Month: July 2017

891. North Street Hoardings (8)

I think that Sirens must have been squatting uncomfortably on the ground for a while during the creation of this calming piece in North Street. It is tucked in amongst scaffolding and a small alcove, often used by graffiti artists and taggers. The space smells…well what should I say? a bit like a WC, and I guess that plenty of pub goers relieve themselves here after an evening out.

Sirens, North Street hoarding, Bristol, June 2017
Sirens, North Street hoarding, Bristol, June 2017

How fabulous then to see this uplifting piece so typical of Sirens. Silhouetted houses and rooftops with a magnificent setting sun; an inspirational piece so full of hope. I know that Sirens likes to surprise people with his choice of location and he has excelled with this one. I imagine many will walk past it none the wiser, but those who look around will see it and benefit from the joy it brings. Nice one Sirens!

890. Bedminster

On one of my lunchtime jaunts I got lucky enough to meet Andy Council working on a piece that didn’t incorporate animals, which judging from our conversation, I think is something of a ‘day off’ for him.

Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017

He was working on quite an awkward low stretch of wall on a ramp, but has managed to craft an impressive cityscape in his most distinctive style.

Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017

The location is a spot new to me, and there is a host of other treasures there from local graffiti artists. I’ll come on to these over the coming weeks.

Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017

What I particularly like about this work is the vibrant colours and use of the space. It shows how a bit of time spent in the hands of a skilled artist can improve the local environment of what was previously a dull grey utilitarian tiled pathway. Nice to meet Andy for the first time too.

889. Lower Approach Road (4)

This is a magnificent piece down on the black hoardings beside Temple Meads station by Lokey. His work is really beautiful and the 3D writing that he creates is so very easy on the eye.

Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017
Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017

A different take on wildstyle writing, Lokey never fails to impress. In this particular piece his colour selections work really well with the black background, and the way he has shaded the letters with graded greens adds another level of texture to the piece.

Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017
Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017

As with so many writers, he has included a little character to the right of the writing. The character is a beautifully sprayed robot whose edges are highlighted by the ‘glow’ coming from the letters. Masterful work.

Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017
Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017

Taking a close up look at his lettering gives a real appreciation of the technical skills needed to create the 3D effect. A lovely piece.

Still raging

 

The angry young man

is healthy and vibrant in

this old man’s body.

 

by Scooj

Sandwiches

 

Summer in full swing;

office workers lunch in parks

and pigeons look on.

 

by Scooj

888. Upfest 2016 (155)

So I decided to round off this batch of last year’s Upfest posts with a very Bristol piece. This wonderful side of a bus was sprayed by the ASK crew, which comprises a great many of the Bristol graffiti/street artists I have covered in Natural Adventures passim. It would be fitting to end the 2016 posts with this, but I still have plenty more. I have decided to intersperse them with future posts, but obviously I’ll be concentrating on Upfest 2017 over the coming weeks.

ASK crew, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
ASK crew, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Please don’t ask me to identify all the members of ASK, it could take me a while. The ASK (After School Klub) crew tend to dominate the street art scene in Bristol, but there is always plenty of space for others, and I don’t think they are too precious. Great colourful bus, but pretty dismal pictures. Nice eye – probably by Voyder.

 

887. Upfest 2016 (154)

This is an extraordinary piece by Random, called ‘Prisoner 46664’ and is a portrait of Nelson Mandela. Random, originally from Liverpool, lives in North Wales and works with stencils, sculpture and wheatpastes, which scores lots of points with me.

Random, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Random, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

The work is an ingenious stencil with letters cut into it, placed over a red background. The letters are like a wordle of key associations with Nelson Mandela, such as ‘Freedom’ and ‘political’ and ‘rebel’ and ‘statesman’.

Random, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Random, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

A magnificent piece from Random.

Fountain pen

 

As the cool ink flows

memories flood back of old

carved wooden school desks.

 

by Scooj

886. Upfest 2016 (153)

I have said it in a previous post, but the children at Ashton Gate Primary School are the luckiest in Bristol. so many pieces decking the walls of their playground. I believe that it was a one-off though, and they’ll not be using the school again for Upfest. The reason for this is that it is a bit off the beaten track, and the artists reported that not many people came to see them working, and they felt a little isolated.

3rdeye, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
3rdeye, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

This is a wonderful piece by 3rdeye, an established artist who has been involved in the graffiti scene since the 1980s.

3rdeye, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
3rdeye, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

His characters are simple and bold but have some emotional depth and feeling. I really like this work. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to photograph it properly, so the composition is slightly out of context. A great colourful piece.

885. Upfest 2016 (152)

You rarely meet anyone who doesn’t have a fondness for Baloo and his ‘the bear necessities’ song from the Disney adaptation of Kiplings’ the Jungle Book. It was the film I saw most frequently as a child – six times – in the days before videos. I had the LP, and pretty much know the entire film word for word, even now.

Mr Bear, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Mr Bear, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

A digression. This is a fine stencil from Bristol born and bred Mr Bear. I must confess to not knowing much at all about this artist, and I haven’t come across his work, or at least, not knowingly. He is a member of SSOSVA and started painting in 1997 under the moniker ‘Bas’.