843. M32 Roundabout, J3 (41)

A rather nice quick one from Whysayit. I particularly like the work of this graffiti artist because of the range of colour selections and fill patterns he uses to what is essentially the same tag. Sticking to his format, he can play with the decoration.

Whysayit, M32, Bristol, June 2017
Whysayit, M32, Bristol, June 2017

Another thing I rather like is that his work remains edgy, and as well as these ‘full-blown’ YSAE pieces, he also has shorter versions and still tags his letters. He hasn’t yet abandoned his beginnings, and I rather admire that…even though I don’t much care for tagging.

842. Upfest 2016 (135)

OK…I will say that this, for me, is one of the most fantastic small pieces, not only at Upfest but anywhere, that I have seen. The portrait of Einstein by Yassen Nenov (Yasko) is kind of crazy, but beautifully sprayed. There is something about it that just ticks all my boxes.

Yassen Nenov, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Yassen Nenov, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I’m not sure if it is the use of the space, the colours, the subject or the execution, but it just works for me.

Yassen Nenov, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Yassen Nenov, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Yassen Nenov, originally from Bulgaria (I think), is now based in Portsmouth. He specialises in bespoke pieces for cars and bonnets, helmets and walls and murals, and is making a name for himself for his custom work.

Yassen Nenov, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Yassen Nenov, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I am less interested in his commissions (these things are always so ridiculously outside my price bracket) than I am in his public art, such as this piece. Great, great, great.

841. Upfest 2016 (134)

Let’s hear it for the local RAW (Read and Weep) artists…Ryder and T Rex. I think one of my favourite things about Upfest is that it combines high-end street art with local graffiti art, and bridges all the divides that may be out there in the world of street/graffiti art – at the very least for a few days.

Ryder and T Rex, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Ryder and T Rex, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Ryder and T Rex often paint together, and their collaborations can be seen plastered all over Bristol. They have a particular penchant for spraying vans and caravans. I fear they are rather too under represented on this blog, something I will have to rectify.

Ryder and T Rex, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Ryder and T Rex, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

For now though , take time to appreciate the magnificent ‘fairground influenced’ writing of Ryder and the cheeky, possibly clumsy, dinosaur from T Rex. A popular combo from the Bristol

840. Upfest 2016 (133)

At Upfest 2016 there was one site where there were about thirty or so of these smaller (metre square) boards. I rather like seeing some of this smaller street art, which tends to have a bit of a crossover with fine art, perhaps exemplified by this portrait by Lauren Maria Hill.

Lauren Maria Hill, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Lauren Maria Hill, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This young Bristol artist appears to focus on portrait work and seeks out commissions and freelance work on her website. Her images, including this one seem to concentrate on the face itself with great detail, leaving the surrounding hair as a complementary feature, but somehow separate from the face. I like her work, and hope to see more of it around Bristol.

839. Upfest 2016 (132)

An interesting abstractish sort of piece in one of the prime window slots on North Street, currently occupied by a Copyright and Paul Monsters collaboration. This piece is by Age Age, an artist I am struggling to find out much about.

Age Age, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Age Age, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

His piece here is next to the Upfest work of Caro Pepe, which is interesting, because in my trawl of the Interweb, I have found several collaborations between these two artists. A quick look on his Facebook page confirms this.

Age Age, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Age Age, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Age Age, Hannes Höhlig, is an illustrator and graphic designer from Berlin who, it would appear, likes to get out and spray the streets from time to time. His work is a little surreal and attractive – there are stories going on here. This was a nice festival piece which sadly was defaced not too long after the festival, along with several other pieces in the area. My understanding is that some of the Bedminster locals spray the pieces they don’t like or don’t respect. Oh dear.

Age Age, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Age Age, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016