The Sound flat as glass
and ospreys criss-cross searching
for fish while I watch.
by Scooj
Month: October 2017
1079. M32 roundabout J3 (50)
This is the first piece that I have posted from Elvs, but it is not the first I have seen and I will have to dig out others from my achives, because this is very fine wildstyle writing indeed. There is little on the Interweb about Elvs, and I guess he would want it that way. but I suspect he is a London-baased artist who comes occasionally to Bristol.
This stunning piece has adopted the same technique that I have featyred from Deamze and Voyder, where there is a diagonal split through the writing, and in this case the primary colours, black and white, are reversed either side of the diagonal. Thuis is highly accomplished stuff and beautiful crisp writing. I can’t think why I haven’t posted any of his work before.
1078. The Bearpit (99)
Mr Draws has certainly made a great comeback since losing his mojo sometime back in July around the time of Upfest. This piece in The Bearpit harks back to a piece he did in Dean Lane a few months back, where he has corrupted his name into ‘Zieht’ which is German for draws.
This is a colourful piece that has a layer of sophistication behind the ‘light’ style that Mr Draws tends to use. He really is one of the artists I most enjoy seeing about the place – always up for a chat and happy to talk about his work.
1077. The Bearpit (98)
I said in my post about the rather unusual Upfest piece by Will Coles that I would write about more of his work that he left behind in various places in Bristol. This is the first of those.
The clever thing about this and his other pieces is that they are all disguised or camouflaged in some way and that most passers by will not see them. I only stumbled across this one myself, because I had noticed a new Mr Draws piece on the wall of the Gents, and looked up.
There is something funny about a skull with LOL written on it…I’m not sure what, but it tickled me anyway. More from Will Coles soon.
1076. The Bearpit (97)
One of the classiest pieces in The Bearpit for a little while appeared just over a week ago and took up the entire length of ont of the north side entrance ramp. This stunning piece is a collaboration between Sled One and Epok. As is often the case with work like this, the photographs really don’t do it justice and I would urge Bristolians to get down to The Bearpit to see it for themselves.
There is a strong message here about the damage being done to our oceans by plastics – don’t get me going on this subject, because it vexes me because the torrent of pastic, large and microscopic, will kill off life in our oceans unless urgent action is taken. We sure know how to goof up our planet.
The artwork in this piece is exquisite and incredibly detailed, just take a look at the pectoral fins of the fish above, to see how much work has gone into the colourse ripples and folds of the fins.
Them whole thing is cleverly constructed, combining some abstract elements with life studies, but the whole effect is one of movement and swirling currents.
It would be great to hear from the artists themselves what inspired them to do this piece. It is possible that it was a commission, but by whom I wonder. Next time I see Sled One, I’ll have to ask him.
All in all a great piece and beautiful gift to the people of Bristol. Now, reduce that plastic waste!
Autumn morning, Connecticut
Views across the bay
and to Long Island. Endless
blue skies and soft breeze.
by Scooj
1075. Greville Road (7)
I am struggling a little about how to categorize this piece. It is by Sonic Oner, whose official Upfest piece I posted a little while back, but I think that this appeared a few days later, and so I am not classifying it as an Upfest piece, preferring to think of it as an extra gift to Bristol.
Located on a wall outside the Hen and Chicken, the piece is in great company, being next to a Pelmo piece. I love reptile street art, and this Iguana is really rather special. There is a lot of attention to detail in the scales, and the eye is beautifully worked.
I think he probably used the spray paints that he had used for his other piece, since the colour scheme is the same; green, white and black. It was a lovely surprise to find this after the main event of Upfest was over.
1074. Upfest 2017 (80)
OK, so this is one of those pieces that seems to have become quite iconic in the wake of Upfest. Everything about it is contemporary with the mood of the nation and other nations. It is bright and colourful but hides a more sinister discontent behind the hoodie and mask. My interpretation, which might be very wrong, is of resistance and revolution, of clawing back some decency, some freedom.
The piece, by Tysall, is one of the most memorable of the festival, however, I am not familiar with the artist at all. I believe that he is Bristol-based, and have found a rather nice interview with him here.
I think his entry in the Upfest biographies is one of my favourites:
‘Just trying to make my own mark… or mess, I’m still not sure which it is.‘
He has made his mark with me, no messing.
Thursday doors
1073. Upfest 2017 (79)
There is a pretty strong and obvious message in this morbidly humorous piece by El.Viz. Smoking makes you sick. I used to smoke quite a lot, but it was imagery like this that helped me to kick the habit almost twenty years ago now. Good thing too.
El. Viz is an Irish artist working out of Dublin and is a studio artist as well as taking to the streets. I like the following line from his Upfest biography, because it tells you all you might want to know:
‘Heavily influenced by 80s cartoons and punk rock, he blends lowbrow culture with surreal pop art‘
And there you have it.
Natural adventures 