Category: 5. Street Art

2896. Hepburn Road (15)

Tucked away in a lane not usually associated with Kid Crayon was this rather unusual two-tone piece from July 2017. One of the things that I would often associate with Kid Crayon is his abundant use of colour, so this was something of a change.

Kid Crayon, Hepburn Road, Bristol, July 2017
Kid Crayon, Hepburn Road, Bristol, July 2017

My guess is that this was a quick one that was more for his own amusement than for public display. I love finding works like this, because they show another side of an artist and the range and diversity of their work. Without the signature, this would be quite difficult to identify as a KC piece. I’m not sure what the speech bubble says, but it looks like ‘wired’ to me. Does it refer to KC himself or to the character of the piece?

2895. Raleigh Road vector (30)

This long piece is a bit of a monster and unusually garish for Soker. It has the appearance of a huge washing up session with the grimey green slime getting a bit of a clean up from the bubbly water. The SOKER will come clean.

Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, February 2019
Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, February 2019

Painted in February last year, the piece would have been one of the last to appear on this particular wall, because not long after the hoardings were removed and the block of flats inhabited. Previously the empty lot had been a wonderful spot and was used every year by Upfest. Another loss to the Bristol street art community, but at least the housing provided looks like it was appropriately affordable.

2894. M32 cycle path (56)

Oh what a beauty from Rezwonk on the M32 cycle path. I think that the most prolific artists are at greater risk of having work that I struggle to post. One of the reasons for this is that I like to present a representative spectrum of the street/graffiti in Bristol and so if an artist paints three walls in a week, I will reserve a couple of them to post at a later date… this is a later date, a much later date.

Rezwonk, M32 cycle path, Bristol, April 2019
Rezwonk, M32 cycle path, Bristol, April 2019

I really love this piece, the colours, the letter style and the details. Set on a flame-coloured background of Rezwonk ‘R’ tags, the letters are supported with a deep 3D shadow that seems to have a vanishing point somewhere behind the ‘Z’. The finishing touches of cracks in some of the letters adds even more interest to the whole thing. Classy.

2893. Millpond Street (8)

It was those damn shadows cast across the piece from bright sunlight passing through leafy trees. That is why I never posted this magnificent wall from SPZero76. It is not the first time and it won’t be the last time that I have struggled with this wall. Having said that, I usually manage to get back and take a picture on a dull day, regrettably not on this occasion.

SPZero76, Millpond Street, Bristol, February 2017
SPZero76, Millpond Street, Bristol, February 2017

SPZero76 has an arrangement with the owners of the wall where he decorates it for them and they pay for the paint. Not a bad arrangement really. This piece from 2017 is painted entirely in three or four tones, and looks a lot like the artist’s sketches that he churns out regularly.

SPZero76, Millpond Street, Bristol, February 2017
SPZero76, Millpond Street, Bristol, February 2017

Painted in the pre-EAT era (the collaborative partnership with Kid Crayon) this is a solo piece with all the wonderful detail we expect from SPZero76. The Ancient Egyptian inspired scene includes figures that appear to be a fusion of people with robots, a favourite theme used by SPZero76.

SPZero76, Millpond Street, Bristol, February 2017
SPZero76, Millpond Street, Bristol, February 2017

I am always completely baffled by the fine detail detail that he manages to incorporate into his work and I am happy at last to share it with you after so long under wraps.

2892. Dean Lane skate park (304)

I think that regular readers of Natural Adventures will be more used to seeing rabbits from Nevergiveup (#followmyrabbits) than from Hire, but it was the latter who painted them in Bristol first, especially in The Bearpit and Dean Lane.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2017

This old one is on the famous curved wall at Dean Lane skate park and is beautifully finished. Set on a dark red and rather moody background, this menacing rabbit (with Gothic styling) is painted in a grey-green that contrasts brilliantly with it. One that escaped my clutches from way back in February 2017. Nice to free it.

2891. New Stadium Road (23)

Due to his incredible turnover, it was always inevitable that some pieces by Deamze were going to get left behind in the vast filing system that is my archive. Thanks to the lock down I am going through old unpublished material because so little contemporary stuff is being painted just now.

Deamze, New Stadium Road, Bristol, March 2017
Deamze, New Stadium Road, Bristol, March 2017

All the hallmarks of a great Deamze piece are here… the angular technical and complex wildstyle writing and a cute little character. I think that the character is meant to be Garfield, and if it is, then for once it is a bit of a dud from Deamze in terms of its likeness. If it is not Garfield, then it is a brilliant little cat, and who doesn’t like cat street art?

2890. St Werburghs tunnel (167)

The biggest mystery to me during this rather self-indulgent trip into my street art archives imposed by the coronavirus pandmic lock down is that I find it quite hard to understand why so many great pieces got left behind on the ‘cutting room floor’, like this beauty from Elvs.

Elvs, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2017
Elvs, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2017

Painted back in March 2017 this wonderful piece of wildstyle writing incorporates an addition of a skull and intriguingly some Japanese-looking script in yellow and pink running through the ELVS lettering. I know that several pieces by Elvs incorporate some Japanese lettering, but I don’t know why… I’ll have to ask him next time I see him (which could be some considerable time). A classy piece from this exceptional artist.

Elvs, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2016
Elvs, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2016

2889. St Werburghs tunnel (166)

Thanks to lock down, I am sharing this throwback piece from 2017 in St Werburghs tunnel by Fiva. His style is clean bold and instantly recognisable. Large letters with a character face in a cartoon style looking on.

Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2017
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2017

It is so easy to like Fiva’s work, it has a lighthearted feel to it and somehow it always feels very welcoming and accessible. I’m not sure if that makes any sense to you, but it does to me. It is great to have the space to unearth this one from the archive.

2888. Dean Lane skate park (303)

Well, this is a piece I never knew I had, and may well be the oldest work I have by Nightwayss. I think that when one takes so many pictures of street art, there will be the odd ones that are difficult to recollect. Mostly they are the ones by artists that are unfamiliar, and so there are no reference points to engage with.

Nightwayss, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2017
Nightwayss, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2017

There are no monkeys here, which makes it a bit of a collectors item. The writing in shades of green is complex and nicely done, although I’m not too sure how much the characters add to the overall piece and I am not sure about the story they tell. I am a fan of Nightwayss’ work, so to uncover this early one has given me a real thrill.

2887. The Carriageworks (40)

This is something of an iconic piece at The Carriageworks by DNT and Hoax, and possibly other collaborators. The wall can be dated as pre-2019 because it has been behind protective scaffolding due to the development of the site for a long time now.

DNT, The Carriageworks, Bristol, October 2016
DNT, The Carriageworks, Bristol, October 2016

The figure is by DNT and he has produced something similar since in Hepburn Road. I think that the beautiful patchwork background is by Hoax or maybe Sheva or maybe the whole thing is by DNT. This uncertainty might be the reason I never published these pictures before.

DNT, The Carriageworks, Bristol, October 2016
DNT, The Carriageworks, Bristol, October 2016

I think it is a beautiful piece and in some way really represents this area well. It is a great pity that this wonderful wall has been lost to street artists, but I guess it has ever been thus.

DNT, Hepburn Road, Bristol, August 2017
DNT, Hepburn Road, Bristol, August 2017

MGB stands for Matchbox Gallery, a little gallery shop that DNT used to run in Stokes Croft.