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Back for four days now
slipping into a rhythm
as if I’d not been
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by Scooj
Month: September 2024
6342. Cumberland Basin
There is a charm and a simplicity to #DFTE’s philosophical musings, which have grown from small framed installation art pieces to these large full-scale wall street art graffiti writing pieces. Throughout, he has never lost or compromised his ‘house font’, which identifies his work so specifically.
Black and white pieces always make an impact, and this one is no exception. The words spell out the phrase “You are already perfect”. Kindness at its simplest and best. Often less is more when composing messages, and this one lands with grace and impact. The drips from the letters create an accidental (or intentional) 3D drop shadow. Another wonderful piece to enjoy from #DFTE
6341. Greenbank (133)
This is exactly the type of discovery I love to make, and highlights why I do what I do. The Bristol to Bath cycle path is a very busy thoroughfare for cyclists and walkers alike. The vast majority of footfall (or wheel-fall) passing the long hoarding alongside the Chocolate Factory development, will miss this little gem, and some of the larger gems here too, being more focussed on getting from A to B. Observers of the world, however’, will stop and enjoy treats like this one from another first-timer on Natural Adventures, Le Imposter Design.
This modest design is dwarfed by the larger pieces of graffiti writing and street art surrounding it, and is easily overlooked, being at about knee to waist height. The art piece sets out a wonderful view out of a window and onto the street. There are lots of little details to enjoy, the plant and pot, coffee with a heart shape in the froth, some paperwork, and even a stall and awning on a building across the street. Wonderful calming stuff in a frenetic spot. A big welcome to Le Imposter Design, I hope to see more of her work before too long.
6340. Montpelier Park
Here we have yet another artist making a debut on Natural Adventures, in a year notable for the number of artists coming onto my radar for the first time. There is something very appealing about the simplicity and modesty of this piece, which reminds me a lot of Biers’ work, when I first came across him almost a decade ago.
Butch is a member of the PLB stable, and although I have probably seen his work before, this piece has elevated him in my consciousness. I like the letter shapes and the way that they are stacked over one another, casting shadows. The colour works well on quite a messy background, and the whole thing, although a ‘quick one’, made me smile. Look out for more from Butch.
6339. Muriel Alleyway (12)
The mini street art festival in Muriel Alleyway, organised by Rtiiika at the end of July was a triumph, giving exposure to artists whose work is rarely seen in some of the regular graffiti spots around town. Most of the artists present belong to the Bristol Mural Collective who primarily work in studios, so this event is a great opportunity for them to paint in a safe environment and for us to see their work.
This colourful shutter piece is by Esme Lower who has been doing some interesting street work this summer, not least her collaboration with Bloem a couple of weeks back. This is a bright and cheerful abstract piece with some character eyes breaking cover from the kind of flowery vista. I look forward to seeing where Esme Lower’s journey takes us.
6338. Dean Lane skate park (745)
Fade and Dibz need no introduction here given that I have posted dozens of their collaborations already on Natural Adventures this year. Their productivity is admirable and the quality of their work, awesome.
This collaboration centres on the theme of 1980s arcade game Pac-Man, but adopts a modern version of the little yellow character. The yellow dots in the maze are reproduced, although I am a little surprised not to see the incorporation of the four ghosts. Fade has split his letters into two colour assemblages, perhaps adding a little variety.
Dibz has also incorporated the maze element as his background and cleverly incorporated an ‘on-brand’ Pac-Man FUA (From up above). The transition of colour fill in Dibz’ letters is outstanding, and the fine yellow highlights help the letters to pop. Magnificent work from the duo.
6337. Greenbank (132)
Grimes has been smashing it all summer with his colourful and energetic pieces, and this one on the long hoarding at Greenbank simply adds another to his expanding portfolio. Sadly, we’re now entering the last days of the Raj with this particular spot, as the development of the site is nearing completion. It will be a sad day when the hoarding comes down, but illustrative of the temporary nature of street/graffiti art.
The letters in ‘fruits of the forest’ colours spell out GRIME, and as ever have an incredible sense of movement about them. There is something rather lyrical about Grimes’ writing, if that makes any sense at all, like visual poetry. Another great piece from Grimes, and surely about time for a gallery?
Thursday doors – 5 September 2024 – Doors of Nottingham
Doors 276 – Doors of Nottingham (Part I), UK, March 2024
I missed last week’s Thursday doors, there was simply too much going on, and I ran out of time. I am feeling similarly ragged this morning, so this is going to be a quick one. Many of my Thursday doors collections happen to be tied in with work meetings around the country, when I have to do an ‘over-nighter’. On the day of the meeting I tend to get up early from my hotel, wander around the town or city for an hour or so before joining my colleagues, and it is during this stroll that I get to take photographs. This week I bring you the first of three selections from Nottingham captured in March this year, I hope you enjoy them.
I would love to expand on some of these doors, and buildings, but am a little pressed for time.
I hope to be a little more organised next time, until then… cheerio.
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
6336. M32 roundabout J3 (621)
Oof! what a belter of a collaboration. Sometimes fortune smiles upon you, and on the day I found this outstanding piece, the artists, Saor and Kosc had literally just finished and were packing up their stuff and saying their goodbyes. Just looking at this collaboration, you can see that it oozes class.
Saor, to my mind, is the perfect antidote to losing Epok, an artist who no longer paints in Bristol (alas), because his style is similar, crafting pieces of such precision and disguising his letters, SAOR, perfectly. The colour palette is beautifully thought out and parts of this piece remind me of the work of the great Miro conflated with the Cubist movement. Wonderful stuff.
Kosc opted for a skull on this occasion, and told me that he finds it easier to paint skulls than fully-fleshed portraits, because the viewer is less familiar with the anatomy of a skull than of a face, which allows for more wiggle room regarding accuracy. Funnily I found that slightly counterintuitive, but maybe that is my naturalist background. Anyhow it is a great piece and such a contrast with Saor’s piece. Chalk and cheese.
6335. Cumberland Basin
Hurrah! this is the second paste up in a new batch from Abbie Laura Smith dotted around the Cumberland Basin area. I would say that this one is by quite some considerable margin the largest that I have seen yet from Abbie Laura Smith.
The piece is different also in that it is a fuller portrait piece from the waist upwards, rather than the customary head portraits that ALS usually creates. The torso is covered in writing, which I haven’t had time to reconstruct fully, but I can see the phrase “Nope, you are lucky enough to tell the tale that those before you…” running down the arm. The piece as a whole feels more ambitious than previous works, and I sense that ALS is pushing a few boundaries, which is so good to see. More coming soon.
Natural adventures 