I photographed this piece by 2Keen a long while back, before I knew anything about the artist. To me, the piece looks unfinished, and I know from having met him a few times while he was doing his Redland collaboration that he can take a while to complete a piece.
2Keen, Wilder Street, Bristol, September 2016
This wild smiling character is similar to others that I have seen, and he seems to create them with exaggerated features and a little bit of edge to them. One that I took in passing and have had archived for a long while. I should go back to see if it is still there.
A fine trio of artists, Soker, Cheo and Hemper came together in 2016 and painted this fine collaboration. All three are at the top of their game and this formula – wildstyle, character, wildstyle – is one that works well. There is a balance and symmetry to the whole thing.
Soker, Old Bread Street, Bristol, September 2016
The chrome writing on the left is by Soker, and the letters SOKEM are easy to pick out. The lines are very clean and sharp and a careful look at the detail reveals incredible attention in each and every intricate shape. Magnificent.
Cheo, Old Bread Street, Bristol, September 2016
In the middle, the character piece is by Cheo, who else, and looks like a man who enjoys his music. I love the way his glasses change the colour of everything behind them, and the same with the goggles. beautifully done.
Hemper, Old Bread Street, Bristol, September 2016
Finally on the right some more writing in chrome, this time from Hemper. Of the three, he is the one I know least about. I think that these days, he is not as active as the others. The letters spell ‘HEMP’ and they have a slightly more forgiving and organic feel to them than those of Soker.
Cheo, Old Bread Street, Bristol, September 2016
The whole thing is utterly lovely and I am puzzled why it hasn’t made it out of my archives until now. Some mistake surely. Damn that water droplet.
The boards at Old Bread Street have all but gone now and given way to a large construction site, which I suppose was inevitable. It does seem that there are fewer spots left in Bristol than there were a year ago which means that artists tend to concentrate on the places that remain, and therefore turnover increases.
Biers, Old Bread Street, Bristol, September 2016
Anyhow, this is a little glimpse back a year or two to a piece by Biers, whose beautiful and unique letter styling stands out. This is a nice clean piece that oozes character and playfulness, nothing self-conscious and earnest about this one. Glad I dug it out. Shame about the water droplet on the picture.
I usually like to present one door at a time in my Thursday doors posts to allow for a thorough examination of the door, without the distractions of others. However, sometimes it is appropriate to look at several at once – besides which, how else will I be able to clear out my archive of doors?
On a recent trip to Barcelona with my daughter, I noticed that in the old city many of the doors to apartments above shops were extraordinarily thin and tall. Some were so slender that you wonder how larger people might manage. Were they designed this way to maximise the space for the shop front? or was there some other reason for this architectural design? Answers on a postcard…
Here are a few of the many doors we saw:
Barcelona door, March 2018Barcelona door, March 2018
Barcelona door, March 2018
This door was open, and what I saw inside was not at all what I expected. This is not a place for those afraid of confined spaces. Immediately behind the door, there was a stone spiral stairtcase, tighter than any I have ever seen before. By the look of it on the doorbell, there are eight apartments through this door. The mind boggles at the logistics of meeting people travelling in opposite directions, and looking at this through the lens of the British pre-occupation of health and safety – isn’t this something of a horrific fire escape risk? Interesting as it is, I fret every time I look at this picture.
I believe this to be the best piece I have seen this year, and one of the best that the artist, Tom Miller, has produced to date. This classy work was painted for a Spring paint jam on 14 April 2018 and dominates all around it.
Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018
This most most eye-catching and vibrant of pieces, illuminates the tunnel and brings a touch of fine art to the people who pass through it. So typical of Miller’s work, there is a face, disfigured and distorted by colour stretching out of it. A scene of serenity and torture compressed into one space. His surreal and dream-like pieces never cease to amaze me, but this one really trumps the rest.
Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018
Tom Miller has been busy this Spring, a trend which I hope spans into the summer and beyond. This piece is so good.
I haven’t posted much from JPS for a long while, because I haven’t seen any of his recent work, and he doesn’t seem to come to Bristol as much as he used to. I owe my interest in street art to this artist thanks to a small piece near my work in Frogmore Street which he had just restored.
JPS, the Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
This old one in the Tropicana entrance area is a multi-layered stencil of Cain from Robocop. It showcases just how brilliant JPS is at creating these large highly detailed stencils. The broom next to it gives an indication of scale. I am in love with this man’s work.
Going back a little while to the summer of 2016, I managed to find a few moments to hunt down some street art while on a day trip to Weston-super-Mare with the family. I spent a little time in the Tropicana and snapped this nice work by Nol and Edo Rath who paint together as Noodle inc.
Nol and Edo Rath, the Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
The bold colours, clean lines and humorous monsters are typical of their work, which shares some similarities with Buff Monster. After taking this picture, I have since become more familiar with their work and with Nol in particular through Upfest. Always a pleasure to see their creations.
Natural adventures 