Imagine there’s no Lennon... all eyes on replacement as artwork painted over

IT’S the day many people have been dreading has arrived: John Lennon has left the building. Not the real John Lennon, of course, but the jaw-dropping mural of him which has been displayed on the side of the Tobacco Factory for the past year. Brazilian artist Kobra created the stunning artwork at last year’s Upfest. But now, with the festival set to return later this month, the time has come for the wall to be wiped cleaned so a new artist can bring the Bedminster building to life. Upfest will return to the streets of Bedminster and Southville from July 28 to 30. Organisers have not yet revealed what will replace the legendary singer, but there is a very strong chance it will be a Simpsons character as it was announced earlier this year that Matt Groening’s lovable creations will be featuring heavily at the festival. Three Upfest artists have been selected by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening to bring his characters to life. They include Bao, who is based in Hong Kong and is known for her freestyle work with vibrant murals. Another is Soker, a wildstyle writer and one of Bristol’s finest talents who has been putting his mark on the city since the late 80s. The third is Nomad Clan, the collective of Cbloxx and AYLO and one of the most sought-after duos in the street art scene. Upfest attracts more than 400 artists painting 50 venues. Artists travel from 70 countries to paint live on 60,000 sq ft of surfaces in front of 50,000 visitors. For more information upfest.co.uk visit Above, Gone Lennon: the mural of John Lennon on the side of the Tobacco Factory being painted over yesterday; Left, artist Kobra putting the finishing touches to the work last year