I love artists who visit Bristol and leave behind something a bit different, and wow, this piece by Olek McBolek is definitely a bit different. What’s not to like about a smoking seal sipping on a cocktail?
Olek McBolek, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2023
The seal is nicely presented with good perspective, and the composition is hilarious (a word I don’t use very often). It is the smoke in the large red space that definitely catches the eye though. I’m not quite sure what it spells, but it looks like there is a P or a D, a U or L or an E and an H or a K. Make of it what you will, or just enjoy a seal having a fag.
A gallery of incredible graffiti writing and character work by Dasco, who will be remembered for the outstanding pieces he painted in Bristol before returning to Spain.
All photographs by Scooj
Dasco, River Avon, Bristol, January 2022Dasco, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2019Dasco, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2019Dasco and Oseque, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020Dasco and Oseque, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020Dasco, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020Dasco, Brunel Way Bridge, Bristol, January 2020Dasco, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2019Dasco, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2019Dasco, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019
Face 1st and Soap, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, February 2023
Not many artists are painting the long wall at Sparke Evans Park these days, since the arrest of an artist about six or seven months ago. Slowly but surely people are drifting back to the wall, but unusually for Bristol, having to keep their eyes peeled and wits about them at all times. This is a great pity, because this would be a perfect candidate for a legal wall. There is no tagging here, and the colourful wall is an added attraction for people who use the park for recreation. It has become a bit of a ‘wall of fame’, well respected and curated in a self-policing manner.
Face 1st, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, February 2023
This far end of the wall was recently painted by Face 1st and Soap in one of their PWA pairings. To the left, Face 1st continues to explore different ways in which he can slice a face up. Very rarely for the artist, he has not tried to work in the letters FACE into the piece, rather he is focussed on the task in hand, the slicing.
Soap, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, February 2023
Soap too continues to explore a theme he has been enjoying recently, spelling out his name with the ICE King for an ‘A’ and a Face 1st face for the ‘A’. Although the colours the artists have chosen are a little muted on a dull day, they are nonetheless attractive and have been beautifully worked into both pieces. Great to see something new on this wall.
I have said in recent posts featuring Zake that his work is getting ever more adventurous and zany, well this piece on the M32 roundabout pretty much supports my assertion. This is Zake pushing boundaries and having fun.
Zake, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2023
This piece was painted as part of a PWA crew paint jam, and combining with the crew has certainly nudged his work along, perhaps being inspired and encouraged by his friends. The face is huge and green and slightly unsettling, due to the absence of pupils. Zake’s mastery of light and shade conveys real depth and creates definition of features. This is an excellent character portrait from Zake – where to next for this artist? Whole bodies? Photorealism?
I took these pictures a short while ago, but held back on publishing a post because I couldn’t work out who the artist was. It took me a long time to work it out, but I got there in the end. I’m not sure I have seen his work before in Bristol, but it is clear that Saik0134 is a hugely talented artist, and is welcome back anytime.
Saik0134, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2023
Painted on one of my favourite walls in Bristol, this portrait/writing combo stands out from the crowd. The bright lettering and striking portrait are real attention-grabbers. Even though the piece is not painted on a buffed wall, it doesn’t seem to matter too much, with the piece occupying nearly all the space. The letters spelling SAIK are nicely done in yellow and orange with light blue drop shadow, but for me it is the portrait that is the trump card.
Saik0134, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2023
The eye is drawn immediately to the woman’s glasses, reflecting the light, a clever street art technique, and she is beautifully painted in shades of blue and grey. This is a fabulous portrait piece, and I would love to see more from the artist in Bristol, or anyone else for that matter. This artist is not to be confused with another who used to paint in Bristol called Saik One.
This piece seems to benefit from being framed by the snow and the heavy grey sky. It is by an artist I haven’t come across before, Sam Brentnall, and my first impression is a good one.
Sam Brentnall, Purdown, Bristol, March 2023
The stylised dog heads stacked on top of each other create a strong and colourful pattern, and the whole unusual composition is fun to look at. It looks like the black outlines have been painted using marker pens rather than spray cans, and this seems very much like the work of a studio artist who is exploring possibilities with street art. I sincerely hope to find more street work from Sam Brentnall this year.
Looking at a single wall and how it changes over time.
3. Long hoarding at the top end of the M32 Spot
Logoe and Haka, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2019 Logoe and Haka, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2020 Smak, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020 Soap and Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2020 Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020 Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020 3Dom, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020 Smak and Mena, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2020 Smak and Mena, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2020 T-Rex, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021 Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2021 Conrico, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2021 Dott Rotten, M32 Spot, Bristol, April 2021 Pekoe and Bnie, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2021 Hemper, M32 Spot, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21 Logoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2021 Minto, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2022 Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2022 Logoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2022 Cuomo, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2022 Klashwhensober, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2022 Mudra and Saor, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2022 Dopes, Jaksta and Neddy Ned Ned, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2023 Saik0134, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2023 Werm, Pekoe and Fade, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2023 Noise, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2023 Bnie and Wispa, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2023
T-Rex and Rusk, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2023 Rusk, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2023 T-Rex, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2023 Evey, Pekoe and Bnie, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2024 Evey, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2024 Pekoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2024 Bnie, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2024 Zaenone and The Mole, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2024 Zaenone, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2024 The Mole, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2024 Slim Pickings (Tes) and Biers, M32 Spot, Bristol, August 2024 Krops, M32 Spot, Bristol, August 2024 Logoe and Nova, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2024 Nova, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2024 Logoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2024 ESKA, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2024 Logoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2024 Stivs and Mest, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2025 Stivs, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2025 Mest, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2025 Desi and Mr Two Gram, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2025 Desi, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2025 Mr Two Gram, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2025
Some things work so well together, strawberries and cream, Morecambe and Wise, Pekoe and Bnie. These two from the Resting Bitch Face (RBF) crew seem to have a great rapport, which rubs off when they collaborate.
Pekoe, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2023
This pairing was painted alongside Wispa, but I decided to post them separately as these two followed a strict colour scheme. To the left is a really fabulous portrait piece from Pekoe, which includes an upper torso, something of a rarity in her work. The hair is fantastic – I absolutely love this piece.
Bnie, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2023
To the right is some outstanding technicolour writing from Bnie, beautifully designed and executed. The piece is totally on point, and I love the clever touch with the outer border, which is pink and white along thee top, and blue and white underneath. This is a nicely thought out and eye-catching piece.
This magnificent piece by Werm was painted some time ago, but the light conditions were never right each time I photographed it, with dappled sun and shade being the main culprit. Recently, on an overcast day, I managed to catch it in its full glory. The wide-angle setting on my iPhone has also made capturing pieces in narrow spaces a whole lot easier.
Werm. River Avon, Bristol, March 2023
Werm has come so far in a relatively short space of time, and this is a really high-quality graffiti writing and character combination. The intricate letters, spelling WERM are perfectly balanced with a superb Top Cat character, an absolute favourite when I was growing up. I am glad I persisted with this fine piece from Werm.
Natural adventures 