5. Street Art – Page 221 – Natural adventures

5491. Cumberland Basin

Laic217, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023

As far as I possibly can, I like to post every Laic217 piece that I find and with very few exceptions, I have managed to do that since starting Natural Adventures. Both Laic217 and I have been on an incredible journey since 2015/16, and now his steady drumbeat of outstanding artwork continues to feature in the blog, with this compelling piece from a week or so ago.

There are several of Laic217’s favourite themes incorporated in this portrait piece, returning once more to his facial distortion, where bits of flesh are stretched across the character’s mouth and teeth. The grotesque nature of Laic217’s work is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, although it would be difficult to deny his extraordinary artistic talent. Other ’emblems’ of his work are included, such as a cap with a smiley face, tracksuit with zip and a smoking cigarette/joint. The purple mask/colouring around the eyes is something new, and the eyes themselves are particularly nicely done. As ever, I was genuinely excited to find this piece.

5489. Greenbank (95)

The Barbie RBF paint jam is the gift that keeps on giving, and this is Barbie Bnie’s interpretation of the theme. Bnie has definitely stepped out of her normal style, as in fairness, have all the other artists, to create this stylised writing to match that of the Mattel doll brand. Lots of pink, a heart, soft curves and a yellow border.

I think that the paint jam theme was an inspired and contemporary choice, and gave us a glimpse at how an all-female crew (and Jody) would interpret and fashion their Own Barbie style. For me, the heart with a ‘Hi’ in it perfectly captures the mood. I have a feeling, although I can’t be certain that Bnie had more than a hand in creating the RBF (Resting Barbie Face) piece that accompanied the paint jam pieces, but was unsigned, although the more I look at it the less sure I am. Great work from Bnie.

5490. Dean Lane skate park (635)

Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2023

There is no stopping these two at the moment, Dibz and Fade are on a roll and seem determined to make hay while the sun shines. The writing, by Dibz, is characteristically complex and perfectly finished, when is it ever not? The fill is a lovely earthy mix of colours in a style resembling army camouflage patterning. The 3D drop shadow has an icy cool feel to it, with a low central vanishing point, which works really well.

The superbly painted character, by Fade, is not known to me, but is probably, from the look of it, a Disney cartoon character. Since I and my children grew up, my knowledge of children’s cartoons has diminished and I often have to rely on Interweb searches to work out what people have painted. In this instance I have drawn a blank, so unless you know, you’ll have to linger, like me, in ignorance.

Update: Painted as part of the World Wall Stylers camouflage challenge.

5488. Brunel Way (228)

I caught up with Dopes and Fade for a little while as Dopes was finishing off this piece on the long wall alongside the River Avon. We chatted for a while, which was enjoyable and informative. Just as Dopes was packed up and leaving, he glanced at the piece and commented that the ‘D’ was all wrong and looked a little distorted. I have to say that I hadn’t noticed, but there you have it, artists know what they want and are deeply critical of their own work, and they always notice the little defects.

Chrome pieces are prized in the graffiti community, but I have to say that they are not my favourite, and I think they are probably more of a graffiti culture thing as much as anything else. As I would expect from Dopes, this is neatly done with consistent patterning and styling throughout.

5487. M32 roundabout (509)

Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023

An occasional visitor to Bristol, Minto is always very welcome, as the pieces he leaves behind are always out of the top drawer. This one painted alongside Hemper and others, a week or two back is really rather different and a total banger.

I’m not sure what this is all about, but there are three main components to this piece. The first and most obvious is the VW camper van, with a character sitting in the passenger seat, leaning out of the window. The camper van alone would have been more than enough to satisfy my interest. However, Minto has added a second component of some graffiti writing in the same orientation as the van, spelling out his name with a cracking style and colours. Finally, and slightly out of place with the whole thing Minto has painted a Wylie Coyote cartoon character. I’m not sure that the character adds much but it is fun nonetheless. Perhaps he was simply using up a bit of paint, as it looks a little crudely painted. Minto is an artist who will always be welcome in Bristol.

5486. L Dub (45)

The last thing I expected to find on a recent trip to L Dub was this vibrant piece by Hypo. L Dub tends to be the province of artists like DJ Perks, Dun Sum, Donz, Laic217 and a raft of DBK artists, so it is always quite a surprise to find work from central Bristol artists adorning the walls there. This surprise was a pleasant one.

The bright green background immediately grabs one’s attention and the graffiti writing itself fits the typical Hypo model perfectly, with a horizon running through the middle of the letters, a mechanism he uses a lot, and the near bilateral symmetry of the letters HY|PO. Another lovely piece from the artist who is having a very productive 2023.

5485. Brunel Way (227)

It feels like Pl8o has slowed down a little, especially compared to previous years, although that may be in part due to the fact that I haven’t seen much of his work, which doesn’t necessarily equate to a slowdown in activity by an artist. It was great therefore to find this piece on the long wall under Brunel Way.

I think that Pl8o hit the jackpot when he selected his letter/number combination, as there is something aesthetically pleasing about the shapes of the letters that flow together brilliantly, especially the way he paints them. These letters are filled nicely and the ‘8’ is represented by an alien cartoon style character. A fun and welcome appearance from Pl8o.

5484. M32 roundabout J3 (508)

Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023

Pekoe has undergone something of a step change in her work this year, making a bold decision to start concentrating on her letters and moving a little away from her portraits. A part of me is a little saddened by this, because I love her portraits, however I am also excited that she is developing her writing, which usually incorporates a small portrait within it, such as in this piece.

The first thing that jumps out at you about this piece is the happy and colourful design. Some of the colour is picked up from the piece she has overwritten, but somehow they blend rather nicely. Pekoe’s blue full capital letters spell PEKOE, with the ‘O’ being replaced with a slightly sad/grumpy looking portrait (it’s in the mouth), are nicely filled with shapes and symbols we associate with her work. I am looking forward to seeing where this change in direction takes us.

5483. Dean Lane skate park (634)

2023 has been a very good year for PWA (Pirate Wall Art) so far, with dozens of pieces being painted either individually or as part of a paint jam. Chill, a reasonably new member of the crew, has been super-busy this year with his really cool cartoon sketches.

This character in green and orange, surprisingly good bedfellow colours, is holding a delicate and rather beautiful flower, perhaps demonstrating his caring/compassionate nature. Chill has come a long way from his rather small black and white pieces to these larger and more colourful works. I was lucky enough to catch up with Chill, a lovely bloke, shortly after he had completed this piece which he had painted alongside a Danish (I think) visiting graffiti writer Wizer.

5482. St Werburghs tunnel (381)

Teao One, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2023

There are several artists that are underrepresented on Natural Adventures, and Teao One is definitely one of them. I feel that, downtime permitting, I will have to dig out more of his work from my bulging archives.

This upbeat piece on the entrance to the tunnel reminds me of a picnic cloth, with bright colourful square patterns inside the letters. The writing is bordered with red and black, creating a tidy finish set on a white, cloudy backdrop. The letters spell tEROK, but I don’t know what this means, but it is similar to letters he has written in other pieces. Lots of shout-outs around the piece, which is fairly typical of Teao One. Fun and happy work.

	Sheree on 7622. North Street
	paulh121 on Oblivious
	paulh121 on 7620. M32 roundabout J3 (…
	hitandrun1964 on What is she?
	hitandrun1964 on 7620. M32 roundabout J3 (…

	Sheree on 7622. North Street
	paulh121 on Oblivious
	paulh121 on 7620. M32 roundabout J3 (…
	hitandrun1964 on What is she?
	hitandrun1964 on 7620. M32 roundabout J3 (…

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