Category: 5. Street Art

4467. Frome Side (13)

It would appear that Logoe has had another blitz in Bristol recently, hitting several walls over a very short period of time. These two pieces are from the Frome Side spot underneath the M32 between the two roundabouts. This is a place I don’t often visit, because it is too dangerous to go there with the dog, and I rarely photograph street art without him.

Logoe, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022
Logoe, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022

Both pieces follow Logoe’s modus operandi, which is to paint his thin script lettering on a colourful background and to decorate the whole thing with a horizontal array of oval spots of varying sizes. This is his thing and this is what he does. This red piece looks wonderful and is accompanied by the words: ‘Attitude legit cos I’m tearing up shit’ – which is a lyric from NWA’s Straight Outta Compton – something I’d have never found out without Google.

Logoe, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022
Logoe, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022

The second piece following the same formula although with chunkier writing and a duller mustard background is a tribute to the late Meatloaf, which is a rather nice gesture. The two pieces are about 20 yards apart, and I am guessing were painted in the same session. More to come from this latest whistle-stop tour by Logoe.

4466. North Street

Timing can be crucial when photographing street art, and shutters in particular need to be down to be photographed properly or indeed at all. Parking also presents a problem (if not on foot) with some specific spots, and this shutter piece by Taboo on North Street has evaded me for far too long, but a week or son ago the stars aligned, and I was able to grab a couple of snaps.

Taboo, North Street, Bristol, May 2022
Taboo, North Street, Bristol, May 2022

Taboo has such an interesting style, that I have a feeling might be called anti-graff, although it is only a term I have recently become aware of, and I might have got that wrong. However, using his writing and character combination, Taboo has smashed this shutter, with great design, colour and a spectacular Minnie Mouse.

Taboo, North Street, Bristol, May 2022
Taboo, North Street, Bristol, May 2022

There is a lot to like here, made all the more admirable for being on a shutter, which are notoriously difficult to paint. Captured and catalogued at last.

4465. Cumberland Basin

I was lucky enough to be visiting Cumberland Basin on a dog walk at the same time as Roo and SkyHigh were painting next to one another on the long wall by the corner. I stopped for a chat and discovered that regrettably they weren’t going to be painting at Upfest this year, due to a clash of diary commitments – they will be missed. However, on this particular visit, they left three rather nice pieces between them for us to enjoy. This is a small giraffe piece from Roo.

Roo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
Roo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022

There is something about the simplicity of Roo’s animal characters that makes them both cute and very easy on the eye. The fills are nice and solid and the lines crisp and sharp. Roo has also injected some humour into this piece with the suggestion that the giraffe’s head is above the clouds on account of its height.

Roo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
Roo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022

There is a subtle difference between the two pictures in the body of the text here, that demonstrate the importance of properly finishing a piece with lines and details. You can see also how quickly a piece can get tagged (naughty boy Asre). It is always a pleasure to welcome Roo to Bristol.

4464. M32 Cycle path (176)

It seems that barely a week goes by without seeing another artist new to the Bristol scene. These artists might be visiting the city, newly moved here, or starting to paint walls for the first time. All are welcome, even if it makes my job of keeping on top of it all even more difficult. This rather refreshing piece was recently painted by Sprat, and I have to say I really rather like it (and not just because of my marine biology background!).

Sprat, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, May 2022
Sprat, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, May 2022

Sprat, making his debut on Natural Adventures, has painted a rather interesting crocodile/fish thing chasing after a sprat with legs. What is happening here, you might wonder, and I am not sure that I can be of much help with that. The pink backdrop works well with the greeny blue colours of the crocofish. The whole thing is really well painted, with great proportions and anatomical details. A very welcome start for Sprat.

4463. Upfest 2022 (5)

This fabulous piece on one of my favourite Upfest walls is a great way to round off the first five pieces from Upfest 2022. As you can imagine, there will be hundreds of pieces to post by the time the festival ends, so please bear with me as I try to write about them in batches, alongside all the other wonderful street art that we are blessed to see in Bristol. This is by an artist I haven’t heard of before, Derm, and features what looks like a Vaughn Bode Lizard, an Iconic character in the world of street art.

Derm, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Derm, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

The lizard in this piece is riding what looks like a half-track motor cycle, complete with flat tyres. A classic cartoon-style piece of urban culture street art that really stands out on this wall. One of the great pleasures of Upfest is being exposed to the talents of new artists from around the country, Europe and the world. A great piece of work.

4462. Upfest 2022 (4)

I was hoping that there would be some Ukraine pieces at this year’s Upfest, and Karl Read has delivered handsomely with this fabulous stencil piece featuring Volodymir Zelensky. The concept is simple and powerful, as the president of Ukraine reveals his true identity as Superman. I am reminded, each time I see President Zelensky of the Shakespearean quote from Twelfth Night that “Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them”. The middle one of these might apply in this instance.

