Month: July 2018

1579. Norfolk Place (3)

Oh, will this gorgeous weather never end? It is causing havoc with my photographs!

No prizes for guessing who this glorious piece is by, it is of course Deamze, the master of wildstyle writing accompanied by a cartoon character.

Deamze, Norfolk Place, Bristol, June 2018
Deamze, Norfolk Place, Bristol, June 2018

The Character in this piece is a rather worse-for-wear looking Batman with the obligatory spray can. Even though the work is on a textured surface, the piece is crisp and clean.

Deamze, Norfolk Place, Bristol, June 2018
Deamze, Norfolk Place, Bristol, June 2018

Deamze uses several writing styles in his work, and this one incorporates his zig-zaggy shapes that make up the letters D E A M Z. A lovely fresh piece for the summer.

White good interruption

 

Washing maching beeps

persistently insistent;

blooming annoying.

 

by Scooj

1578. St Werburghs tunnel (26)

Getting to know an artist and to become familiar with their style and content is all part of the fun of hunting street art. I have only seen three pieces by KiKi? and so far haven’t been able to find anything on digital media about them. In a way, knowing nothing is a great place to start because you can come to your own conclusions about the work without external influences creating any bias .

KiKi, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2018
KiKi, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2018

I can honestly say from my limited exposure to KiKi that I am very struck by their work. It all feels pretty organic and centered around animals and beasts of one sort or another. This piece looks like some kind of Chinese dragon breathing fire and has an archaic feel to it…something you might see on the side of a temple for example.

KiKi, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2018
KiKi, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2018

The light at the ends of the St Werburghs tunnel make it very difficult to get an evenly lit picture, but even with the poor quality of photograph, I think you can see that this is a fine piece of work. I need to try and find out more about KiKi.

KiKi?, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2018
KiKi?, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2018

1577. Dean Lane skate park (141)

Well now, this is something really different and most welcome in Dean Lane. This piece is by a visiting artist currently living and working in London, Ruki Chuki. She is originally from New York and started painting the streets in 2007, so has had plenty of time to refuine her technique and style.

Ruki Chuki, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018
Ruki Chuki, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018

It is her style that is so attractive and so very different from anything we usually get to see in Bristol. The picture of a couple in a tight embrace is also an unusual theme for the Bristol scene and is something we could probably do a little bit more of – spreading the love.

Ruki Chuki, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018
Ruki Chuki, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018

When you get to see the work of visitors I feel it is a real privilege, and one we should embrace. I guess the epitome of welcoming visiting street artists will come at the end of the month with the arrival of Upfest 2018. It really isn’t too long to wait, but long enough for the weather to turn. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed it isn’t as wet as last year.

The line up for Upfest 2018 makes eye-watering reading. Getting very excited.

Thursday doors

Door 38

Cabot doors 002 29 June 2018

This week I thought I’d take you on a little tour to one of the very special places in Bristol, Cabot Tower on Brandon Hill. The Thursday door is a bit of an excuse really to share something that lies behind the door, so door specialists had better lower their expectations. To all those who are keen to know who discovered the coast of North America in 1497, read on…

Cabot doors 025 29 June 2018

Cabot Tower was built in 1897/98 to commemorate the fourth centenary of John Cabot’s (Giovanni Caboto) discovery of the coast of North America under the commission of Henry VII of England. John Cabot set out from Bristol on the 2 May 1497 on The Matthew with 18 crew members and made landfall in Newfoundland on 24 June that same yesy. What a voyage that must have been on this tiny ship.

Cabot doors 003 29 June 2018

There are several plaques on the outside of the tower that offer some historuical context.

Cabot doors 005 29 June 2018

This is the foundation stone.

Cabot doors 006 29 June 2018

Ok, so here are some doors… this is the rather underwhelming door immediately inside the tower – I expect it was once the kiosk, but now the tower is un-manned and permanently open to the public. The steep spiral staircase starts to the left.

Cabot doors 008 29 June 2018

Another door, this one without glass, opens out at the first stage with three balconies looking out to the South, West and East.

Cabot doors 010 29 June 2018

The reason for climbing the stairs is to take in the breathtaking views of Bristol. This is looking south and the building with the green roof immediately after the park is where I work.

Cabot doors 011 29 June 2018

Zooming in a little to the South West you can see I. K. Brunel’s SS Great Britain in its permanent dry dock. The little cottage just at the stern of the ship is the building that Brunel worked from.

Cabot doors 014 29 June 2018

Another of Brunel’s extraordinary landmarks, the Clifton Suspension Bridge, can be seen to the West and spans across the Avon Gorge, through which Cabot would have sailed all those centuries ago.

Cabot doors 020 29 June 2018

Serendipitously, the modern replica of Cabot’s Matthew was motoring around the floating Harbour, just as I reached the top of the tower. It is a very small boat to be crossing the Atlantic in.

Cabot doors 021 29 June 2018

Then to the door back down…

Cabot doors 023 29 June 2018

And the slightly tatty and scary stairwell.

 

by Scooj

More doors at: Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

1576. M32 roundabout J3 (89)

I haven’t seen a new Voyder piece for ages, so was very excited when I knew this one had been painted at the M32 roundabout. Unfortunately this is one of the spots that is obscured by the sun and shade effect from the adjacent trees. Now I love trees as much as the next man, but not when they do this to sensational graffiti art works like this one.

Voyder, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2018
Voyder, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2018

Even with the variable light conditions on this piece it is possible to see the sheer excellence of this top writers talent. Once again we see a return of his neon squiggle that he draws so perfectly and balances off the whole piece of writing. I have run out of superlatives to describe just how good this guy is – perhaps it is just better to look and marvel.

1575. Dean Lane skate park (140)

This is what you get when you pair up two of Bristol’s finest writers and character artists, Dibz and Cheo.THis is a supreme collaboration with Dibz supplying the writing and Cheo paint

Dibz and Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018
Dibz and Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018

 

The whole piece is extra sharp and just amazingly well painted and I love the way thet Goofy almost seems to lean out of the wall, a hip hop goofy at that fully kitted out with medallion and baseball cap.

Dibz and Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018
Dibz and Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018

I managed to get down to see this piece quite quickly, but the margins had already been tagged – I think that might be a naughty Oner tag in the top left. Typical Bristol brilliance for all to see.

 

The squeeze

.

High-maintenance kids

and elderly frail parents;

squeezed generation.

.

by Scooj

1574. Moon Street (47)

When I saw this piece on Face 1st’s Instagram feed, I knew I had to get down to Moon Street straight away to find it. Find it I did, and I think it is probably in my top 3 all time Face 1st pieces.

Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2018
Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2018

There is so much to like – rarely, if ever, have I seen more than a face in any of his characters…and here we have the full body complete with frilly pink knickers. The soft colours and tones contrast wildly with the bold graffiti aurrounding the piece, making it stand out from the crowd – it is nicely framed in the doorway.

Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2018
Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2018

Face 1st has always a productive artist, but recently he appears to have gone into overdrive, and he seems to be collaborating a lot too. I’m not sure where this new lease of life has come from, but whatever the reason I love it.

England v Colombia

 

Anticipation

a nation’s expectation,

exasperation?

 

by Scooj