I met Kid Krishna for the very first time when he just completed buffing this wall and had begun this large and complex piece. As luck would have it, I met him again in exactly the same spot a couple of days later, it is funny how things like that happen.
Kid Krishna, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2023
This is a magnificent beast, monumentally intricate and bewildering. His letters are so well disguised, that they simply become part of the overall experience – a little bit like Mr Klue’s work. This piece is a real workout for the eyes, in that search to make sense of it. The technique Kid Krishna uses to paint these writing pieces is to lay down the main structure of the letters with a roller, and then to add the borders and details, and it works very effectively. Kid Krishna told me that he is thinking of shifting to a new idea, so I’ll be scouring the streets to see what he does.
further evidence, as if it were needed, that our Conservative Government is drifting even further to the right. The appointment of the loud-mouthed “30p” Lee Anderson as party Vice Chairman demonstrates that there is nothing left in the party. All the Europhiles have left or been ousted, the moderates have been silenced, and the primary qualification for getting into the Cabinet is a rabid Brexit stance.
I remain in a constant state of revulsion and despair. What am I supposed to tell my children? They are being brought up in a political landscape where it is normal to lie, to deceive, to disrespect, to blame the poorest and the vulnerable and to be strong instead of compassionate. I still hate what they have done to my country, my home.
Anyone who says “well, what’s the alternative” or “I’m not sure Keir Starmer…” is either a Tory or has never got over Jeremy Corbyn’s unpopularity (for whatever reason) and hence unelectability.
I think I might need to write some nice nature haiku!
I met Desi earlier this week when she was painting a new piece in Dean Lane with her friend Lupa. I took the opportunity to ask Desi why she had started painting the letters VEIL, and her answer was swift and honest – “no reason, I just wanted to play with some letters”. So there you have it, sometimes there simply isn’t a backstory or meaning.
Desi, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2023
This is a very nice piece, simple in structure and well executed. Desi continues to improve, with strong fills and sharper lines, getting better with each new piece. It is interesting that most times (but not always, as I have learned to my deep embarrassment) you can spot the gender of the artist. For example, it would be a rare thing for a male artist to put a heart instead of a dot on top of the “i” as Desi has done here. It is almost as if handwriting is transposed onto the wall in some way.
Lee Roy is a writer whose work I really rather enjoy. His writing is a little unconventional and always interesting to look at. This recent piece in the tunnel is an immediate attention-grabber on account of its use of orange on a turquoise background.
Lee Roy, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2023
The letters are uniform in size, and the letter design is exceptional. The fills and fill patterns are quite subtle, but beautifully worked. This is one of the best Lee Roy pieces that I have seen – a true beauty.
More writing on the roundabout, this time from Corupt. Over the last month or so, I have come across far more graffiti writing pieces than street art or character pieces, and that will necessarily be reflected in my posts. I usually try to get a fairly even balance of different artwork, but it can be a struggle sometimes.
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2023
Corupt, writing his STICK letters, has chosen a rather low-key colour palette for this piece, and it doesn’t quite hump off the wall as much as some of his other pieces, but the handiwork is just as expert. The letters pull out from the wall, thanks to the grey vertical 3D drop shadow. The letters themselves are notable for the colour transitions and decorations in which there is an organised pattern, but unless you look for it, the whole thing looks a bit random. Another fine piece from the Hungarian artist.
The first time I photographed this lovely Pooh Bear piece by Haka was a complete fail. There were shadows cast halfway across the piece, and half was overexposed and the other half underexposed. I returned on a duller day, and these pictures are altogether a bit on the dull side and don’t really do the piece justice.
Haka, M32 roundbout, Bristol, January 2023
Haka has been taking us on a nostalgic journey in recent months, to our own or our children’s favourite picture book characters, and Winnie the Pooh must surely be one of the most iconic. Haka has lovingly portrayed Pooh nestled inside the letters CK and NE, a tribute to CKone, or Dan Fenlon who died in a motorcycle accident in 2011. Amazingly, Haka remembers him in every piece he paints. A good friend indeed.
The next instalment of doors from our family trip to Croatia last August. Before leaving Zaton, we took a trip to the Krka National Park, which even though crowded was spectacular, and the boardwalk through the woods and waterways will remain long in my memory. The first door this week was in the park on a small out building and had been coated in stickers. It felt like this was the one place in the entire park where people could express their subversive selves, and it made me laugh.
Door in Krka National Park, Croatia, August 2022
Our next destination was Pula where we spent a few nights, and I have to say that this city was the highlight of my holiday. Probably because the Italian influence in the Istrian Peninsula is very strong. Italian is spoken, the city feels like a suburb of Rome, shops have bilingual signage, and the Roman ruins are to die for. Here is a small selection of ancient and less ancient doors/doorways, with a promise of more to come soon:
Pula Amphitheatre arches and tourist entrance door, Pula, Croatia, August 2022
Old door with heavy balcony, Pula, Croatia, August 2022
Temple of Augustus, Pula, Croatia, August 2022
Arch of the Sergii, Pula, Croatia, August 2022
Blue-grey door, Pula, Croatia, August 2022
Time has caught up with me and cut my commentary a little short (mercifully, perhaps). I will have more for you next week.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.
Natural adventures 