YR4

.

Hurtling through space

potential collision course

Don’t Look Up fulfilled

.

by Scooj

  • With a nod to the film Don’t Look Up, where life recapitulates art.

6725. St George skate park (22)

3Dom and Sled One, St George skate park, Bristol, January 2025
3Dom and Sled One, St George skate park, Bristol, January 2025

One of the great ‘walls’ in Bristol, this monolith rises out of the St George skate park like something out of ‘2001 A Space Odyssey’. On the other side of the wall is a slim ramp. Pieces that are painted here tend to be higher-end works and usually have quite a long lifespan. I think I probably need to do a ‘One Wall – Many Faces’ post for this wall, simply because it has such a great heritage of artwork.

3Dom and Sled One, St George skate park, Bristol, January 2025
3Dom and Sled One, St George skate park, Bristol, January 2025

This piece is a collaboration by 3Dom and Sled One, and is a top drawer work, so typical of the artists, who have collaborated before, but perhaps not so intimately as in this skull work. There is often a lot of symbolism or a story to tell in their work, but I am not sure that I can interpret it – ideas breaking out of a soulless brain, perhaps. The top half is by 3Dom and the lower half by Sled One. And just to add to the magnificence of the piece, they have painted some amazing water droplets for good measure.

6724. M32 Cycle path (282)

Jaksta, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2025
Jaksta, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2025

Jaksta is the best caricature street artist around, and on his birthday he painted this wonderful piece opposite a collaboration (already posted) with Ryder created on the same day. The cartoon character is Donkey Kong, from the Mario Brothers video games stable. The DK on the tie has been changed to NK, although I don’t know the significance of these letters.

Jaksta, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2025
Jaksta, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2025

The piece itself is a loyal reproduction of the gorilla character, complete with a barrel over his shoulder. What is quite funny is that in spite of being a superb caricature artist, Jaksta hasn’t done a caricature of Donkey Kong, instead keeping him as he is represented in the video games. Nonetheless, this is a fine birthday piece from Jaksta.

Thursday doors – 13 February 2025 – Doors of Peterborough

Doors 296 – Doors of Peterborough (Part IV), April 2024

The truth is, I forgot that today was a Thursday. I have so far had a week of wall-to-wall meetings and have struggled to come up for air. Add to that an evening out last night (on a school night) and my head hasn’t really been in the right place.

I don’t have too much to add to the words about this series of doors from Peterborough, as these are the fourth selection, and I have said much about the city before. These doors were all within the grounds of the Cathedral and of the Cathedral itself. I hope you enjoy them.

Peterborough Cathedral, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024
Peterborough Cathedral, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024

Norman arch and door, Peterborough Cathedral, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024
Norman arch and door, Peterborough Cathedral, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024

Small side door, Peterborough Cathedral, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024
Small side door, Peterborough Cathedral, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024

Gateway and door into the Cathedral grounds, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024
Gateway and door into the Cathedral grounds, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024

Buildings and doors in the Cathedral grounds, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024
Buildings and doors in the Cathedral grounds, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024

Private door in a wall, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024
Private door in a wall, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024

Door between ancient gateways, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024
Door between ancient gateways, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024

Closer view of door between ancient gateways, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024
Closer view of door between ancient gateways, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, April 2024

A final set of Peterborough doors to come next time and then onto something else. Have a good weekend.

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

Thursday Doors

6723. Dean Lane skate park (805)

Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2025
Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2025

Because of the frequency of my ’rounds’ around street art spots in Bristol, I try to get in three to four walks a week, I am more likely than not to bump into artists while they are painting, which usually ends up with a quick five-minute chat – enough time to build a rapport, but not too much to distract them from their painting. I was blessed to bump into Trafficity while he was painting this piece in Dean Lane, and had a good chat, with his broken English

Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2025
Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2025

I learned a thing or two during our conversation. I had often wondered whether there was a hidden word on the upper level of his letters, but he confirmed that there wasn’t, and said he’d never seen it that way before. Also, he informed me that the letters spell out ZIOS – I had always thought they said ZIOM. These things are always good to know. The form of his letters remains largely unchanged from piece to piece, only his colour schemes and decorations seem to change. This is a lovely piece, especially the shout-out, which says Stephen. Even if it isn’t me, I am going to claim it. Thank you Trafficity.