Karl Read, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Karl Read, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Karl Read, an Upfest veteran, has cleverly worked on the colour scheme for the piece, with Zelensky painted in black and white and his Superman outfit blasting out in Ukraine’s blue and yellow colours. An additional nice touch is the little lapel badge worn by the president. This is a great contemporary commentary piece, deserving of this high profile wall in Bedminster.

4461. Upfest 2022 (3)

This year, Upfest is in two parts. The first part, which has been running for about three weeks now, has been to paint as many of the feature semi-permanent walls as possible before the festival weekend (May 28-29). The second part will be the remaining 350 or so artists painting on boards ‘live’ at various venues. This piece from My Dog Sighs falls into the former category.

My Dog Sighs, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
My Dog Sighs, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

There are positives and negatives to this new approach (change is never easy). On the upside, there will be plenty of completed new works for visitors to enjoy, without the eyesore of scaffolding on the other hand, that wonderful interaction with some of the greatest artists on the circuit is lost. It can feel a little bit like ‘rent an artist’, without the opportunity to watch them at work. On balance I can see that it makes sense, and as a resident of Bristol I have been able to meet a lot of artists over the last week or two.

My Dog Sighs, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
My Dog Sighs, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Unfortunately I missed My Dog Sighs this time, which is a pity. I think he was in and out very quickly. Such are the demands on some of the bigger names during festival season. This piece is one of his pigeon pieces, similar to the one he painted for the Cheltenham festival last year. The characters and colours are magnificent, and his work so totally on point. It might have been nice to see another one of his eyes for this festival, but I might just be being picky.

My Dog Sighs, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
My Dog Sighs, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Pigeons are something of a favourite theme for street artists, and I guess that perhaps there is something unconscious going on, in that these artists being on the streets probably see a great many of these urban birds. A fine addition to the Upfest 22 collection.

4460. Upfest 2022 (2)

It is easy to forget what a special time Upfest is in the Bristol calendar, especially for south Bristolians in the Bedminster area, where the festival is centred. The lucky residents of this area are blessed with some of the very best street artists and muralists visiting to decorate their walls and bring a sense of pride to the community.

Sian Storey, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Sian Storey, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

This gorgeous hummingbird piece is by Sian Storey and a fitting follow-up to her beautiful piece from last year’s 70×70 wall. The highly colourful and dynamic mural features two hummingbirds in flight surrounded by flowers and petals with a gold patterned motif in the centre.

Sian Storey, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Sian Storey, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

There is a great amount of detail in this busy piece, creating a sense of movement and frenetic activity. This is a very special wall that has hosted several significant artists in previous festivals, and Sian Storey has done it proud. The piece is slightly off the beaten track, on Westbourne Grove (which happens to be a Google Maps black hole).

4459. Upfest 2022 (1)

Upfest 2022 has begun, and the format has changed a little this year. The ‘permanent’ walls have been buffed and prepped for painting in the three weeks preceding the festival weekend, so that when people arrive for the festival, there will be a stunning array of new work completed for them to enjoy. It is possible that some H&S measures might have helped with that decision too. What it means is that for people like me, there has been ample time to capture works in progress and chat with artists from all over the UK, Europe and the world.

Willl Cross, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Willl Cross, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

This artist, however, didn’t need to travel far at all, as he lives in the same road as his artwork. Willl Cross (yes, three ‘L’s) is a fine artist (oil paintings) from Bristol whose work is truly stunning, and you can see some of it on his Instagram feed, which I strongly recommend you take a look at. This was his first effort at ‘street art’ and judging from the outcome, I sincerely hope it isn’t his last.

Willl Cross, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Willl Cross, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

I believe the woman in the portrait is wearing Bulgarian traditional costume, and Will Cross worked hard to recreate the intricate patterns in the blouse and apron. The whole composition is full of atmosphere and depth, and brings a little bit of Eastern Europe directly into the heart of Bedminster.

Willl Cross, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Willl Cross, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

There is so much to love about this painting. It is the work of a very talented young man who deserves recognition, and with this prominent spot is likely to get it during the Festival weekend. What a great way to introduce this year’s Upfest festival, which ill be taking place on 28 and 29 May (this coming weekend).

4458. M32 roundabout J3 (410)

We have discovered lately that Smut is not a one-trick pony, far from it, and his last few pieces have demonstrated that he has great versatility and has managed to be consistently tidy with his writing (sounds a bit like a school report – perhaps I should have been a teacher).

Smut, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2022
Smut, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2022

This piece on the M32 roundabout is a long way from his curvy, thin script writing that we have become accustomed to seeing from Smut. I don’t know how he does it, but Smut has the cleanest, sharpest lines imaginable and really knows how to turn out a supremely classy piece. The letter shapes are good, the colour selections fantastic and the shading/details of the green and yellow brilliant. This is an excellent, high-quality piece from Smut.