Darth wall Street artist planning tribute to city Star Wars legend
ONE of Bristol’s leading street artists has created a huge tribute to David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the first original Star Wars trilogy.
Tom Bingle, better known as Inkie, designed the touching piece, which shows the iconic character along with the actor’s name in Star Wars lettering. And now he is appealing for somewhere prominent to paint it in Bristol.
Tributes have flooded in for David Prowse following the announcement of his death at the weekend.
Yesterday his family confirmed that the Southmead-born actor – who started his career as a weightlifter, bodybuilder and bouncer before heading off to London for a career as an actor – had died of coronavirus.
Because of the virus his daughter was not able to see him on the ward in his last days and the funeral will only be a small gathering.
Mr Prowse, who grew up in Southmead, is survived by his wife Norma, his three children and three grandchildren.
Rachel Prowse, 50, confirmed her father died of coronavirus and had previously been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
After contracting the virus, he was in hospital for two weeks before he died of Covid.
Mr Prowse appeared in A Clockwork Orange, played Darth Vader in the first three Star Wars films, and educated a generation of children about road safety as the Green Cross Code Man in the 1970s.
Tom Bingle is one of the original Bristol street art generation, having painted with Rob Del Naja from Massive Attack and Banksy through the 1980s and 1990s.
He’s responsible for some of Bristol’s most famous street art works, with his distinctive style that often uses female faces and graphic lettering.
In tribute to Dave Prowse, Inkie said: “Bristol has lost a son.”
He put together a proposed artwork, and is now appealing for a wall to paint it on.
He said he would prefer it to be in Southmead, where Mr Prowse grew up, and the search is on for a wall that would do the piece justice.