sneakers.
