From time to time unusual pieces appear in the regular spots in Bristol, unusual not only for the content or subject matter but also for the rarity of the artist’s work. This is a piece from a street artist called Stif or Stiff, who I know absolutely nothing about, but who has hit this Dean Lane wall a couple of times over recent months.
Stiff, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021
This piece from January this year features a kind of of robot wasp creature in grey and lime green. Definitely an unusual piece but set out nicely on the black background. I have another more recent piece from the artist which I will try to post soon.
Nothing from Rowdy for a long while and then two posts in close succession, what joy. Rowdy is held in high regard in Bristol. He is a friend of Banksy and one of the early graffiti artists emerging from the Bristol scene in the 1980s. Probably the biggest public impact that he has made is his trademark crocodile which adorns various buildings around the city.
Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21
This magnificent beast for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days festival is the largest and most prominent piece I have seen by Rowdy since his piece in Stokes Croft that came tumbling down with the demolition of buildings around the Carriageworks.
Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21
I am very fond of Rowdy’s crocodiles and other crazy creatures and it is fitting that Upfest should honour him with such a large wall, which just happens to be a perfect fit. Wonderful stuff.
Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016
The giant has awoken. For much of the lockdown period Soker had kept a low profile, with only two or three pieces painted over a very long period. Thankfully that lean time has come to an abrupt end and in the last couple of months Soker has graced us with his presence once again with some superb graffiti writing.
Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2021
This is a lovely piece spelling out SOKEM, a variant of his usual SOKER. So much colour and energy is contained in this piece and it has been painted, as we expect, with consummate expertise. More to come from Soker… when I have a moment.
I love this piece. I have driven past it many times but never stopped to study or photograph it. Had I done so, I would have posted it a long time ago. It is by the magnificent American street artist Muckrock, and I presume was painted during a trip she made to the UK and Bristol in September 2018. I have followed her on Instagram since then and am a big fan of her work, so to finally capture this was a major boon.
Muckrock, West Street, Bristol, July 2021
Painted doors will always find favour with me and this blue tone piece is an absolute beauty. I think it is a portrait of Tina Turner but I can’t be sure, but Muckrock has made sure we all know who the artist is with her name displayed on the singer’s cheeks. Muckrock has such an easy and accessible style but her pieces can be quite challenging. A brilliant artist and one I would love to see back in Bristol again one day.
Muckrock, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018Muckrock, North Street, Bristol, December 2018
I first encountered Mind Control’s work at Upfest 2017, and since then, the young artist has been improving steadily. Much of his work is themed around animal rights and this piece aligns to what is obviously a strong motivation for the artist. His perseverance and hard work has been rewarded with this Tobacco Factory spot for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days event.
Mind Control, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
The piece itself feels a little bit threatening and menacing with a masked and hooded hunt saboteur set in front of a stark background with barbed wire strung across it. Two foxes feature in the piece, presumably freed or protected by the character. This is a piece full of passion and not a little anger and it comes across in the colours, style and subject matter. Rather different from the more mainstream fare we have been used to seeing from Upfest this year.
I knew about this stunning piece by Nightwayss quite some time ago, but couldn’t get my head around where it was exactly. When I did eventually drive past it, I had one of those ‘of course’ moments, and really should have known. The main thing is that I found it and it looks as good as new.
Nightways, Belle Vue Road, Bristol, July 2021
Nightwayss has been smashing it regularly for the last few months and demonstrating his versatility. He appears to really enjoy painting with his PWA crew mates and his style has stretched in all sorts of directions. This piece has a Japanese manga cartoon feel to it, with the grinning cat and rabbit influenced by Japanese culture – Pokemon maybe. The piece is bright and clean and loads of fun and there is a distinct lack of monkeys.
I think that one of the spin-off benefits of the Upfest 2021 75×75 event has been that I have spent a whole lot more time in Bedminster this summer than I normally would, and in doing so have come across a few gems, like this one by Andy Council, that I might not have ordinarily seen.
Andy Council, Chessel Street, Bristol, July 2021
This piece, which I assume is a commission, features a robin red-breast made up of multiple components stitched together with pink cord. This stitching theme is one that Andy Council has been working on a lot over the past couple of years and seems to have superseded his architectural blocks for which he is most famous. The sketch of this piece on his Instagram feed has a slightly better proportioned neck on the Robin, but I am perhaps being a bit picky. A wonderful little piece.
The Upfest 2021 75 walls in 75 days event has been notable for the number of fabulous abstract murals on the front and sides of both commercial and residential buildings. Several of these murals have majored on natural themes and this one from Squirl is another beauty.
Squirl, The Nursery, Bristol, JUly 2021, Upfest 21
Squirl has smashed this wall with a bright and vibrant piece featuring mountains, trees and clouds. He is no stranger to Upfest, but I don’t think he has done one of these big walls before. I am always tinged with a little jealousy of the occupants of these houses with murals. I would love a mural on my house, but the stone surfaces are all wrong, and what would the neighbours say? 😁. Unfortunately, this house will probably always have a car parked outside it, so this is the best Photograph I could manage.
There is something really compelling and engaging about this fabulous cartoon piece by Morf. It would appear that this is one of several pieces he painted during a visit to Bristol recently, but it is the only one that I have found. I don’t know much about the artist, but from his Instagram feed it is clear that he is a massively talented artist and his style ticks a lot of my boxes.
Morf, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2021
The letters spelling Morf are being blasted with a ray-gun held by dismembered green hands. The colours are vibrant and there are wonderful contrasts between the different elements of the piece. His lines are clean and sharp, his shading is outstanding and the whole thing is simply brilliant. I love it.
This was what was left behind on the day Goldie came to town. For those of you who haven’t heard of Goldie, I can summarise as follows: he is a musician, music producer, DJ, artist and actor. When in the tunnel though, he is just another graffiti artist… no room for celebrity here. The occasion was a large paint jam, Funday Sunday, from a few weeks back and this is a loose collaboration from Goldie and Bristol’s 3Dom.
Goldie, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2021
I haven’t seen any of Goldie’s work before so I don’t have much to compare it with. His style is quite traditional, with a deep 3D shadow and central vanishing point, and the letters spell out Goldie. He has certainly gone for a full-on colour splash and his work is surely accomplished. A very nice piece.
3Dom, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2021
To the right of Goldie’s letters is an unusual piece from 3Dom, the story of which I just can’t seem to pin down. There is a serpent with a hand instead of a head, holding the Earth gently in its long fingers. The tail of the serpent wraps all the way over to the left of Goldie’s piece, hence the partial collaboration. There is an orange arrow piercing the hand. The piece is packed out with symbolism, but I’ll be damned if I know what any of it means. It all looks very nice though. A fun collaboration.
