Month: March 2020

2825. Dean Lane skate park (295)

Another triumph for Turow One on the famous curved wall in Dean Lane skate park. There is something rather pleasing about the greyscale graffiti writing topped with a vibrant pink and lilac drippy splodginess. The writing is deliberately made to look kind of messy and drippy, but all the elements of skillful work are there.

Turoe One, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Turoe One, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020

I think that Turoe One might be topping the chart in Bristol as being the most productive astist in town just at the moment, with perhaps the exception of Face 1st who is in a league of his own. Since the weather has improved a little, the turnover in Dean Lane has increased, and this wall in particular has seen a fair amount of action. This is a classy piece of graffiti writing from a confident and accomplished artist.

Vinyl unleashed

Turntable restored

after a very long break

LPs and singles

by Scooj

2824. Alfred Street (1)

Photographing street art is a bit of an artifact of my desire to explore and innate curiosity. Last weekend I went to the recycling centre – we continnue to clear out our home, but like a plate of spaghetti, the residual never seems to diminish. I decided o take a different route out and was rewarded with a few walls on Alfred Street that I have never been aware of. The pieces there are not new, but are utterly splendid.

Aspire, Alfred Road, Bristol, March 2020
Aspire, Alfred Road, Bristol, March 2020

Front and centre is this magnificent (citron crested?) cocatoo by Aspire. I can honestly say that I think it is the best piece I have seen from this artist, maybe ever. There is something about the composition, its weirdness, toadstools and alien spaceships and this unphased cocatoo, that simply blows me away. Aspire moving to London was a real pity for us in Bristol, but what a treat to be able still to find ‘new’ work by him. More to come from this hidden spot.

2823. St Werburghs tunnel (159)

There are an increasing number of topical pieces appearing on the streets at the moment, and if nothing else, street artists are fantastic chroniclers of the social, political and economic landscape. There is plenty of material out there to inspire their work at the moment, although it is unclear whether they will be able to physically paint. I suspect that some will continue.

Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020
Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020

This piece by Face 1st in the tunnel perhaps epitomises and encapsulates our fears in graphic form of the terrible Coronavirus. Britain is in shock this morning when all that we hold sacred, our ability and desire to socialise, has been taken away. We are not yet commanded to remain in out homes, but it is only a matter of time. The death rate in the UK is disturbingly high and the next three months or so are goinng to be very testing.

Throughout, this blog will continue come what may…I have so much archive material that I can at last share with you all.

Antisocial

 

This grumpy old man

has been preparing for years

social distancing

 

by Scooj

2822. Dean Lane skate park (294)

Definitely Hire has come out of hibernation with this, his second piece in a week in Dean Lane, coming so quickly after his rabbits that I wrote about in Natural Adventures last saturday. I always describe Hire;s writing as having a Gothic look, and this piece typifies that.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020

The rather compact writing is very well disguised and I can only guess that it says HIRE as most of his pieces do, but I can’t quite see it here. When you look carefully at the piece you may notice that the writing is in two colour combinations. One is black and white, the ther brown and yellow. The more you know this, the more discrete the two sections become, it is almost like an optical illlusion. Another fine technical piece from Hire.

2821. Raleigh Road (8)

Painted at the weekend (I think) this is a real beauty from Rusk (I told you there was more from him coming) and Jody. I can’t really articulate just how good this collaboration is and although the writing and the portrait don’t integrate, they certainly complement each other brilliantly.

Rusk, Raleigh Road, Bristol, March 2020
Rusk, Raleigh Road, Bristol, March 2020

On the left The expected high standard and tight work from Rusk delivers in bucket loads. A horizontal mix of bright and dul colours with some ‘glinting’ accents together with some nice inter-linking letters, a lilac outline and grey shadow – a lesson in how to make the complicated look simple.

Jody, Raleigh Road, Bristol, March 2020
Jody, Raleigh Road, Bristol, March 2020

To the right is a sensational portrait which is a tribute to Nipsey Hussle by the brilliant Jody. OK, so I’m old and my musical tastes although broad are not comprehensive and I have never heard of Nipsey Hussle before. He was an Ameican rapper, activist and entrepreneur who died in 2019, shot outside his Marathon clothing store in Los Angeles. I might have to go and dig out some of his music, and I thank Jody from bringing him to my attention.

Rusk and Jody, Raleigh Road, Bristol, March 2020
Rusk and Jody, Raleigh Road, Bristol, March 2020

I had seen this collaboration on Instagram and got myself down to Rakleigh Road a quickly as practical because one never knows just how long these things might last. This is a real beauty.

Day 1

 

With some excitement

teens get extended school break

then… dad I’m so bored

 

Aargh Scooj

Thursday doors – 19 March 2020

Doors 98 – a couple of Bristol doors

It has been almost exactly a month since I last posted a Thursday doors entry on Natural Adventures. It has been busy at work lately and I have felt the squeeze a little.

These are two doors I recently photographed. Neither of them particulsrly attractive, but they more than make up for it in Character.

The first door is on the side of the amazing Mickleburgh musical instruments shop in Stokes Croft – we actually bought our piano there and it is an incredible place, almost Dickensian in its demeanour.

Where is the chicken? Flat door, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2020
Where is the chicken? Flat door, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2020

The door has been tagged, bombed and slapped (with stickers). I can make out a tag by 2HOT and a slap from Ryder. I’m not too sure who the face and ‘ou est le poulet’ is by but the whole thing adds up to a cornucopia of street graffiti so commonj in this area.

Restaurant kitchen door, off Park Street, Bristol, March 2020
Restaurant kitchen door, off Park Street, Bristol, March 2020

The second door is a little different and looks like it has seen a whole ton of action over the years. Much used but not much loved. It appears to have a thick layer of grease or something dripped on it, but the thing that really makes stand out for me is the extractor fan… the door would not be complete without it.

More doors coming soon.

If you have made it this far, you probably like doors and you ought to take a look at the Norm 2.0 blog – the originator of Thursday Doors where there are links to yet more doors in the comments section at the end.

 

by Scooj

2820. M32 Spot (62)

This little area of columns at the M32 Spot is very much favoured by Zake and there are a few of his pieces that have remained here for about a year untouched by taggers or other artists – quite unusual really and perhaps a gesture to his unusual face pieces.

Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2020
Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2020

The inclusion of a portion of neck lends itself well to spraying character portraits on these narrow columns and Zake has perfected the art. The absence of pupils gives Zake’s pieces a ghostly appearance that is a little unsettling, which combined with humorous expressions leaves the viewer on edge slightly. I like his work and am pleased that he has started painting again after a quiet winter period.