Author: scooj

I am Stephen. I live in Bristol, UK. I decided to shorten my profile...to this: Wildlife, haiku, travel, streetart, psychogeography and my family. Not necessarily in that order.

Thursday doors – 21 January 2021

Doors 135 – back to the archive for some street/graffiti art doors

Things are very busy at work and the streets are wet. This means that my opportunities to get out and find some new doors are significantly depleted. So it is back to the archive. These photographs first appeared on Natural Adventures in April and May 2020 (even though some of them were taken long before that). Enjoy.

Tian, The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2019
Tian, The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2019
Stik, Shoreditch, London, November 2018
Stik, Shoreditch, London, November 2018
Mr Cenz, Shoreditch, London, November 2018
Mr Cenz, Shoreditch, London, November 2018
Zabou, Shoreditch, London, August 2016
Zabou, Shoreditch, London, August 2016
Artistic/badly painted door, Montpelier, Bristol, March 2020
Artistic/badly painted door, Montpelier, Bristol, March 2020
Object... Jamaica Street, Bristol, May 2020
Object… Jamaica Street, Bristol, May 2020
Daz Cat, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2020
Daz Cat, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2020
Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2020
Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2020
Kid Crayon and DNT?, Stokes Croft, Bristol, May 2017
Kid Crayon and DNT?, Stokes Croft, Bristol, May 2017
The Krah, Montpelier, Bristol, September 2018
The Krah, Montpelier, Bristol, September 2018
Feek, Ashley Hill, Bristol, July 2019
Feek, Ashley Hill, Bristol, July 2019
Nevergiveup, Leonard Lane, Bristol, July 2019
Nevergiveup, Leonard Lane, Bristol, July 2019

So that’s your lot for the week, a week in which the world seems a safer and more reliable place.

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

Poet

.

Amanda Gorman

such great dignity and poise

inauguration

.

by Scooj

3436. M32 Spot (101)

The most common phrase I have used when writing about the work of Face 1st is “I will never tire of the work of Face 1st” and that phrase is as true now as it ever has been. Big or small, throw up or intricate piece, it just doesn’t matter, his art chimes for me, and he and those like him, are the engine room of Bristol graffiti art.

Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021
Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021

The new(ish) ramps at the M32 Spot are proving to be quite a fertile ‘canvass’ for our artists and Face 1st has painted this back board with one of his characteristic winking girls with hair made up of FACE. I love everything about this. There is an element of Marine Boy anime in those eyes.

in writing that last sentence I got distracted by Marine Boy. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, take a trip down memory Lane with typing Marine Boy into YouTube. Enjoy.

3435. Dean Lane skate park (382)

Another artist having a bit of a spree at the moment is Dott Rotten, whose work is in the top division. Take a look at this piece of graffiti writing from a week or two back and tell me that it isn’t out of the top drawer. This is an artist who is at the top of his game and seems to be enjoying it.

Dott Rotten, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021
Dott Rotten, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021

The writing with his familiar SPOILT letters is nicely worked with two shades of blue, perfect orange outlines and some superb trademark bubbles. The whole piece is lifted up with a deep red 3D shading. This is great graffiti writing.

Free West

.

The Trump tyranny

at long last comes to an end

time to call a cab

.

by Scooj

3434. L Dub (20)

This is an interesting piece from Laic217 because the writing behind the character is most un-Laic217 if you know what I mean. Also the character, although obviously by the Laic217 is not quite his typical style and could conceivably be by another artist.

Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, January 2021
Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, January 2021

It is nice to see artists switch it up a bit from time to time and this is a great example of that. I can’t remember when I last saw filled writing like this from Laic217, an element usually provided by his painting compatriot Cort. Overall this is an unexpected and intriguing piece and demonstrates the range that Laic217 has.

3433. M32 roundabout J3 (275)

When all else in the crazy world we live in is kicking off and our landmarks and routines are blown apart, there is a beating heart, metronome-like, tick-tocking in the background and that is the quiet, modest, ever-present production line of graffiti writing from Corupt. It is rather comforting when you think about it.

Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2021
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2021

In this outstanding piece Corupt has written STICK, which is one of the two common letter combinations he uses. His humour shines through with this “Happy New Tier” story to welcome all of us into 2021 in a lockdown situation. The letters are beautiful, the fills are beautiful and the colour combinations are beautiful. A beautiful cheery piece.

Cooking by numbers

.

Ingredients box

for squeezed middle-class parents

with limited time

.

by Scooj

3432. M32 Cycle path (102)

I love this recent piece from 3F Fino. It is bright and arresting and cries out to be looked out. I particularly like the way that the bottom of the character and signature spills out onto the pathway. This is a piece that can’t be ignored.

3F Fino, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2021
3F Fino, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2021

I have been following the work of 3F Fino closely since I first found a piece of his in the Cumberland Basin, and have to say I am enjoying the journey. The character face is done nicely with some interesting contrasting colours and cool little shadings/highlights in blue. A nice neon orange ‘fino’ to boot.

3431. Upper York Street (23)

I wrote about the passing of MF DOOM in a post a few days ago referencing a piece by Mr Klue in St Werburghs Tunnel, and this is another tribute piece to the rapper, this time from Smak and Sled One.

Smak, Upper York Street, Bristol, January 2021
Smak, Upper York Street, Bristol, January 2021

It is clear that MF DOOM was very much loved by the graffiti art community, and I have seen dozens of tribute pieces on Instagram over the past few weeks. This collaboration though is really out of the top drawer. On the left is an outstanding portrait of the masked artist from Smak, and an example of his sophisticated skills can be seen in the colours and how they are used on the mask – an extraordinary metallic effect reminiscent of Fanakapan.

Sled One, Upper York Street, Bristol, January 2021
Sled One, Upper York Street, Bristol, January 2021

On the right-hand side of the collaboration is Sled One’s contribution, and here his wacky and creative imagination goes into overdrive, with an MF DOOM/Thomas the Tank Engine fusion piece… crazy. Only Sled One could come up with a concept like this and execute it with such aplomb. Brilliant!

Smak and Sled One, Upper York Street, Bristol, January 2021
Smak and Sled One, Upper York Street, Bristol, January 2021

All in all this is a truly outstanding collaborative tribute and the best I have seen so far.