Month: February 2019

2012. Allen Street, New York (4)

Allen Street in East Village is a bit of a mecca for street art, but it is not concentrated like some of the spots in Bristol, but rather it is dotted about along the entire length of the Street. This exceptional piece by Joe Miller was rather new when I photographed it in October 2017.

Joe Miller, Allen Street, New York, October 2017
Joe Miller, Allen Street, New York, October 2017

The piece is a tribute to Charles Bradley a well known soul singer originally from Florida, but who had lived in New York for more than 20 years, and had died the month before from cancer. The mural has such incredible energy and movement and captures the singer doing what he loved and did best. It is an amazing piece.

2011. Ludlow Street, New York

On my walks around New York, I somehow ended up near this piece on several occasions, I guess it was easy to recognise and see from a distance, so it had imprinted on my mind. It is an interesting designed writing piece by Felipe Pantone.

Felipe Pantone, Ludlow Street, New York, October 2017
Felipe Pantone, Ludlow Street, New York, October 2017

The whole thing, the bright prism colours, the black and white stripes, the precise straight lines all remind me very much of 1980s design, when there was little or no subtlety and everything was vibrant and ‘in your face’. I guess what I am saying is that I get some strong retro vibes from this piece. A nicely thought out and painted piece.

Waterfalls

 

Relentless rain taps

rat tat on Velux windows,

slooshes from gutters.

 

by Scooj

 

2010. East Village, New York (3)

Have a beautiful day! Wandering around East Village early in the morning before the rest of the family got up pretty much guaranteed that I would have a beautiful day, and that was before we’d even thought about sightseeing. Finding wheatpastes by Phoebe New York simply added to my state of happiness.

Phoebe New York, East Village, New York, October 2017
Phoebe New York, East Village, New York, October 2017

It is difficult to have regrets when you manage to see so much street art, but I know that there was a whole bunch more that I missed. Perhaps we’ll just have to go back again some day. Some of the Phoebe New York paste ups were really faded and looked rather less sophisticated than her more recent work, so I am guessing that some were already quite old.

Phoebe New York, East Village, New York, October 2017
Phoebe New York, East Village, New York, October 2017

Her modus operandi seems to be relatively straightforward…a PNY head stuck onto a cut-out of a model from a magazine and a message of some sort. It is a great idea, but the equally clever bit is in finding a great place to paste the piece up. Various doorways seemed to be favourite, although competition for space can be ferocious at times.

Phoebe New York, East Village, New York, October 2017
Phoebe New York, East Village, New York, October 2017

The first time I came across Phoebe New York was at Upfest 2016, but I have a feeling that she might not have travelled all the way over to Bristol but could have had an accomplice who pasted her pieces up…only a hunch. It matters not, I love her work to pieces.

2009. Rivington Street, New York (2)

I find it hard to believe that it was October 2017 when I went to NYC with my family. In many ways it feels so recent in others it feels like a lifetime ago. One of the great things about being there was staying in Rivington Street, which was at the heart of a whole bunch of great street art spots, and it wasn’t even me who chose the hotel!

Nick Walker, Rivington Street, New York, October 2017
Nick Walker, Rivington Street, New York, October 2017

I was surprised and delighted to find quite a few pieces by Bristol’s very own Nick Walker, including this one at the top of a hotel in the street. I think this piece is called ‘Raining Love’. I appreciate it isn’t a very good picture, but it was a long way up and I only had my crappy little camera with me on this particular walk. This is the first of a few more posts from that trip.

Tusk

 

Brexit campaigners

there’s a special place in hell

for you says Donald.

 

by Scooj

 

Couldn’t help writing about this rather undiplomatic comment and tweet from Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, yesterday:

I’ve been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted , without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely.

Undiplomatic it might be, but probably representative of huge numbers of British people who find ourselves in political meltdown and heading towards decades of uncertainty and economic/political isolation. To use a phrase coined by Theresa May, we will truly become ‘citizens of nowhere’, because the UK will be a hugely less potent and influential nation than it has been for the last 40 years.

The people he refers to are the likes of Boris Johnson, David Davis, Jacob Rees-Mogg and of course the odious Nigel Farage. These leaders of the Brexit campaign stirred up discontent in the country and blamed all our domestic problems on Europe, it was a disingenuous campaign and masked a far right nationalist agenda which had more to do with pride, selfishness, independence, market forces, suspicion, competition, hatred, than it did with being part of the European Union.

I despair. I am ashamed of (and confused by) the choice our country has made. I am worried for the opportunities of my children and their peers. I am embarrassed that we have become a global laughing-stock. I worry about when our own self-imposed austerity will ever end to see us through this mess.

What happened to compassion, partnership, collaboration, the greater good, fairness, balance, people before profit? (you’ll rarely hear such words from Brexit leaders).

David Cameron has divided our nation because he wanted to unite his party. I think there might be room for him in the special place in hell too.

2008. New Stadium Road (11)

Finding out the identity of an artist is something of a liberation for people like me, because it means I can go back through my archives to put a name to all those ‘unknown artist’ pieces. And so it is with Panskaribas…this is the third post in recent weeks of his work.

Panskaribas, New Stadium Road, Bristol, October 2018
Panskaribas, New Stadium Road, Bristol, October 2018

At present I know little of the artist, but I think he might be a friend of Run Z whose piece is next to this one and they dovetail nicely. In this piece we have two ‘doodled’ faces, one orange and one green. In my mind’s eye I have tried to unravel how he paints these, but think I’d need to watch him to be sure. Such an unusual and noteworthy style.

2007. St Werburghs tunnel (61)

I think that Subtle is a really classy graffiti writer, and his collaboration with Rezwonk at Dean Lane last year will go down as one of my all time favourites. This is another humdinger, beautifully designed and executed and with a little character just for good measure.

Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

The character is Dexter from the 1990s cartoon Dexter’s Laboratory, and he really adds something special to this piece. I love the way the bubbles from his flask are replicated all over the writing.

Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

This is a high-quality piece which is well conceived and nicely proportioned. Although there is complexity there, it is really easy on the eye. More please.

Thursday doors

Doors 60

I am being a little bit lazy this week and have selected some doors that cross over into my street art posts. I make no apologies…I am a busy man and some weeks I just don’t have the wherewithal to take door pictures.

I would say however that the first door (which was originally going to be the only door for this week) is one of my all time favourite doors, so it deserves a special post really. I will soon be posting it again as part of my street art thread.

The other doors have been lurking in my Thursday doors folder for far too long and need to come up for air. Incidentally Coming up for Air by George Orwell is one of my top ten novels…well worth a go if you’ve not read it.

Face 1st and Soap, Mina Road, Bristol, February 2019
Face 1st and Soap, Mina Road, Bristol, February 2019
Face 1st and Soap, Mina Road, Bristol, February 2019
Face 1st and Soap, Mina Road, Bristol, February 2019
Thursday Doors, Bedminster, Bristol, January 2018
Thursday Doors, Bedminster, Bristol, January 2018
Stewy, Thursday Doors, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2016
Stewy, Thursday Doors, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2016

The bear by Stewy might trigger some memories of the squirrel I posted a few weeks back by the same artist.

Well that’s it for this week. I hope I can get out and find some new doors next week TTFN.

Access to more fabulous doors at: Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0, just follow the frog.

by Scooj

Prohibition

 

Synchronicity

together wit and beauty

beholder sees all.

 

by Scooj