Category: 5. Street Art

3016. St Werburghs tunnel (173)

At the south entrance to St Werburghs tunnel is this wonderful piece from Decay that just kind of appeared under the radar in a modest and quiet way. I love it when that happens, no fanfare, just an appearance… as if by magic.

Decay, St Werburghs, Bristtol, June 2020
Decay, St Werburghs, Bristtol, June 2020

Decay has managed to introduce a gentle and light summery feel to this piece, and a really clever touch is the light grey shadings at the lower half of the letters that give the piece body and lift it out from the wall a little. The more observant of you might notice that this is a BLM piece and the ‘Chuck’ character makes a second appearance on the left hand side wall with BLM speech bubble.

3015. M32 roundabout J3 (222)

I told you that Soge has been busy, and this is yet another one of a fine collection painted in the last three weeks or so. You might notice that this one was painted as part of the Poland v Spain paint jam at the end of May, and once again incorporates his little beaver character which looks like it has become an established thing for the artist.

Soge, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2020
Soge, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2020

It was a privilege to be able to watch all the artists at work during the paint jam, and I managed to catch up with several of them and introduce myself to some for the first time, including Soge, who was painting next to Hire.

Soge, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020
Soge, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020

The piece of writing is really classy, and I particularly like the blue line that is coiled around the whole thing. What is also nice is that the beaver isn’t a throw-away gesture at a character, but a very nicely worked little thing that complements the writing without dominating is. A great, nicely balanced piece.

Poland 4 Spain 3

3014. Frome side (1)

At last, with the help of Paul H, I have been able to access a spot where great treasures are painted. I guess that it is fitting that the first piece (of many, many I hope) from this spot is by Ryder, who has been tireless in keeping our walls fresh for as long as I have been writing about street/graffiti art, and indeed quite a while longer than that.

Ryder, Frome side, Bristol, June 2020
Ryder, Frome side, Bristol, June 2020

This is a very nice piece indeed from the RAW man with his customary tidy writing and faces lurking within the letters being reflected in a ‘watery’ medium beneath a thin layer of mist. Great colours and great execution and an all round winning piece.

3012. Dean Lane skate park (325)

It feels like the lock down has energised and inspired Soge in a significant way. Firstly, the sheer number of pieces he has sprayed over the last three weeks or so is mind-boggling and secondly he seems to have raised his game in terms of creativity and quality. He has a new lease of life.

Soge, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020
Soge, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020

This is a magnificent piece, which is lucky because it is a brave artist who would paint over the Epok and Piro collaboration masterpiece that occupied this wall and half of which sits above Soge’s work. The writing is first class and he has again used the crosshatch inside the O of SOGE which is a lovely touch. It looks like the beaver is becoming a thing, which I am really pleased about. I am a big fan of writing/character combinations. I love this piece.

3011. New Stadium Road (25)

From time to time you get to see a quite breath-taking piece and have absolutely no idea who painted it. That was how I felt when I found this extraordinary feat of graffiti writing in the underpass on New Stadium Road. I have since found out it is by Todoaciem, one of the several Spanish artists currently working in Bristol.

Todoaciem, New Stadium Road, Bristol, June 2020
Todoaciem, New Stadium Road, Bristol, June 2020

I am not yet accustomed to his Gothic influenced style and have struggled to read what the lettering says. I think the green bits form the core letters and everything else is extraordinary decoration and 3D shading. It looks like this piece might have taken a long time to paint, but these guys seem to be able to work at incredible speed. A nice introduction to his work.

Fiva (Fiver)

A fabulous gallery of fivers from Bristol-based artist Fiva (Fiver). Some truly wonderful pieces here.

All photographs by Scooj

Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2023
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2023
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2023
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2023
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2017
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2017
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2019
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2019
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2019
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2019
Five, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2019
Five, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2019
Fiva, St George skate park, Bristol, September 2019
Fiva, St George skate park, Bristol, September 2019
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019
Fiva and Nightwayss, St George, Bristol, August 2019
Fiva and Nightwayss, St George, Bristol, August 2019
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2019
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2019
Fiva, St George, Bristol, July 2019
Fiva, St George, Bristol, July 2019
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2019
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2019
Fiva, M32, Bristol, April 2019
Fiva, M32, Bristol, April 2019
Fiva, Scooj, M32, Bristol, April 2019
Fiva, Scooj, M32, Bristol, April 2019
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2019
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2019
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018
Fiva, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, June 2018
Fiva, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, June 2018
Fiva, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, June 2016
Fiva, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, June 2016
Fiva, Ashley Road, Bristol, December 2017
Fiva, Ashley Road, Bristol, December 2017
Fiva, Ashley Road, Bristol, November 2017
Fiva, Ashley Road, Bristol, November 2017
Fiver, St Andrews Road, Bristol, December 2016
Fiver, St Andrews Road, Bristol, December 2016
Fiver, St Andrews Road, Bristol, December 2016
Fiver, St Andrews Road, Bristol, December 2016

3010. L Dub (18)

L Dub (Lawrence Weston) is a funny old spot. Only a few of the Bristol artists venture out to paint there and some of the artists that paint there such as Dun Sum rarely paint in central Bristol. It is secluded and out of the way and so is favoured by artists practising in the gloom of the tunnels.

Ryder, L Dub, Bristol, June 2020
Ryder, L Dub, Bristol, June 2020

This is a wonderful piece of writing from RAW’s Ryder and really demonstrates why he is such a hightly regarded writer on the Bristol scene. The letters are beautifully proportioned  and consistent and the pink and red fill almost magical, but it is the yellow 3D shading that really makes the piece stand out. Very nice work indeed.

3009. M32 roundabout J3 (221)

Whilst trying to report back on the big Poland v Spain paint jam on the M32 at the end of May, I am desperately trying to play catch up, because this entire wall has since been re-painted. I am now itching to post the new pieces, but must be patient and diligent. This piece is by Cort (Pad) and was painted next to friend and compatriot Laic217.

Cort, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020
Cort, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020

Cort is one of the more unusual writers in Bristol, with a very distinctive style. I would say that the closest in style is probably Corupt in that their letter shapes are unconventional. I rather like the spray cap on the right squirting out the letters, this is a common theme used in graffiti writing, often with a little character doing the spraying.

Poland 3 Spain 3

3008. Jamaica Street (21)

It is weird how easy it can be to completely miss things, I think the expression is something like ‘you can’t see for the looking’. I must have walked past this qWeRT piece dozens of times, but only noticed it recently.

qWeRT, Jamaica Street, Bristol, June 2020
qWeRT, Jamaica Street, Bristol, June 2020

The placement of the googly-eyed pasteup is absolutely perfect, blending in with a larger mural on the wall from Cheba. It all works so well together. I have always said that half the skill of wheatpasters is their ability to find just the right spot. Get that wrong and the impact can be diluted, get it right and it is amplified. Love this one.

3007. L Dub (17)

I haven’t been to L Dub (Lawrence Weston) very often, and the turnover there doesn’t require frequent visits, but I was very pleased to find this magnificent Laic217 piece there on my last visit a week or so ago. It is the first piece I have seen in this spot from Laic217.

Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, June 2020
Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, June 2020

I know he paints a lot of skulls/skeletons these days, but somehow this one feels extra special somehow. Full of all the trademarks we would expect to see from the artist, it is the perspective of the piece that I particularly like. I also like the grey tones used. This was a particularly pleasurable find.