The door of this shop on North Street in Bristol has outlived its former occupants. It will be interesting to see if the new owners will keep the door as it is or decide to lose it. It is an acquired taste, but very much in keeping with the area.
I believe that Norm 2.0, who curates Thursday Doors has taken a two week break over Christmas, but I have decided to soldier on regardless – I enjoy posting doors.
Not too far away from Camden Town tube station and in the direction of Camden Lock Market is an absolute jewel of a street – Stucley Place. There are a few walls here that have some lovely work, and this is the first of three posts from my visit to Camden Town in November.
Gnasher, Stucley Place, London, November 2017
Gnasher (David Nash) is an extraordinary artist who seems to be able to produce amazing photorealistic pieces with consummate ease. Last July I posted a work he produced in Leake Street tunnel featuring Guardians of the Galaxy characters. In this piece he has produced a stunning portrait of a chimpanzee that conveys a sadness and wisdom that seems to be nature’s lot in today’s world.
Gnasher, Stucley Place, London, November 2017
It is a difficult piece to photograph because of the glare, but even with these slightly dodgy pictures it is possible to see what a truly classy piece this is. So definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in the area.
You’d have to go back to July 2017 to see this, although it remained for a few months. The fine Deamze piece was sprayed on the Where the Wall curated wall in Wilder Street and was one of three pieces sprayed at that time, the others being by Aintzane Crucet and Hide2
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Deamze, Wilder Street, Bristol, August 2017
Deamze is the local artist of the three and probably played host to the other two, making arrangements for them to spray this wall. His is a technically fabulous piece, and the colour selections were made to blend in with the other two artists. I love the way that artists cooperate and collaborate like this, it certainly seems to bring out the best in them.
Hide2, Wilder Street, Bristol, August 2017Aintzane Crucet, Wilder Street, Bristol, August 2017
A quick one from NEVERGIVEUP in The Bearpit from a little while back. This is one of his urban rabbits, before he moved on to monsters. Clean and simple and pleasing on the eye.
NEVERGIVEUP, The Bearpit, Bristol, July 2017
Although NEVERGIVEUP was incredibly busy on the streets during the year, he appears to have slowed down a little – maybe he has a new job or some other distraction, or maybe he has simply filled all those spaces that needed filling.
This is the right hand end piece to the ASK paint jam collaboration from November and is by Sepr. I have always been a huge admirer of his work and I am so pleased that he has been hitting the streets hard in recent months. His character style is so unique, and for me it has a really strong 1950s and 1960s feel to it – if you type ‘1950s cartoon characters’ into Google images, you’ll get a sense of what I mean.
Sepr, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017
This particular piece is all a bit strange and there is lots going on. Where to begin? At the top there is a bird playing a flute I think and its left wing makes a crown, although I think that is accidental. Common with many of Sepr’s pieces, the character is playing a musical instrument, a tambourine, and in his other hand he appears to be burning joss sticks, the smoke trail of which terminates with a snake’s head. He is sitting astride a dolphin. What on earth can it all mean?
Sepr, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017
Whatever it means, it is a fascinating and joyful piece to look at, and rounds off what is a truly exceptional wall. I think I only have one piece left to post from this ASK paint jam, and that is by 3Dom. All very good.
It is always a pleasure to come across writing by Whysayit. I know that it almost certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, graffiti writing rarely is, but once you have a taste for it and ‘get your eye in’ it becomes rather compelling and addictive.
Whysayit, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017
In this piece, Whysayit is playing with the last letters of his usual moniker, so it has a slightly different form from the usual YSAE. Graffiti writing lends itself to this playful approach and it is all part of the game. As usual he has some decent colour selections and interesting shadow patterns in this one. Lots more of his work out there…finding it is the trick.