Month: March 2021

3572. Dean Lane skate park (402)

This is a very nice piece from Mr Draws from a couple of weeks back. I was passing by when Mr Draws was painting it and I think I gave him a fright when I told him the Dibz piece underneath it had been dedicated to his mother-in-law. Fortunately it was not a tribute piece, but a birthday celebration… it is not the done thing to go over a tribute.

Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2021
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2021

It is great to see Mr Draws looking so well and up-beat these days and he seems to be enjoying his painting a lot. It is always interesting to see a work in progress to get an understanding of how the piece comes together. Here Mr Draws has drawn his outline and is filling it in horizontal rows.

Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2021
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2021

The finished product is a bright and colourful ‘DRAW’ in four colour bands and a rather special red 3D shadow. The piece really benefits from good wall prep too which was probably left over from the Dibz predecessor. An uplifting work.

3571. M32 roundabout J3 (293)

It can occasionally be very difficult to write a post, because one feels conflicted or compromised in some way, but I believe truth and integrity are values that are important to me and I have decided to write this post as I have done in my head several times over.

I met Turoe for the first time last week (not while painting this piece) and it was not a pleasant experience. He is surly and made it quite clear that he didn’t want to speak to me or engage in any way, preferring to mock me (and others interested in street art). I got the message pretty quickly so backed off and just took some pictures.

I considered not posting any more of his work, but felt this would be churlish, so in my mind I have separated the artist from his art. I am sure that the world is littered with bad-tempered, unpleasant but nonetheless very talented people and I just have to get over it. Thankfully pretty much everyone else I meet is polite and decent – doing this would be a whole load more difficult if they weren’t.

Turoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021
Turoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021

This piece is another in his series of Shyte Year pieces which he has continued with inserting the word ‘still’ in front of it on some pieces. This one in chrome is beautifully bordered with a sharp red line and set on a black and blue bubble backdrop. I wonder if he will keep this theme going after lockdown or whether he will revert entirely to writing Turoe. We’ll see.

Bristol protests

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Media focus

embedded in the wrong place

rather than our rights

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playing straight into the hands

of Priti and her henchmen

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by Scooj

3570. L Dub (25)

This is a very special piece from Laic217 because it takes us back to a hallucinogenic theme explored by the artist a few years ago, and I haven’t seen one of these distorted faces in a long while.

Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, March 2021
Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, March 2021

This is classic Laic217 at his best… a character and the letters LAIC, but how his work has come on over the last few years. He takes a lot of care with his work and his finessing makes a significant contribution to some brilliant technical work. Here, the double-faced character is spraying the letters, an idea used several times in his work.

Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, March 2021
Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, March 2021

The face has two perspectives looking in slightly different directions, but cleverly, each face seems to work independently. The mouth is large and shared by each face. Confusing and unsettling, this is a challenging work. Nice to see the bucket hat and smiley making a return too. Wonderful trippy work from Laic217.

3569. Purdown HAA Battery (23)

With the onset of spring, the turnover of art on the concrete walls up at Purdown Battery has noticeably increased. It is amazing just how much the improvement in the weather drives street art activity, and already we have had a bumper year… it could be the best ever year for Bristol street art if things continue like this.

Antikki, Purdown Battery, Bristol, March 2021
Antikki, Purdown Battery, Bristol, March 2021

This is a lovely, happy-go-lucky piece from Antikki with all the ingredients for that summer holiday we are all dreaming of. I love Antikki’s illustrative style which could so easily adorn the pages of a children’s picture book. There is a lot to admire in this beach scene, the stylised figure in particular. Superb energetic and fun work.

A plan.

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Seed packets lined up

elastic bands corralling

it’s that time of year

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by Scooj

2568. M32 roundabout J3 (292)

This is another very short-lived piece on the M32 roundabout from Serm, who runs a commercial street art outfit under a different name. He has only recently started writing the letters SERM and this is only the second piece I have found.

Serm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2020
Serm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2020

Clearly an experienced and accomplished writer, Serm has finished this piece beautifully. The colours work really well on the off-white backwash and the shadows lift the piece really well away from the wall. I look forward to seeing a whole load more from Serm.

3567. Dean Lane skate park (401)

Dibz is turning out new work at an extraordinary rate at the moment which is great to see, although keeping up is proving to be something of a challence. I was lucky enough to catch up with him while he was painting this one and he stopped for a bit of a chat.

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2021
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2021

Even though he didn’t buff the wall to start with, which is something he does more often than not, the quality of this piece shines through. Either deliberately or accidentally, this piece somehow blends in with the Slakarts and Mudra collaboration beneath it, complementing them well.

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2021
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2021

I guess I am labouring the point a bit, but Dibz is right up there with the very best in Bristol in his finishing. Every piece is so clean and tight, which given the intricacy of the writing is nothing short of miraculous. Another outstanding piece.

3566. Stapleton Road

This railway pillar and three others, along with a large wall could have gone one of two ways. As Network Rail assets they might have been buffed with anti-graffiti paint, and become yet another sterile, functional piece of Bristol infrastructure. Fortunately, in a project supported by Network Rail and Severnside Rail Partnership, several local artists were commissioned to decorate the pillars, and the results have been utterly outstanding. I truly hope they receive the respect they deserve.

Anna Higgie, Stapleton Road, Bristol, March 2021
Anna Higgie, Stapleton Road, Bristol, March 2021

This pillar is by Anna Higgie and presents us with a host of urban icons from Bristol such as the balloon, electric scooter, busses, flowers and nature. There is something very connected and uplifting about the piece, celebrating an urban setting.

Anna Higgie, Stapleton Road, Bristol, March 2021
Anna Higgie, Stapleton Road, Bristol, March 2021

It is so good to see that these pillars have been handed over to local artists who in turn have handed them back to the community who will enjoy them for many years to come. An inspirational project which will create a sense of local pride.

Connection

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Thick heavy clay sods

difficult to dig, I hear

a green woodpecker

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by Scooj