.
That wet kind of rain
the dog smelling of wet dog
a proper drenching
.
by Scooj
Month: March 2023
5097. Brunel Way (198)
This is another piece in a series in which we see Lee Roy spell out his name with his unconventional font that teeters on anti-style graffiti. There is a lovely symmetry about this piece, and something about the style, colours and composition that has hints of the Indian subcontinent (although I don’t think that is necessarily the intent).
There are many similarities with a recent piece he painted in Cumberland Basin recently, and it would seem that he is playing with themes and ideas. It is great to see this pulse of activity from Lee Roy, and I look forward to finding more as the weather improves and artists get busy (as if I don’t have enough to keep up with as it is).
5096. Dean Lane skate park (576)
There have been many tributes to Shimmer, since he passed away, indicating the loss felt by the street art community in Bristol. This is the second tribute piece by Acer One on this wall to Shimmer, who appears to have felt the loss particularly strongly.
As always, Acer One’s execution is clean and precise, geometry being his modus operandi. As we might expect, the beautifully designed letter font, of hollow letters, has two shadows, one black and one purple, giving the writing depth. Some tight colour transitions in the letters themselves, completes this fine work, which I expect to occupy this wall for some time.
5095. M32 roundabout J3 (458)
WTF! is what I thought when I first saw this. I have heard of artists trying something a little bit different, but this piece takes the theory to a whole new level. We know and love Slakarts for his stylised faces, which have evolved over the last few years, but this piece is a complete departure into the realms of abstract art.
If I had seen this without knowing who it was by (via some Instagram investigation), I don’t think I would ever have guessed it was Sakarts. There are no design indications or patterns that would give him away. The only possible link to his usual work would be the colours, and that is probably because these are the colours he has in his stock. The abstract piece is a well-balanced mash-up of shapes and colours, with one or two reference points, but nothing much to go on.
This is a fascinating piece from Slakarts, but I am going to have to ‘let go’ a bit to fully buy in to this change in direction, or is it a one-off, I wonder.
5094. Dean Lane skate park (575)
Saor’s unannounced visits to Bristol usually culminate in a first class production, and this recent one in Dean Lane fits the pattern perfectly. The piece is exactly as you’d expect from Saor – beautifully thought out and designed and executed with extraordinary precision.
This piece spells out SAOR and incorporates the toothy monster face that the artist refined when painting under the name Flava136. This really is a first-rate work and incorporates so many nice little touches. I love the granite-effect patterned shapes, which really add an extra level to the piece.
While he was in the area, Saor also painted this mega-tag just around the corner. I love it when artists leave behind a few ‘extras’ when they visit.
Dawn
.
A sleeping city
no traffic, happy birds chirp
even the jays pause
.
by Scooj
Thursday doors – 23 March 2023
Doors 214 – Bristol street art and graffiti doors
A quick one today, as I will be in an all-day meeting in London. This post was prepared last night. To make things easier on myself, I am recycling doors that have already appeared on Natural Adventures in my street art posts. I hope you enjoy this selection from February to May 2022:
OK, so this is not a door, but it had once been a garage entrance, so it counts as a ghost door
This stunning piece isn’t painted on a door, but in a ghost window – I felt it was worth sharing anyway.
There is a ghost door at the top of the steps.
These ghost doors, above, were once magnificent gateways for the Bristol tram system, long since gone and very much missed. The original doors were then converted to windows, except for the middle one of five and then eventually they were all bricked up when the building was vacated, and remained that way for decades.
That’s it for another week. I hope I get time to complete my Croatia doors next time. May I wish you all a wonderful weekend ahead’
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.
by Scooj
5093. St Werburghs tunnel (359)
It was a quiet walk with the dog, there wasn’t much new to look at in the tunnel, except for this lovely piece, that probably says BEN, although I can’t see it myself, by Benjimagnetic. Perhaps I should have asked him, because I bumped into him while he was painting it.
I’m not sure what the phrase “There’s gaps in your galaxy” means, but it must have some relevance. The design work in Benjimagnetic’s writing is superb and the layers of patterns and shapes disguise the letters brilliantly. Although this is a small piece, it is a little gem, and still there in the tunnel last time I looked (two days ago).
5092. Greenbank (75)
I love artists who visit Bristol and leave behind something a bit different, and wow, this piece by Olek McBolek is definitely a bit different. What’s not to like about a smoking seal sipping on a cocktail?
The seal is nicely presented with good perspective, and the composition is hilarious (a word I don’t use very often). It is the smoke in the large red space that definitely catches the eye though. I’m not quite sure what it spells, but it looks like there is a P or a D, a U or L or an E and an H or a K. Make of it what you will, or just enjoy a seal having a fag.
Dasco
A gallery of incredible graffiti writing and character work by Dasco, who will be remembered for the outstanding pieces he painted in Bristol before returning to Spain.
All photographs by Scooj
Natural adventures 