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Sense of urgency
customary weekend chores
relaxed unrelaxed
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by Scooj
Month: July 2021
3834. Greenbank (12)
It was most gratifying to see this lovely piece from SkyHigh at Greenbank, which he rattled off while he was in town painting his Upfest mural. I met him when he was painting the Upfest piece and he asked me where he could paint a little extra one, and so I pointed him in the direction of Greenbank and hey presto! here it is. I haven’t posted his Upfest piece yet, because none of my pictures so far are up to much.
SkyHigh, apart from being a really nice bloke is an immensely talented writer and wildlife artist, and we are blessed that he has visited Bristol a few times over the years, but to see his best work you need to go to London and Leake Street in particular. The niche that he has perfected is creating his SkyHigh moniker with block letters, each designed differently, giving a kind of collage effect. This is a supreme piece of graffiti writing from one of the masters of his craft.
3833. Purdown HAA Battery (29)
Skronius is an artist whose work I have only ever seen up at Purdown Battery, and I know very little about him. I like what I have seen though, and his style is very illustrative and looks more like canvas work than a spray-painted wall. The Bristol artist I would most liken him to is Conrico.
There is a lot to like in this small piece in which a skeleton (just the skull really) is advancing to cause mischief, no doubt. The colour selections are superb, with the subtle purples creating shadows, rather than black. Skronius has signed the piece with some lovely calligraphic writing (Stivs had better watch out). I am hungry for more from Skronius, and perhaps in some other locations.
3832. Upfest 2021 75×75 (25)
I feel another ear worm coming on. What is it with these street artists and music anyway…? Inkie has returned to his native Bristol to paint for Upfest, as he does every year and this time he was handed a nice new wall to play with.
I have a feeling that Kylie sand this line followed with ‘na na naa, na na na na na, na na naa’ if my memory serves me well. I suspect that Inkie’s reference might be a different one. The piece itself is rather special, with the words written out in the big hair of the female character, and a lot of mystery in the air. No features on the woman’s face and a question mark medallion around her neck. I’m not sure hat the reference ’84 21′ is, although that might be the dates that Inkie started painting and today.
Although the basic design ideas are there from Inkie, I feel like the piece is a bit of a departure from his normal style, particularly the block letters. Excellent stuff.
Banished
.
It’s book club tonight
best to keep myself discreet
let the ladies chat
.
by Scooj
3831. St Werburghs tunnel (249)
Let me start with an apology. I realise that keeping up with reading blog posts can be an onerous task sometimes, and I am sorry that I have started posting three instead of the customary two street art pieces of late. This is because there is such a huge turnover of street art here in Bristol at the moment and I want to record as much of it as I am able to. I’ll not be offended if you don’t catch them all.
This is a wonderful collaborative wall from Dibz and Shade One who have produced a succession of these remarkable duets through the year. The distinctive writing style of Dibz has been given a thoroughly vibrant makeover with a superb explosion of colours and shades. Wonderful.
The framed portraits by Shade One have a very special quality about them, always hinting as much at what is beyond the circular frame as what is contained within it. His contemporary portraits fit the street scene perfectly and act as a natural foil to the graffiti writing of Dibz. A stand-out collaboration, alongside many other great pieces from a Funday Sunday paint jam a couple of weeks back.
3830. Upfest 2021 75×75 (24)
There is no doubt about it – what we have lost in quantity by the change in format of Upfest 2021, we have certainly gained in quality. The 75 walls in 75 days initiative has been a massive success and each new wall brings with it extraordinary talent. This outstanding wall is by Pikto and really sets a high bar for this year’s productions.
It is the composition and colours that initially draw the eye, but there is something about the catapult boy’s expression that tells a story here of mischief and satisfaction. Photorealistic pieces like this one have improved so much in recent years that we have become rather blazé, and it is not until you stop and study them that you see the quality and the detail.
This particular wall has played host to some masterpieces recently and this one carries on that fine tradition. I took these pictures on a sunny day, and I rather like the way that the shadow cast by a tree to the left is commensurate with the shadow cast by the boy’s cheek on his face. Awesome is an over used word, but I will use it here. This piece from Pikto is awesome.
3829. St Werburghs tunnel (248)
I cannot explain how thrilled I was to see this collaboration recently, because it heralded the return to throwing paint at walls of Tasha Bee, one of my favourite artists. Tasha Bee has been concentrating on other projects for the last three years or so, including her small business Pot Heads Pottery, which seems to be going pretty well, and is a wonderful Bristol creative business. The other half of this lovely collaboration is by Antikki and it is great to see these two working together with their complementary styles.
On the left hand side of the wall is a beautiful and tranquil, stylised portrait piece by Tasha Bee. All the elements of her work are there, with lots of symbolism and a calmness that is represented in so much of her work. The character’s abundant hair flows to the right appearing to turn into waves on the sea.
Antikki has continued the theme and colour scheme, although there is much more movement in her dancing figures against the blue waves. I absolutely love this collaboration and it is a pity that it didn’t last very long. I am just so made up that I photographed it when I did. I sincerely hope that these two get together again soon as there is something magical in their partnership.
Play resumed
.
Is it possible
that you forget how to play?
Football is football
.
by Scooj
3828. Upfest 2021 75×75 (23)
Angus is another of those Bristol artists without whom an Upfest event simply wouldn’t be an Upfest event. Originally a spray painter, Angus strayed into the world of tiles and mosaics a few years ago and he hasn’t really looked back.
Flying ducks are an integral part of British interior design history, and at one time were considered classy and sophisticated. Subsequently they have become a bit of a joke, only to become desirable icons once again. Angus has captured the essence of these flying ducks in a pixelated cartoon style in this narrow horizontal mosaic using the space very well. Lots of blues in these photographs. More Angus mosaics to be discovered at the Paintworks I believe.
Natural adventures 