Month: July 2022

4575. M32 roundabout J3 (414)

About eighteen months ago there was absolutely no stopping Lee Roy, and it was easy to find new pieces by him on a regular basis, then out of the blue nothing for quite a long while. Lee Roy,I am pleased to report, has resumed his prolific form in recent weeks and this is one of several new pieces by the artist.

Lee Roy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022
Lee Roy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022

His familiar letters are given some extra special treatment in this piece, with a rather snazzy background of pink and purple bricks on a blue background. The letters too have some reference to brickwork as well as some other fine drippy and dotty fills. This is a lovely piece from Lee Roy, and I will try to dig out some more recent ones from the artist.

4574. Greenbank (48)

It is so good to see a new Laic217 piece, and this one is a throwback to his melting face period from a few years ago. I guess with the heatwave we are currently enduring this melting face is really rather apt.

Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2022
Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2022

The main difference between this and his similar pieces of old is that his skills and touch have improved measurably. Although this piece is rather grotesque, it is also fascinating, and difficult not to look at and study. I particularly like the curve of the cap peak, it is just so well observed. Melty face, melty day.

Respite

.

The only cool place

at the bottom of the stairs

beside the front door

.

by Scooj

4573. Dean Lane skate park (510)

In my view, street art and graffiti writing always look nicer on a buffed wall, although I’m sure that some purists would probably disagree with that. In this instance I think it holds true, and Mudra’s graffiti writing is presented beautifully.

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022

Mudra has found a new level recently, and is constantly developing his letters, incorporating characters and looking at new shapes and designs. His work is along the lines of other artists whose letters each have a separate look and feel, the master of which is SkyHigh. I am definitely enjoying observing Mudra’s work develop.

4572. Upfest 2022 (30)

At Upfest you get to see work from so many artists that you have never encountered before, and in some cases may never encounter again. Always, though, there will be some pieces that stand out or stick in the memory, for whatever reason, and this curious piece by Rinascimento Punk is one of those.

Rinascimento punk, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Rinascimento punk, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

The character in the piece is all a little surreal, with unfamiliar limbs attached (or in the case of the hand, unattached) to a torso and face. The hand is holding a planet (Saturn?) and I am guessing the head is in a space helmet, because the piece is entitled ‘Woman in Space’. This is an intriguing piece with loads of texture in the artwork. Great stuff.

4571. Upfest 2022 (29)

You couldn’t want to meet two nicer, albeit slightly bonkers, artists than Jimmer Willmott and Guts, who don’t paint the streets all that often, but when they do really bring things to life with their imaginative work.

Jimmer Willmott and Guts, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Jimmer Willmott and Guts, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

It was genuinely a real pleasure to catch up with them just as they were finishing off the piece, and we chatted for a while, and they asked me to take the obligatory ‘artist selfies’ in front of the finished work, which was great fun. Unfortunately, the pictures were on their phone and not mine. On the left of the piece is a rather curious, and slightly disturbing character, looking a bit like Mr Potato Head given some Picasso treatment.

Jimmer Willmott and Guts, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Jimmer Willmott and Guts, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

To the right is a busy gathering of monsters and things, with a bit of slime thrown in, so typical of the bright and ‘happening’ pieces that Guts paints. I am not even going to try and interpret the piece, to do so would be foolish. The collaborative effort as a whole is so full of energy, joy and creativity, and it is such a pleasure to see more of their street work.

4570. Upfest 2022 (28)

Skor85 is a wonderful artist, living in Bristol, although I believe she is one of a number of artists in the city originally from Poland. It has been a very long time since I last saw any of her work, so managing to catch up with her, albeit briefly, at Upfest was a real bonus.

Skor85, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Skor85, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Her work often contains studies of the human form, although it might be contorted or in some way agonised, not unlike the work of Object…. I am pretty sure that there is some kind of narrative in this piece, but I am not quite sure that I can pin it down. I wonder if there is an anti-war theme to it.

Skor85, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Skor85, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

The tortured character, an alien perhaps, appears to be fending off shells or satellites containing concepts such as television or money. A complex piece with plenty to think about together with a rich combination of a beautifully worked character and catastrophic scenes in the background, make this a real Upfesst winner.

Bad decision

.

Whose idea was it

to decorate the kitchen

this warming weekend

.

by Scooj

4569. Upfest 2022 (27)

One of my favourite Bristol artists is Sepr, and it is great to see him embracing Upfest this year. I can’t recall any Upfest pieces by Sepr before, but I might well be mistaken. This is a prominent wall at Upfest, with plenty of opportunity to see it head on from a distance, as anyone driving from North Street to West Street will know.

Sepr, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022
Sepr, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022

The previous occupant was another Bristol artist, Cheba, so it is nice to get that local continuity. Sepr has painted a whole load of people out and about, perhaps reflecting the diversity of people attending Upfest. What is fascinating is that each of the characters is telling a different story; some seem anxious, some unhappy, some happy, some busy and some simply chilling. It is incredible to get so many contrasting emotions into one piece. This is an outstanding piece from Sepr, and what a joy that it will probably remain in situ until the next Upfest.

4568. Upfest 2022 (26)

This is one of two pieces painted by Ejits at this year’s festival, the other being a wall over a shop entrance on East Street. Although she doesn’t paint on the streets all that often, she does have one or two prominent murals in Bedminster.

Ejits, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Ejits, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Although I managed to photograph the piece as a work in progress, I unfortunately didn’t manage to cross paths with Ejits, which is a shame, but maybe next time. Ejits seems to be as comfortable painting on a small board as she is painting at scale and her straightforward solid fill characters are interesting and charming. I would say that her style is similar to that of Roo and Nol, although her characters are quite unique.

Ejits, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Ejits, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

One could be forgiven for thinking that her half-finished piece was complete, because it was signed, but the final picture shows you how much impact the additional details make on the overall piece. Watch this space for her other Upfest 2022 piece.