It’s complicated
me and my father; and now
he leaves one last time.
by Scooj
Month: August 2016
358. Hoxton Square, Shoreditch, London (1)
My wanderings in Shoreditch turned up so many wonderful pieces of street art, but this duo of Mr Cenz and Fanakapan really has to be the pick of the bunch. I am really familiar with both artists, thanks in part to the excellent London Calling blog.
For a while, I have longed to see some work, first-hand by both of these artists, so this was a real treat for me on a wet monday evening. Mr Cenz is a London street artist who started his graffiti in 1988 and is now a professional graffiti artist with his own company Positive Arts.
This reasonably recent piece is a freestyle creation of a female portrait distorted with shapes and colour, typical of his current work. Exceptional work and so very pleasing to the eye.
Fanakapan is a genius in my view. He creates the most incredible images of shiny surfaces which recently has featured helium balloons of lettering, animals and other shapes. The way he captures these subjects is quite extraordinary and his technique is quite exceptional.
In this piece he has even managed to incorporate two wooden features on the wall into his art. I am a huge fan of both these artists, and wish they would do more work in Bristol outside of Upfest. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. I was a very happy man after finding these works on the side of 333 Mother, a pub on the end of Hoxton Square.
Changes
Tired of childish games
Dolly cuts loose, adventures
on the horizon.
by Scooj
357. Rivington Street, Shoreditch, London
Time for a little bit of a diversion from Upfest 2016…just for a few moments. With my work taking me to London for two days a week now, I am taking advantage of staying over in areas where I get great access to the London street art scene. Shoreditch is obviously the most famous place to go, and so this week I took my first steps out into the streets.
I had no idea where I was going, but it didn’t take too long to come across some really great pieces. This is by one of the the best South American street artists around at the moment – Stinkfish. This piece, outside the Bedroom Bar on Rivington Street is much smaller than his works I am used to in Bristol, but it is no less impressive.
Everything is here…the photo captured image, yellow faces and skin, and designs emanating from and around the heads of the subjects. I was very happy to find this and also to be able to recognise the artist immediately. Rewind 18 months and I would have known nothing, and would possibly have walked past without taking a closer look. I am happy now to be able to enjoy street art and share it with you. A good feeling.
Sand Bay
A Summer”s day draws
to a close and we huddle
watching the tide rise.
by Scooj
356. Upfest 2016 (15)
This is a chimp by Matti. It is absolutely fantastic and one of my ‘best in show’ pieces from Upfest 2016. Matti is an artist who is based in Bristol, and works in the design, media and print industry. I don’t think he does much street work, which is a pity really.
Matti has a fabulous website, very professionally put together, and ideal for a client base. For me though, I like to keep things simple (reading my blog should confirm that), and some of the descriptions on his bio leave me a little cold – probably because I am not from the world of art and design – maybe I should study more…
…anyway this is a chimp by Matti. It is in Ashton Gate School. It is brilliant.
355. Upfest 2016 (14)
This is an extraordinary and eye catching piece by yet another female artist at Upfest this year. I love this piece very much. The more you look at it, the more it can unsettle. The out-of-proportion eye, and absence of the other eye ‘obscured’ by hair looks a little strange. What emotions are being expressed? Other works by the artist share similar features.
I saw this piece in various stages of its development, and the final result is really stunning. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to speak with the artist Caro Pepe, from Argentina…she had enough trouble on the pavement with people squeezed between her and the parked car. It must have been very difficult to concentrate.
Caro Pepe, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Caro Pepe, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
The previous incumbent at this address, number 74 North Street, was the wonderful N4T4 piece from last year’s festival. Two portraits, two very different styles, both excellent.
I will definitely be looking out for more of Pepe’s work, although I expect to see it on the world stage rather than the local Bristol one. Thank you Upfest! There is a fine interview with Caro Pepe on the Street Art Bio website which is well worth a read.
Awake asleep
Our tummies rumble
waiting for the alarm clock
both awake asleep.
by Scooj
354. Upfest 2016 (13)
Miss Wah was definitely one of the most colourful artists at Upfest 2016, not only in her work but also in personality. She was very happy to talk about her work, in spite of me breaking her concentration and musical experience. I wrote a post recently about her work at Upfest 2015, and this reads as a bit of an extension to that.
I managed to photograph Miss Wah at work on the Saturday while she was using her Uni Posca pen to draw in detail, and then photographed the finished piece on the Sunday. I happened to notice that Miss Wah had been quite busy with stickers on lamp posts on the Saturday evening too!
Miss Wah’s work is in the Kawaii style and is a real winner for anyone into cute and cuddly art.
Angels
Raising children can
try the patience of angels;
my wings need preening.
by Scooj
- with a nod to Eddie Reader and an earworm.
Natural adventures 