Month: January 2018

1236. Upfest 2017 (120)

I love seeing the work of Alex Lucas wherever it crops up, but it is especially nice to see her work at Upfest, when it isn’t tied to a commission. Alex Lucas has made a huge impression on the city of Bristol and her work is dotted all around the city – I have featured much of it on this blog.

Alex Lucas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Alex Lucas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This piece was a bit tucked away, and incredibly difficult to photograph with the crowds and the lighting. Even so, it is possible to see that this is a classy illustration of a cat who is thinking about a mouse. Yum.

Extraordinary comfort

.

Saturday haircut

in the Arches Barbershop;

‘me time’ tradition.

.

by Scooj

1235. Upfest 2017 (119)

At the Ashton Gate Upfest site, which was opened up for the first time in 2017, there was a very long wall running down the entire side of the stadium. Certain sections of this wall were allocated to crews, who sprayed together to create their pieces. This one is by Kid Crayon who was joining up with the Lost Souls crew and Eat.

Kid Crayon, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Kid Crayon, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I am a big fan of Kid Crayon’s work, and it was his wheatpastes that originally stoked my interest in Bristol street art in the first place, so I have a lot to thank him for. This is a wonderful and colourful piece of a big fish in a sardine can. I don’t know the meaning of the piece, but I know I like it a lot.

Kid Crayon, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Kid Crayon, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Anything to do with fish tends to tick my box, so street art with a fish is a bit of a bonanza.

1234. Upfest 2017 (118)

Upfest simply wouldn’t feel the same without all the ‘unofficial’ wheatpasters making their mark along North Street and other parts of town. One of the most notable wheatpasters over the last two years has been Losthills and his Jake the Dog pieces.

Losthills, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Losthills, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This one is a little different from his usual cut outs, and is a full size poster of ‘Jake World’ a parody poster of the recent remake of ‘West World’. Jake plays the lead role (in the original film I think it was played by Yul Brynner), with his face mask revealing electronics behind and confirming his robot status. I love this paste up – once again confirming Losthills as a fun-loving witty artist.

1233. Upfest 2017 (117)

Dzia was a featured artists at Upfest 2017 and as such he was afforded this magnificent wall at the climbing centre. Dzia was among a very strong Belgian contingent at the festival who really livened things up with their creativity and skill.

Dzia, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Dzia, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I didn’t manage to get to this site during the festival itself, and returned some time later when I was in the area to take these shots. The squirrel is absolutely magnificent, although possibly dwarfed a little by the size of the white wall.

Dzia, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Dzia, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Once you zoom in close though you get a real feel for this extraordinary piece from Dzia. His style is unmistakable, and his subject matter pretty much always from the natural world. He is a great advocate for wildlife street art.

Dzia, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Dzia, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I am constantly amazed at how the mish mash of lines and colours, which on their own seem directionless, come together to produce a perfect whole. Dzia is a hugely accomplished artist and it was a real treat to have him here in Bristol for Upfest.

Birthday

 

The older I get

the less certain I become

about anything;

a condition my young self

would struggle to understand.

 

by Scooj

1232. Upfest 2017 (116)

Will Coles certainly left his mark at Upfest 2017, with a number of different ‘installations’ dotted around the festival site and in other parts of Bristol too. This particular one chimes for a great many people in the UK, and I guess across the world, and links to the catastrophic decline in honey bee and other insect pollinator populations.

Will Coles, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Will Coles, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I would like to think that this is somewhat less controversial than many of his works, but it is nonetheless quite challenging politically. There are some who advocate the use of neonicotinoids and other pesticides to sustain high crop yields and guarantee food production for the nation.

Will Coles, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Will Coles, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Each of these honey bees were carefully placed. It was fun hunting them down.

Renewal

 

Deep winter decay

from which all life emerges;

faintest hint of spring.

 

by Scooj

1231. Leake Street tunnel, London (5)

One of the pleasures of writing about street/graffiti art and seeking out new sites is finding something there that you recognise. Feeling knowledgeable about something is very empowering and comforting, and we could all do with a bit of empowering and comfort from time to time.  For me this happened when I saw this Chinagirl Tile piece in Leake Street just before Christmas.

Chinagirl Tile, Leake Street, London, December 2017
Chinagirl Tile, Leake Street, London, December 2017

I have always had a soft spot for her work, and this very dangerous bunny is one of my favourite tiles she has produced. There is one in Bristol that I blogged about last year. I noticed that of the numerous ‘street art tourists’ who entered the tunnel from this entrance, none that I saw stopped or appeared to notice this rabbit, such was their eagerness to descend into the bowels of Leake Street. For me, street art is not just about the blindingly obvious, it is about subtlety, style, class and placement, much of which is lost on many people. This links to a theme I have mentioned many times in Natural Adventures, and that is that many of us look, but don’t see. Look harder and you might see a rabbit clutching a grenade. Watch out!

China Girl Tile, Lime Road, Bristol, February 2017
China Girl Tile, Lime Road, Bristol, February 2017

 

Thursday doors

Door 14

Thursday door, Bradley Theodore, New York
Thursday door, Bradley Theodore, New York

I forget exactly where in New York  this door was, but I think it was in the East Village area.

Artist: Bradley Theodore (Theodoor)

 

by Scooj

 

Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0