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.

1114. Upfest 2017 (95)

Agent Provocateur is a bit of a mystery, and like many street artists, doesn’t seem to want to give too much away. This is more than just understandable, it is just how things are in the world of graffiti art. His Upfest profile says:

‘Agent Provocateur […] is […] an […] amazing […] artist *

*edited due to being fake news.’

Agent Provocateur, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Agent Provocateur, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This piece is a nicely worked stencil with a message of sorts – a pigeon with bombs under its wings. He has uploaded a picture of this onto his website, which offers not a great deal more insight into his world, but has some nice pictures of his artworks.

Non-natives

 

I’m awake early

squaking parakeets outside;

a London nuisance.

 

by Scooj

M4

.

Red kites above

great conservation story;

no more DDT. 

.

by Scooj

1113. Upfest 1017 (94)

Woah, hold on there…this is a spectacular stencil by Marvin (or Marlon). Let alone that it is a crazy picture of a dog outside a kennel (Ron’s house) smoking a cigar, it is also a magnificent example of incredibly detailed  and intricate stencil work.

Marvin, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Marvin, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Marvin (or Marlon) has not crossed my radar before, and I know little about him. The Upfest programme notes say that he has been cutting stencils and spraying for about four years or so, and that he enjoys the fine detail of his stencils which can take up to 60 hours to produce. This is a really great piece.

1112. Upfest 2017 (93)

At upfest many of the artists get paired up on neighbouring boards, and because of the portrait nature of these it is much easier for me to post about them as a pair. These two pieces are by Lea Gudrich and Dan Pritchard.

Lea Gudrich, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Lea Gudrich, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Lea Gudrich is German-based artist living in Cologne. This piece was hashtagged with ‘childhood memories’ on her instagram account so I guess there is a story there. Most of the work she produces features wildlife largely in black and white with some incorporation of bright colours. Beautiful illustrations mostly.

Dan Pritchard, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Dan Pritchard, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Dan Pritchard, by contrast is an illustrator with a rather more brash and colourful style. Based in Bristol, his Upfest profile says his work is inspired by humour found in the British way of life, the hum drum of the 9-5 commute and the films and television of the 80s and 90s. I guess this one is drawn directly from ‘Ghostbusters’.

1111. Upfest 2017 (92)

Post 1111 – this would have David Shepherd hopping in his grave (an oblique reference to one of England’s finest cricket umpires). This small wheatpaste is a collaboration between d7606 and PDX artist Voxx Romana, Phoebe New York, and Twiglet boy, although I am baffled how such a small piece can be a collaboration between four artists. Maybe I have misunderstood D7606’s Instagram description of this piece.

D7606, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
D7606, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

So we have Albert Einstein wearing a colander on his head and a fine pair of spectacles with the face of somebody reflected in the lenses. I have no idea what this is all about, and I’m not too sure I want to know, but I do know that I like this eye-catching paste up.

 

 

Nipper

 

Little Bristol dog

recognised by millions;

a canine icon.

 

by Scooj

 

Nipper, Bristol, His Master's Voice
Nipper, Bristol, His Master’s Voice

1110. Upfest 2017 (91)

A truly awe-inspiring collaboration from Upfest this year was by the magnificent My Dog Sighs and Snub23. There is so much to like about this piece, starting with the wall itself, which played host to this fabulous piece by Sokar Uno in 2016.

My Dog Sighs and Snub23, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
My Dog Sighs and Snub23, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The eye and the water drops which provide the focus for the piece is by My Dog Sighs, and there is a whole story going on in the reflected figure in the eye itself. I am a big fan of his work, and it just seems to be getting better and better.

My Dog Sighs and Snub23, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
My Dog Sighs and Snub23, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Snub23 has been to Upfest for the last three years now, and his geometric patterns are becoming more of a feature of his work. You may recall he created similar patterns on the side of the bus at Upfest 2016.

My Dog Sighs and Snub23, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
My Dog Sighs and Snub23, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This is an absolutely outstanding collaboration and one that will go down as a highlight of this year’s festival for many visitors, including myself.

The last dance

 

Summer’s last hurrah

tardy, tatty butterfly

pauses in the sun.

 

by Scooj

1109. First Street Garden, New York (1)

Each morning when visiting NYC, I took a stroll for about an hour before the rest of the family got up, and went on the hunt to find some graffiti/street art. I didn’t think for one minute I would find so much. This piece was one of several in a little alleyway off East First Street.

Stem, First Street Garden, New York, October 2017
Stem, First Street Garden, New York, October 2017

This piece is by an old school New York graffiti artist called Stem. It is just possible to make out his name from the wildstyle writing. This is a really lovely piece that oozes a New York style one is so accustomed to seeing in books, documentaries etc.

Stem, First Street Garden, New York, October 2017
Stem, First Street Garden, New York, October 2017

There was a nice man who chatted with me about this piece and some of the others in this little lane. He seemed to know a lot about them. He also suggested I visit the ‘wall of fame’ in Harlem, which I did with limited success.