.
The early morning
is a good time to be out;
nobody about.
.
By Scooj
Month: April 2017
Ceci n’est pas une pipe
This is not a pipe
and all is not as it seems,
so what is it then?
by Scooj
- with thanks to the genius of René Magritte
748. The Bearpit (64)
Right next to the recent Georgie artist stencil ‘citizen of nowhere’ in The Bearpit steps (see previous post), is this magnificent Kid Crayon piece. I cannot tell you how much I love this. It has colour, humour, craziness and a blue face. Something about it reminds me of an upbeat Gaugin crossed with Picasso…know what I mean? With a touch of Jean de Brunhoff (creator of Barbar the elephant).
It is so raw and so good. I will stop there for fear of gushing too much. I like it…you got it?
It is with some disappointment that I am updating this post to report that this and many other great pieces in The Bearpit and elsewhere in Bristol have been tagged and dogged at the end of the Easter break. It is annoying when this happens. I think everyone accepts that it does happen, but it does seem really senseless and damages the reputation of street art and graffiti art in the City.
747. The Bearpit (63)
As far as I can make out, it was Georgie (artist) who organised The Bearpit ‘paint jam’ on 8 April, and I managed to catch up with her for a few minutes while she was starting work on this fabulous ‘citizen of nowhere’ piece. She told me that she was negotiating with Bristol City Council to try and create some ‘legal walls’ where street artists could create their works without constantly having to keep an eye out for the authorities. Georgie suggested that legal walls would also encourage new artists to try their hand and see what they could do, without fear of arrest. My view is that this would be a good thing, but I will always have a soft spot for the edgy illegal stuff…it all starts there.
This is a brilliant stencil piece containing part of a Theresa May quote “if you believe you’re a citizen of the world, you’re a citizen of nowhere”. I think this piece demonstrates clearly what utter nonsense the Prime Minister comes out with. Ghastly, ghastly May.
I enjoyed meeting Georgie, she seems to be a real mover and shaker in the street art scene in Bristol, well organised, galvanised and talented. I love this piece (I can’t believe that less than 24 hours after completion it was tagged) which contrasts in style with her recent freestyle Michael Caine piece. All good.
746. Wilder Street (15)
There is a lot to say about this remarkable recent piece by 3Dom in Wilder Street. I found out, while speaking to Alex from Where the Wall, that strictly speaking 3Dom did not have permission to spray the piece. Furthermore he sprayed over one of the landmark pieces left behind by Shalak Attack and Bruno Smokey when they visited Bristol last year.
I get the feeling that 3Dom got away with this misdemeanour on two counts…firstly his status as a local artist and secondly it is quite simply outstanding. The work in my eyes represents quite a departure from the usual wild and weird characters normally associated with his work. Here we see an intricate and beautiful study of floral patterns, shapes and colours, so very different from his previous work.
This is a truly outstanding piece and worth a trip to Wilder Street to grab a look. I noticed via 3Dom’s Insta account that he not so very long ago produced a similar style piece in London. This is the mark of an artist exploring new ideas and expressions, not something all are blessed with. I look forward to maybe seeing more of this stuff, which I understand was freestyled. Bravo!
Brrrr
After days of warmth
a chilly north wind reclaims
Winter’s legacy.
by Scooj
745. The Bearpit (62)
The ‘paint Jam’ organised on 8 April coincided with a beautiful and sunny Spring day. Unfortunately, there were not as many artists as one might have hoped for, but it was all a bit last-minute, so any turn out was good.
I came across an artist I had not met before, but whose work has recently been creeping onto my radar…Sirens. I stopped and chatted for a while with this really interesting artist, who likes to grab people’s attention in places where they least expect it. He has been working with painting on plastic sheeting suspended between trees in local woodlands, drawing attention to his ideas in unusual places.
Much of his work contains an environmental theme and messages, contrasting beauty with urban landscapes. This piece ‘head for hope’ reminds me a little of the scene in the Terry Gilliam film ‘Brazil’ where the car drives along a road with high walls, beyond which is beautiful countryside. Look out for more from Sirens here.
MMMBop
A grey day like this
needs some uplifting music
and I have found it.
by Scooj
744. Moon Street (29)
Quite by chance I came across Laic217 spraying over one of his old pieces in Moon Street on my way to the ‘paint jam’ on 8 April. This was indeed a bit of a red-letter day for me, and I hadn’t even arrived at The Bearpit yet.
I have been really wanting to meet Laic217 for some time, because his work is so different and distinctive and he is so incredibly prolific at the moment. Now was my chance to say hello and ask him a few questions.
He seemed to know who I was (probably from my Instagram account), so I didn’t need to explain too much why I was interested in his work. He implied that he tries not to be influenced by other artists or what people write about him, preferring instead to plough his own furrow. He tends to spray alone and does not belong to any local crew. I picked up an accent which to my untrained ear sounded German.
When I asked him how can he be so prolific, he stated what I suppose is obvious, he said “It is what I do and I love to do it”. This is another skull face and bucket hat combo (I was glad to see he sports such a hat) with a gold tooth, joint, brick wall behind sun glasses and shattered smiley. It is all there and all absolutely wonderful.
743. The Bearpit (61)
A stunning piece by Decay for the ‘paint Jam’ on the 8 April, organised by Georgie and advertised at very short notice through social media. This is a favourite wall for Decay, and he has had several other pieces here before.
I was fortunate enough to be there while he was just finishing off the piece. I love the way the young boy is looking back at his work. So very few people stop to take a look (such a British behaviour) perhaps for fear of interrupting the artist, or worse still striking up a conversation.
All the very best features of a Decay piece are here: the abstract form of concentric rays emanating from a central face. The piece is directly adjacent to a large pink work I featured by Decay not so very long ago.
He is a busy man, and shortly after completing this piece he drifted over to Wilder street to do a piece on the nicely prepped walls…to follow in a little while.
Natural adventures 