5269. M32 Spot (165)

This recent collaborative wall is one I didn’t see coming, and I think that it demonstrates the camaraderie that exists in the street/graffiti art world, which is often perceived as being aggressive, territorial and threatening, which it can be, but mostly isn’t. The three artists are Werm, Pekoe and Fade, an artist who is new to Natural Adventures, but whose work I expect to be posting a fair amount from now on.

To the left, the very productive Werm treats us to gold and electric blue graffiti writing, painted in his ever-evolving style. Recently Werm has been writing quite small letters in the centre of the piece and extending the letters outwards with intricate designs. His work is tending towards an overall symmetry, not unlike Elvs’ and Hypo’s work at the moment. A classy piece of writing.

The rose between two thorns (sorry guys) is by Pekoe, whose portrait pieces are part of the binding DNA of contemporary Bristol street art. The girl in the picture appears to be a little haunted and unhappy, often a feature of Pekoe’s work. The big hair is dutifully decorated with yellow blocks of marks and the cheeks decorated with an anarchy symbol and heart. I am tying to work out if the pink in the eyes was added by Pekoe or a tagger – it looks a little out of place to me.

To the right is a tidy piece by Fade, who tells me he has spent the last 15 years in New York photographing skaters and street scenes – his work is amazing – but has returned to Bristol and picked up a spray can again, to great effect. I expect to see a lot more from Fade as he gets his eye back in and decorates the streets of our city.

An unusual grouping of artists, but nonetheless a fine collaborative wall.