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.

1485. Dean Lane skate park (123)

Another first…there seem to be an awful lot of artists making their debut on my blog recently, I don’t know whether there is a new intake of artists in Bristol or whether I have just started to notice them more (probably a bit of both). Actually this is not the first work I have seen from Stupid Stupid Meathole, but it is the first one since I knew who he was. Keep your eyes peeled for more from the archive.

Stupid Stupid Meathole, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018
Stupid Stupid Meathole, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018

Firstly, I love this artist’s name even it if is a little long-winded, secondly, I really like his monsters and his rather unconventional style. This piece I think is called ‘wet fart’ (which makes me chortle in a childish way) and taking a closer look, you can see why. I look forward to more peaces in Dean Lane from Stupid Stupid Meathole.

1484. St Werburghs tunnel (21)

One of the things I love about hunting for and writing about street/graffiti art is when I come across new artists and find out a little bit more about them. I have seen the burner ‘ONER’ for a few months now, but as many readers will know, I don’t like to post about artists until I know a little more about them.

Oner, M32, Bristol, May 2018
Oner, M32, Bristol, May 2018

Well I got lucky recently and met Oner when he was spraying a burner in one of the tunnels of the M32 roundabout (see above). What an incredibly nice man. I started to chat with him, which has become a bit of a thing for me (before I started all this malarkey, I never struck up conversations with complete strangers, least of all spray-can-toting ones) and rarely have I met such an enthisiastic person, and so easy going.

Oner, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2018
Oner, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2018

Now he told me where he was from, and I think he said Exeter, but it might have been Taunton, whichever it was (and I really should have listened better) he now lives in Bristol. This piece in St Werburghs tunnel is typical of his work, which is nice and tidy (can you spot the small error at the bottom right?) and colourful. I expect to see a lot more from Oner and look forward to seeing how his work develops.

Wedding day

.

Off to a wedding

a good day for a marriage

no horse and carriage.

.

by Scooj

1483. The Bearpit (145)

So, here he is once again, this time making an appearance in one of the tunnels of The Bearpit. This toucan, by Touc, really is one of the cheeriest graffiti characters in town and I would suggest you have a cold heart if you aren’t the tiniest bit captivated by him.

Touc, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2018
Touc, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2018

I don’t know what HATOUCAN means…is it a toucan sneeze? My supply of Touc finds is drying up a little, so you might not see him for a little while – until then…farewell.

In death

 

In death we see time

and events that shape our past

in death we see life.

 

by Scooj

1482. The Bridge Inn

This absolutely stunning commission on the outside wall of The Bridge Inn on the corner of Passage Street and Queen Street, is by an artist I have not come across before, David Blatch. Formally an animator and new media designer, David Blatch is from South Africa but now lives in Bristol and is on the look out for commissions.

David Blatch, The Bridge Inn, Bristol, February 2018
David Blatch, The Bridge Inn, Bristol, February 2018

The artwork itself for this amazing Jimi Hendrix portrait is exceptional and provides Bristolians in this part of town with an iconic landmark.

David Blatch, The Bridge Inn, Bristol, February 2018
David Blatch, The Bridge Inn, Bristol, February 2018

It would be great to see more of this kind of ‘high-end’ work brightening up the city, reenforcing Bristol’s USP of supporting the full spectrum of street art in all its foms. Very nice piece.

Buzz off

 

Sunshine side-effect

open door invitation

to buzzing insects.

 

by Scooj

1481. High Street

Only a few days ago I posted something a little different form Duncan McKellar, the foil butterflies on the tarmac of Frogmore Street. This creation, from the same artist, is designed to bring a smile to people’s faces. No piece of ‘street furniture’ is safe from his creative attention, with several statues receiving the same treatment.

Duncan McKellar, High Street, Bristol, February 2018
Duncan McKellar, High Street, Bristol, February 2018

The pineapple is ‘sculpted’ from hundreds of pieces of bright yellow foam (it looks like insulation foam to me), and attracts the attention of passers by. What I love about his work is its ‘guerilla’ style…he keeps the local newspapers and busybodies guessing about who he is and where his next project will take him.

Duncan McKellar, High Street, Bristol, February 2018
Duncan McKellar, High Street, Bristol, February 2018

I am a fan of all street art that challenges people to see the world through a different lens, and this work by Duncan certainly does this. I’ll try to hunt down more from this ingenious artist.

1480. M32 Spot (19)

I think that there is something about street art and rabbits, or at least I seem to come across a disproportionate amount of them in my travels. This fine example is by Nevla and resides in one of the tunnels up by the Ikea roundabout on the M32.

Nevla, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2018
Nevla, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2018

Nevla has only relatively recently crossed my radar, but I like his unique cartoon style that he brings to the table. I don’t yet think I have seen any of his work outside a tunnel…maybe it’s time to break cover.

Thursday doors

Door 32

Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol
Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol

This week I am bringing things back down to earth with a resounding thud…can you hear it? THUD. From the glorious lobby doors in Barcelona last week to two doors in Stokes Croft, Bristol, which couldn’t be further removed from their Spanish cousins.

Graffiti and tagging is rife in this particular spot, and there is scarcely a square inch of wood or wall that has not been scrawled on. In one sense, it is what brings a unique character to this small, but ferociously independent area of the city, but in another sense, it also highlights social, political and cultural unrest combined with urban poverty.

Colourful as it may seem, I don’t think I’d like to live behind this door, or the one below for that matter, but some people do live there and have to put up with the disrespect shown to their property.

Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol
Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol

So something less beautiful and unsettling this week…all part of Thursday doors.

by Scooj

More doors at: Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0