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 – 29 October 2020

Doors 126 – I can’t believe it’s Thursday doors

Please, please, please don’t tell me it is Thursday already. I have had a pretty busy week of it so far and completely forgot about Thursday Doors, in fact I completely forgot about Thursday.

I am going to have to quickly cobble something together during my lunch break. When I say ‘going to have to’ I wouldn’t like you to think that this is something I don’t enjoy doing or that is an onerous task that I am being forced to carry out. Not at all. I love doing it, I am just fighting against time, all the time. I am rather looking forward to semi-retirement (some years off) or complete retirement (a little further).

More archive street art/graffiti doors for you to enjoy:

DBK door, St Paul's, Bristol, July 2019
DBK door, St Paul’s, Bristol, July 2019
Site Safety door, St Paul's, Bristol, July 2019
Site Safety door, St Paul’s, Bristol, July 2019
Nude door, St Paul's, Bristol, July 2019
Nude door, St Paul’s, Bristol, July 2019
JPS, Frogmore Street, Bristol, August 2019
JPS, Frogmore Street, Bristol, August 2019
Irony, Greville Road, Bristol, July 2019
Irony, Greville Road, Bristol, July 2019
Copyright, Leonard Lane, Bristol, July 2019
Copyright, Leonard Lane, Bristol, July 2019
JPS, Alma Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2019
JPS, Alma Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2019
JPS, Back alley, Weston-super-Mare, August 2019
JPS, Back alley, Weston-super-Mare, August 2019

That’s your lot for this Thursday

Have a great weekend and keep safe in this crazy world.

If you have made it this far, you probably like doors and you really ought to take a look at the Norm 2.0 blog – the originator of Thursday Doors where there are links to yet more doors in the comments section at the end.

by Scooj

3270. M32 Cycle path (81)

Ah deep joy. Where would we be without these Pirate Wall Art (PWA) compatriots decorating our streets? What I like about collaborations betweeen Soap and Face 1st (apart from the obvious) is that they simply appear, unannounced and often unInstagrammed (if that is a word), so finding them is usually a pleasant surprise.

Face 1st and Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, September 2020
Face 1st and Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, September 2020

The piece is quite small when compared to some of their collaborations but is typically full of optimism, life and fun. On the left, is a trademark megatag mouth from Soap ond on the right two faces from Face 1st, each sporting lettered hair FA and CE respectively. Let’s hear it for these pirate heroes…

3269. St Werburghs Tunnel (201)

Not a month goes by without a cheerful (and sometimes not so cheerful) piece from Face 1st. Today, I am going to treat you to two pieces by this prolific artist of which this is the first. Deep in St Werberghs tunnel, where there is limited natural daylight is this classic Face 1st Face.

Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2020
Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2020

The laughing girl whose hair is made up of the letters FACE, is a fine chrome piece that works quite well in the twighlight of the tunnel. It looks to me like Daz Cat has added in a little speech bubble with DAZ C in it. I think that is a bit of tagging fun which is allowed betwen artists. A standard Face 1st piece for all to enjoy.

Boyhood memories

.

I long for those dunes

eyes shut and buzzing insects

in the distance, waves

.

by Scooj

3268. Dean Lane skate park (359)

It seems that everywhere I look in Bristol I am coming across new pieces by Bristol newcomer Mudra, and a most pleasurable experience it is too. Incoming artists and new artists keep the whole scene nice and fresh and add to the extraordinary diversity of art in the city.

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020

When I first spotted this one in Dean Lane, I wasn’t too sure who it was by, and guessed it must be from a visiting artist, but then I saw the @ with a hat signature and the penny dropped that this was so obviously a Mudra piece. I guess the letters spelling Mudra and the signature ‘Mudra’ ought to have indicated who the artist was, but it is all about familiarity and context. The piece has some lovely colour combinations and unusual letter shapes. I reckon this would have made a superb 1970s album cover, it has that kind of feel about it. Great work and so much more to share with you.

3267. M32 Cycle path (80)

I am increasingly being drawn to the conclusion that Whos is the same artist as Alos, and if that is not the case, then they hang out together a lot and share a style. So here is a dilemma for me. Do I aggregate all their pieces under one name or do I wait for some kind of certainty and continue to treat them as separate artists until I know better.

Well, I had a little bit of luck half way through writing this… I had an unplanned meeting with Paul in the St Werburghs tunnel and he confirmed for me that they are indeed two separate artists, and that’s that.

Whos, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2020
Whos, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2020

I rather like this one from Whos, and consistent with most of his work it painted with only a few colours which gives it a simplicity and honesty. I particularly like the way he sprays the ridged running through the centre of each letter. Unusual but great to see.

Haiku

.

Daily discipline

a moment of mindfulness

blocking out the noise

.

by Scooj

3266. Dean Lane skate park (358)

Taboo has been busy again, this time with an uncharacteristically colourful piece in Dean Lane skate park. As with most Taboo pieces, this one is a graffiti writing and character combination and is certainly eye catching.

Taboo, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020
Taboo, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020

The letters are unruly as always, not following any strict code of script, rather they appear to be crafted on-the-hoof in an organic creative outpouring. The colours and fills are to be admired and the whole thing is really rather attractive.

Taboo, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020
Taboo, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020

Of course, the eye is drawn to the Popeye Character flipping open a tin of spinach, that rather surprisingly has spewed out a train, arcing over his head. What the f…? Whenever I look at pieces by Taboo, I am drawn into a deeply surreal place where anything is possible. This one is a classic.

3265. Brunel Way bridge (66)

I must admit to being very taken by this piece on the wall facing the river, and I have absolutely no idea who the artist is. If I find out at any time I will add the name in because I don’t like posting pieces by unknown artists, but sometimes they are just too good to leave in the archive.

Artist unknown, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2020
Artist unknown, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2020

To me the whole thing simply screams out Matisse with perhaps a touch of Miro, maybe Chagall and is worthy of hanging in any fine art gallery, but is also worthy of a wider reach and audience alongside the Bristol Avon. A lovely piece of abstract street art.

Reward

.

The day’s work is done

tea and biscuits round it off

TV with the dog

.

by Scooj