6722. Cumberland Basin

Sait Bare, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2025
Sait Bare, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2025

Sait Bare is a wonderful graffiti writer who paints just often enough to get himself notices, and has a style of writing all of his own. He tends to present irregular letters that have an organic feel about them, as there were a live being in there somewhere.

Sait Bare, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2025
Sait Bare, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2025

This writing, which was painted alongside some Hire piece, has a wonderful deep, rich colour palette. The letters, spelling SAIT, merge with one another and it is the fills that drift through the piece that pick out the individual letters, but in an ephemeral way. Sait Bare’s work is really unusual and quite unlike anything else we see in Bristol.

Surfeit

.

Overindulgence

too much rich food, too much drink

delicate morning

.

by Scooj

6721. Sparke Evans Park (122)

Bbygwya, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, January 2025
Bbygwya, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, January 2025

It feels like the RBF crew have got of to a great early start this year – it must be the birthday paint jams. Bbygwa joined in the celebrations for Desi and Even in Sparke Evans Park with this lovely combination piece.

Bbygwya, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, January 2025
Bbygwya, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, January 2025

The theme for the paint jam was Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation studio, so I am guessing that Bbygwa’s character is somehow connected to that. Her letters spell LUXE, (a corruption of FLUX – her moniker). The letters are beautifully presented, but alas, contain too much brown for my liking (regular readers will know that I am not a fan of brown in graffiti writing). Almost time for a gallery of her work – she’s in the pipeline.

6720. Greenbank (151)

Lis (Le Imposter Design), Greenbank, Bristol, January 2025
Lis (Le Imposter Design), Greenbank, Bristol, January 2025

We long for those sunny winter days, they offer us a taste of a spring to come and provide a break from the monotony of overcast and wet weather that is typical of an English winter. The only drawback in my mind is that sunny winter days spell trouble for photographing art on walls, and that explains the long shadows on this piece by Lis (Le Imposter Designs).

Lis (Le Imposter Design), Greenbank, Bristol, January 2025
Lis (Le Imposter Design), Greenbank, Bristol, January 2025

Recently, Lis made the switch from her usual brushes and paint materials to spray paint, and has started ‘going large’ with her street art. It is a fascinating transformation, and what she has lost in the fine detail of her work, she has gained with ‘in your face’ impact. This portrait of a cat appears to be full of symbolism, with the character sitting in front of a crystal ball and wrapped in a stellar coat. Her spray paint work at this stage is a little one dimensional at this stage, but that is to be expected. I am full of admiration for her perseverance, and I am hoping to see much more of her work this year – she certainly appears to have the bug.

6719. Greenway Bush Lane (2)

Solar, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, January 2025
Solar, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, January 2025

I love the fact that this long hoarding in Green Bush Lane is becoming a ‘spot’ having been colonised initially by Mote and Mr Crawls – great work from these pioneers. This represents the ever-changing mosaic of graffiti spots around the city, as areas become gentrified and old spots disappear, new opportunities appear.

Solar, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, January 2025
Solar, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, January 2025

This is a sensational piece from Solar, and an instant winner with me. With this piece alone, the PLB artist has raised his game to the next level. He has cleverly used the ‘clean’ hoarding as his background colour and painted his piece directly on to it. No need for any buffing. His irregular letters spelling SOLAR have an organic feel to them and are beautifully outlines with a pink border. Some fabulous decorative work, including bubbled inside and outside the piece contribute to its magnificence. A piece out of the top drawer from Solar.