Smak has really been smashing it lately with some magnificent writing all over Bristol. His colour combinations, lettering and feature details are just getting better and better. This is a fine recent piece from the M32 Roundabout.
I love the colour progression from left to right, and the letters while slightly disguised are clearly legible. It is the temple facade in the middle of the piece that really lifts it up to another level and columns and stone too. This is a great piece.
Writing on the wall
says ‘nobody wins the war’;
graffiti plays out.
by Scooj
The words were scrawled up on a wall of The Bearpit, walls which Bristol City Council keep on painting only to be tagged moments later. The City Council in their zeal to tidy up The Bearpit (for whatever reason) are not bringing people with them. Their ‘ban it’ mentality is leading to a degradation of a space that only two years ago was vibrant, colourful and tidy. In trying to tackle problems such as addiction and violence and homelessness and graffiti and skateboarding, the clampdown is using the ‘clean up’ of The Bearpit as a deflection of its own failings and those of the Government in these years of austerity, and is wrongly conflating these issues.
Homeless people are not necessarily addicts. Addicts are not necessarily graffiti artists. Graffiti artists are not necessarily skateboarders. Skateboarders are not necessarily violent. Violence is not necessarily practiced by homeless people. And so on…
Work with the people who use this space.
Nobody wins the war.
I have always had a massive soft spot for Mr Klue’s work – I love to examine it and unravel all the different abstract elements that combine to such great effect. As is always the case in this tunnel, the lighting has played havoc with the true colours of the piece, but the form is there for all to see.
After what feels like a bit of a lull in his work, it appears that he is becoming a little more active on the streets, which is a good thing. I first became aware of his work in the Stokes Croft area of Bristol, but it is telling that the decline in decent walls there and the Council’s stance on The Bearpit has driven artists like Mr Klue away (I am guessing). This is a fine piece indeed.
Well this was a nice surprise. You don’t get to see much of this kind of street art in Bristol, so it is great when visiting artists come and switch it up a bit.
As an aside, the expression ‘switch it up’ is new to me…in all my life I had never heard it until my fourteen year old daughter said it a few weeks ago and I told her it wasn’t a phrase. She just laughed at me. I had to go and look it up. Of course since then I have heard it quite a lot, and now am using it for the first time ever in writing. You saw it here first folks.
Jordan Lauder, A.K.A. Spray Saint is from Hemel Hempstead and has an awesome story to tell. I am not a follower of any faith, but I do believe in goodness and people having the chance to turn their lives around, and for Spray Saint finding God has helped him to find some peace. I really recommend that you take a look at a video he made about his journey.
His leopard piece in St Werburghs tunnel is beautifully worked in blue tones and has a real sense of movement about it. As I said at the start, we just don’t get to see much work like this in Bristol and I really hope he comes to visit again, and wish him well on his continuing journey.
In the past when I have posted work by Ments, I usually describe it as being ‘organic’ in nature, with lots of swirls and unusual shapes making up the letters of his name. In this piece however, we see something quite different. What is interesting about this is that If he had used different letters for this piece, I would not have been able to identify the artist. Conversely, if he changed the letters on his regular style, I would still be able to identify the work from the shapes, tones and colours used.
This particular piece is easy on the eye and shows us a different side to the talents of the artist. I will be interested to see if he does more of this kind of work in future.
In the little lane that used to be the drug dealing centre of Bristol until a police clampdown some eighteen months ago is this little door and on it a small piece from Nevla. I’ve not seen any of his work for a while now, so it was good to come across this recently.
I am a big fan of his cartoon characters, nearly always in black and white and set on a solid colour background. There is a simplicity about the pieces and usually a little bit of cheeky humour about them. If you look carefully, you can see another face by Nevla just to the left of the door.
Cold wet and windy
The spectre of winter lurks
it’s time to wrap up.
by Scooj
One year or seven
your time with us has flown by;
the pup growing up.
by Scooj
A collection of amazing faces by Bristol street artist Face 1st
Instagram: @face1st_uk
All photographs taken by Scooj
The first time I saw this piece, the bright sun was streaming into St Werburghs tunnel from the right hand side, cutting this piece in two. I had to discard the pictures and return a second time. Fortunately the work, by the fabulous Tasha Bee, was exactly as it was previously and untouched by taggers.
It has been so good watching the development of Tasha Bee over the last year or two and this piece demonstrates how far she has come. I am starting to notice a lot more tone and shading coming in to her work, giving her characters a more rounded look. This I believe is one of her finest to date…the colours work really well, especially the yellow which offsets the blues and purples. Looking forward to seeing more and I know I won’t have too long to wait.
Natural adventures 