135. Gloucester Road, Poppers

A wonderful new piece by SPZero76 has recently appeared on the side wall of Poppers, a party shop on the Gloucester Road. It would seem that SPZero76 has been rather busy lately, with a recent piece also appearing in Shoreditch, London. UPDATE 4 March 16: via Twitter, SPZero76 informes me that the wildstyle burner in the centre of this piece is by Mr Wigz, so it is a collaboration between the two.

SPZero76, Gloucester Road, Bristol February 2016
SPZero76, Gloucester Road, Bristol February 2016

SPZero76 is an illustrator and street artist who is based in Bristol and London, who has a great website where you can find out more about his work.

SPZero76, Gloucester Road, Bristol February 2016
SPZero76, Gloucester Road, Bristol February 2016

I particularly like this new mural because it brightens up what was previously a rather dull alleyway. There are several references in the work including to Lost Souls (his crew) and to Massive Attack (Robert del Naja is an active street artist, 3D).

SPZero76, Gloucester Road, Bristol February 2016
SPZero76, Gloucester Road, Bristol February 2016

A really great new addition to my local area.

8.5/10

134. Princes Place

I had a great stroll along the Gloucester Road this morning, and photographed loads of street art, some of it very recent, other pieces, like this one, that have been around for some time.

3Dom, Princes Place, Bristol, February 2016
3Dom, Princes Place, Bristol, February 2016

This area would appear to be one of 3Dom’s favourite haunts, and there numerous works by him nearby. This one ‘when philosophers are kings’ dates back to at least 2010. The colours have faded a little, but it really has something about it.

3Dom, Princes Place, Bristol, February 2016
3Dom, Princes Place, Bristol, February 2016

It is a great wall, and I am a little surprised that it hasn’t been sprayed over. It is interesting that 3Dom’s work is rarely tagged or marked, I guess his pieces are respected, and rightly so.

7/10

133. North Street, The Steam Crane

At the far Eastern end of North Street, where it joins with Dean Lane, you will find The Steam Crane pub. There is a side alley that gives access to the rear of the pub, and on one of the walls is this wonderful piece by Pakone, which was created as part of Upfest 2015.

Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016
Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016

Pakone is an artist from Brest in France and is a member of the C29 crew. This piece is difficult to capture in photographs because of the narrow setting, but his detail and depth are beautifully crafted and show his dream-like ideas.

Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016
Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016

This was a bit of a hidden gem on my most recent wanderings around the area.

Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016
Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016

8/10

132. Cheltenham Road, Loans 2 go

Another Stokes Croft piece by Sepr on a shop shutter. This has been around for some while and is beginning to fade a little. It is rather difficult to photograph, because there are normally a couple of cars parked in front of the shop.

Sepr, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, January 2016
Sepr, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, January 2016

I like his signature in the number plate, and his “Yo Deams” comment in the top right (Deam is another local street artist). This piece reminds me a lot of the one Sepr did in St Pauls, probably around the same time.

Sepr remains one of my favourite Bristol street artists, but this work is not his best.

Plenty more Sepr pieces to come…

6.5/10

131. Dean Lane (5)

What I particularly like about Dean Lane is that it is a quiet residential road that spills out into North Street, the hub of Upfest street art. The spill-over art and graffiti that can be found in Dean Lane is more understated and less showy. It is art that you might stumble upon, rather than actively seek out.

Elaine Carr, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2016
Elaine Carr, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2016

The Bristol scene on these gates was completed last September by a local scenic artist  and prop/model maker, Elaine Carr. The subtle piece incorporates some of the iconic buildings found in Bristol, and really brightens up these ordinary gates.

Elaine Carr, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2016
Elaine Carr, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2016

Note to self…I must do a gallery of all the interpretations of the Clifton Suspension Bridge by street artists as a Bristol Special some time.

6.5/10