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.

2002. M32 Spot (38)

In this game it is sometimes hard to work out whether artists are new to the scene or whether you have simply not seen any of their work before. Diced Mango very much fits into this category for me.

Diced Mango, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2019
Diced Mango, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2019

I only became aware of the artist a few weeks ago, and posted his piece in Dean Lane, and now, so soon afterwards, I found another one, this time in the M32 Spot. It is another portrait, painted in a rather naive style and with the bright colours that seem to be a feature of his work. I am looking forward to following the progress of Diced Mango and finding out a little bit more about the artist.

2001. Moon Street (58)

Right then, here we have yet another artist that I have not featured before, although I have known of his existence. This fine piece is by Mr Riks of the RAW crew. When I first saw it I could tell it was of the highest calibre and my first instinct was that it was by Deamze, because this is one of the spots he has used before. Three things were confusing me, it didn’t quite look like Deamze, it had a RAW tag and in any case he is in Hobart at the moment.

Mr Riks, Moon Street, Bristol, January 2019
Mr Riks, Moon Street, Bristol, January 2019

It wasn’t until I saw the piece on Instagram that I found out that it was by Mr Riks, and of course, as soon as you know it becomes obvious. There is something very assured about this piece of writing, and all the elements come together well. The simple white accents give it a 3D feel. All good.

2000. Dean Lane skate park (188)

Those rabbits, they just keep coming and you can never quite be sure where the next one is going to leap out at you from. You can be sure however that Nevergiveup will never give up and will keep spraying these little characters around not only Bristol, but wherever he finds himself.

Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2019
Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2019

This tall thin rabbit is on the gateway into the North Entrance of the Dean Lane skate park and is really skilfully sprayed on a highly textured stone surface. Just another reminder of the fun and quality created by this Polish artist.

1999. Dean Lane skate park (187)

Clean, sharp, crisp, brilliant design and a touch and tone that altogether scream out the name Dibz. This is a really classy piece from the local artist, and if I have any complaints at all it is that we just don’t see enough of his work around the place.

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2019
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2019

Everything about this is good and even if you are not a fan of graffiti writing you must be able to appreciate the quality of this piece. From the cerise background, which acts as a brilliant host colour for the rest of the piece, to the split colours used in the lettering and the graded shading therein, this piece oozes quality. I could go on, but feel that I am in danger of sounding a little too unctuous and so will leave you to judge the piece for yourselves. It is good though.

1998. M32 Spot (37)

Well I think we all know where Zake’s favourite place to spray his work is. I think all but one of my posts have described his work on these columns under the M32 leading into Bristol. This one is recent, and he has signed it much more boldly, unlike some of his earlier pieces which were difficult to identify. Maybe he is becoming more confident in his statements now.

Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2019
Zake, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2019

There is something a little ghoulish in his characters, but particularly in these two, with the white of their eyes prominent and the slightly strange idea of one of them spewing out of the mouth of the other. He seems to use the column space really well, which is a skill in itself. I only wish that I could find a good time of day to come and take pictures. I expect it would be best at night with a flash, because the bright light during the day plays havoc with the camera’s automatic settings.

1997. Lower Ashley Road (1)

Yum yum, a lovely fresh hoarding went up a couple of weeks back in Lower Ashley Road and within a flash a whole bunch of writers were on it. They must have been disturbed though, because as soon as the outlines for their pieces gone up, the were apparently abandoned, unfinished. Glad to say though that they went back at a later date and completed their work. Hurrah!

Smak, Lower Ashley Road, Bristol, January 2019
Smak, Lower Ashley Road, Bristol, January 2019

This cracking piece by Smak is a very clever bit of graffiti writing. On Instagram he said it was two for the price of one, and you can see why. If you look carefully, he has written SMAK twice, with the letters from each word intertwining with the other. A masterful piece of work and one that really demonstrates just how good Smak is. Love this and the persistent ‘never say die’ attitude that goes with it. Looking forward to these boards becoming a new street art/graffiti art spot for at least a while.

Silence

 

City without cars

benefit of pitching snow

everything is calm.

 

by Scooj

 

  • Bristol rarely gets snow, so this event is noteworthy, it is also worth highlighting that Bristolians have their own word for ‘settling’ (of snow) which is ‘pitching’ so I have used it in this haiku. Walking to work was a pleasure this morning on two counts, firstly the sheer beauty of seeing the world through a different lens and secondly the almost complete absence of cars. It set me thinking how beautiful the world would be with fewer cars on the road, they are a convenient nuisance.

1996. St Werburghs tunnel (60)

These two have collaborated a few times before and it is always a treat when they do. Somehow the styles of Tasha Bee and Mr Draws complement each other so well. Perhaps it is their love of lots of colour or their soft designs – I don’t know, but they work well together, and both such nice people too.

Tasha Bee, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Tasha Bee, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

There is something rather happy about Tasha Bee’s face, perhaps the hint of a smile…an enigmatic smile maybe? This is great to see, as some of her faces seem quite serene or sad even. Not this one. Maybe my eye is distracted a little by the big grin of a Fiva piece which they have painted over.

Mr Draws, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Mr Draws, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

I have said it countless times before, but I make no bones about saying it again, I will never tire of Mr Draw’s work and his relentless productivity. Even when he’s not spraying walls, he is always working on sketches or paintings. The including of an uncertain smilie adds to the charm of this piece. A lovely collaboration.

1995. St Werburghs tunnel (59)

I am really interested in the evolution of Decay’s work, which seems to have been a focus for him since the beginning of the year. I am used to seeing his trademark black, white, grey and red pieces with concentric layers emanating from the centre. More recently he has been playing with a larger range of colours and trying new ideas. We still get to keep the little character though.

Decay, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Decay, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

I really like this even if it takes a little getting used to, and if you haven’t yet worked it out, it is a piece of writing that clearly spells out DECAY once you get your eye in. Really looking forward to seeing more of this from Decay, and hoping to catch up with him again, it has been a long time since we last met.

1994. Upfest 2018 (130)

You can always be sure that you’re going to get something pretty fun from Angus, and at Upfest 2018 he was playing around with a fusion of mosaics incorporating film/TV characters in a Banksy setting. Clever and engaging stuff.

Angus, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Angus, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

In this piece, which must have taken days of preparation, Angus presents us with robots (in the place of chimps) from Star Wars, Futurama, Wall-E and one other that I can’t identify and the immortal words ‘laugh now but one day we’ll be in charge’. I rather hope that Banksy approves of this updated variant on his idea…another one made in Bristol.

Angus, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Angus, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

In terms of scale, Bender, the Futurama robot on the right was about human size – this mosaic was no small undertaking, and this was just one of three (or more?) that Angus worked on at Upfest. Hats off to his lateral thinking and endeavour…a great piece.