Category: 5. Street Art

3642. M32 roundabout J3 (313)

Now who was it that said a leopard can’t change its spots? Because they were wrong. This particular leopard is Elvs and this piece is quite unlike the intricate and flamboyant pieces we are used to seeing from him.

Elvs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021
Elvs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021

This was painted a couple of weeks back and certainly came as a bit of a surprise. The bubble writing spelling ELVIS is topped with a satanic cartoon character amidst some fiery flames, so utterly not the customary fare from Elvs. Something more typical is in the photograph below. Great to see a bit of versatility from this superb graffiti writer.

Elvs, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2020
Elvs, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2020

3641. Dean Lane skate park (408)

It took me several goes to get a half-decent photograph of this rather nice piece from Dott Rotten. The first set of pictures were very dark for some reason and the second set had the palette board completely in the way. It kind of came together on the third attempt.

Dott Rotten, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2021
Dott Rotten, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2021

I learned a lot about Dott Rotten when I met him recently at the other end of town and told him that I was very much enjoying his current productive spell on the street, which he seemed to be enjoying too. This ska nice SPOILT piece with the 3D shadow dropping down vertically in blues and purples. One of a very fine series of pieces.

3640. M32 roundabout J3 (312)

I was lucky enough to run into Hemper as he was painting this humorous piece on the M32 roundabout. It was a rather overcast day and I had the dog with me for company. Hemper stopped for a chat, and I learned a little bit more about him and his work. He is a real gentleman and was more than happy to make time.

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021

The piece itself is a bit of a departure for this prolific street artist because of the inclusion of two characters. What was interesting was that Hemper, well known for freestyling his work was using pictures on his phone to get the characters right. Some may have spotted that they are Mark Zuckerberg on the left and Jeff Bezos on the right – great to see caricatures of two of the wealthiest people on the planet dissing each other’s businesses.

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021

In between the two characters Hemper has written SERFS, no need for any picture prompts here and the whole thing is painted in front of a backdrop of gold coins, lovely gold coins. Yet another Hemper stunner.

3639. New Stadium Road (30)

This is another piece by an artist I have called Morph, because that is how he signs most of his pieces, however, his Instagram handle is Rudini Doodini, so I’m not too sure what to actually call him. I think I’ll stick with Morph, because it is shorter.

Morph, New Stadium Road, Bristol, April 2021
Morph, New Stadium Road, Bristol, April 2021

The theme is not an unusual one for street artists, a pig in a police outfit, and is rather nicely done. The shading from left to right works well, using lighter and darker colours to give the impression of light coming from the left of the piece. A nice quick one from an artist who doesn’t seem to stray too far from this area.

3638. M32 roundabout J3 (311)

One of the things that I really like about Sled One’s work is that everything seems so effortless, and as a result, his pieces are immersive and compelling in a way that other pieces might be static and boring. As usual, even his writing seems to have a story to tell.

Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021

This ASK – After Skool Klub – piece is rather cute and engaging. The letters reveal an eye, a mouth, a daisy-chain garland and a hand with a peace gesture and the whole thing is a little bit ‘peace and love, man’ but so incredibly easy on the eye. This artist is the best at turning the inanimate into imaginable living things. Gotta love this one.

3637. Cumberland Basin

Ordinarily this artist would need no introduction, but that is especially the case right now, as hardly a week passes without Pekoe appearing on the pages of Natural Adventures. This wonderful portrait in purples and greens was part of a large paint jam in Cumberland Basin, and the themed colours ran from piece to piece.

Pekoe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2021
Pekoe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2021

This is a wonderful piece from Pekoe and incorporates a new feature that she is incorporating, namely the dotted circle on the cheek with the tear in it. I have only recently noticed this embellishment, and think I rather like it. It’ll be interesting to see whether it becomes a mainstream part of her work. This is a fabulous portrait as always, and she even has a Kid Crayon party hat.

Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2021
Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2021

3636. Moon Street (88)

Here he is again, the beating heart, the drum-beat of Bristol graffiti art reassuring us that all’s well. Face 1st has painted this doorway in Moon Street many times in the past, but his visits to this holy place for graffiti, along with visits of other artists, have declined in frequency since the area started undergoing some major gentrification. Soon Moon Street and the nearby hotspots for street art and graffiti will be mere memories, embedded in photographic archives and digital spaces. The Bristol scene will continue to thrive though, I am sure, just in different places.

Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2021
Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2021

This piece is similar to one that Face 1st painter on the M32 roundabout a couple of weeks back, with a lot of pink bubblegum kind of stuff going on with the character’s hair. I think that Face 1st must have had a job lot of pink and needed to use it up. Always good and always present. Fun from this PWA perennial.

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021

3635. Brunel Way (97)

And they just keep coming. Rosalita (Raw) has been smashing it all over Bristol during the last six months and if I am honest, I couldn’t be happier about it. There is something about her work that feels very honest, at times brutal but so very full of soul. The subjects and the rich colours she uses are quite unusual in the street art world and her work stands out because of it.

Rosalita, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2021
Rosalita, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2021

This piece, at the end of the Brunel Way concrete support depicts a lady carrying a heavy load, in fact a caravan, on her back, looking like a Sherpa Porter. Entitled “if this is my home, where do I go?” This is a powerful piece on the subject of right to roam. So good.

3634. Cumberland Basin

It would appear that this wall, after a considerable period of neglect is becoming a little popular. A week or two back there was a nice new collaboration from Mudra and Nugmoose. This has now been replaced with this more than half-decent piece from Pl8o.

Pl8o, Cumberland Bain, Bristol, April 2021
Pl8o, Cumberland Bain, Bristol, April 2021

I am very pleased to see that Pl8o seems to be active again after quite a long absence – he is another artist who has gone to ground for much of the lock down period. This is a delightful deep-shadowed piece of graffiti writing spelling out the artist’s moniker yellow to orange to black fades. His letters lend themselves very nicely to writing and there is something very easy on the eye about them. Great to see Pl8o back hitting walls again.

3633. North Street Standard

I genuinely miss my occasional conversations with Andrew Burns Colwill. I haven’t seen the artist for well over a year now, possibly two, and that is far too long. During that time I haven’t seen too much of his street work either, so it was with great joy that I found this recent piece by him on the wall of the North Street Standard.

Andrew Burns Colwill, North Street Standard, Bristol, April 2021
Andrew Burns Colwill, North Street Standard, Bristol, April 2021

One of the things that chimes for me with all of ABC’s work is the environmental theme at its heart, and this piece is more overt than some of his work, with a direct call to action emblazoned on the left hand side.

Andrew Burns Colwill, North Street Standard, Bristol, April 2021
Andrew Burns Colwill, North Street Standard, Bristol, April 2021

The Earth sitting at the top end of an hourglass is a fabulous visual metaphor for the urgency of the predicament we find ourselves in. As the Earth drips down into the lower half of the hour glass, a face is seen in the centre, as if the soul of the planet was being drained out.

This is a fabulous piece of fine art from one of my favourite people in Bristol.

We all must do what we can, and we can do what we must.