Category: 5. Street Art

2418. M32 roundabout J3 (163)

It’s a funny thing, but I have literally just come back from a walk with the dog (and camera) and bumped into Mr Draws painting down in St Werburghs tunnel – I stopped for a nice chat, delaying his work, and we chewed the fat for a few minutes. I had forgotten that I had lined up this piece to write up tonight (as you read this the day before yesterday). I tend to write my posts in batches when I have a moment or two, and as I am on holiday right now, I am trying to get a few under my belt while I have the time.

Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2019
Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2019

Although Mr Draws is painting a little less on the streets at the moment (he is concentrating on studio work) the work he is turning out is looking really good, and this piece on the M32 kind of really works for me. Great colour selection, some interesting extras, such as the arrows, without going over the top, and nicely finished with his characteristic wobbly outline. Always a pleasure to catch up with him, and always a pleasure to post his work.

2417. M32 Spot (48)

In my archives I have some other pieces by this artist, Slakarts, but for some reason have not posted any of them until now. I would say that this piece is not typical of the other pictures I have by the artist.

Slakarts, M32 Spot, Bristol, August 2019
Slakarts, M32 Spot, Bristol, August 2019

The column piece is beautifully thought out, with a queue of stylised figures, each holding the one in front like they are doing a conga. I will make my own narrative up for this one preferring the idea that they are in an orderly line to tell Boris Johnson what ann utter **** he is… just saying. Look out for more from this artist (archive stuff) on Natural Adventures.

2416. St Werburghs tunnel (95)

In the depths of St Werburghs tunnel is this fine piece of writing by Nevergiveup (NGU) which I think, but am not certain, spells out ZBOK. The colours set on a contrasting dark background work rather well in the difficult artificial light of the tunnel.

Nevergiveup, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019
Nevergiveup, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019

NGU has created horizontal layers in his letters which blend seamlessly from top to bottom. Those of you who recognise the name will know this artist as the creator of #followmyrabbits which have made dozens of appearances on Natural Adventures.

2415. Brunel Way Bridge (20)

There is something a little understated about this piece by Soap on the footpath under Brunel Way. It is a fine piece of writing spelling out SOAP with nice fills and background, and something of a cosmic feel about it, but for me it just falls shy of the mark, and I can’t get my head round why.

Soap, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2019
Soap, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2019

After a very active spring and early summer, Soap seems to have slowed down a little more recently, maybe he has been away or been working hard, or equally possible I have just missed his works – I cannot be everywhere all of the time. Looking forward to seeing more of his stuff soon.

2414. Brunel Way Bridge (19)

It is great to be able to post this piece knowing that I don’t have to credit it with ‘unknown artist’ because thanks to the great investigative powers of Paulh121 I know it to be by Lobe (@lobe_ita). This is one of at least three pieces that I have photographed by Lobe (look out for the others coming soon) and each one of them is a cracker.

Lobe, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2019
Lobe, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2019

Lobe tends to use only a few colours in her work and creates these styalised faces which are typified by the solid bold fills and shadowing. If I were to describe her work I’d probably say that it is like a fusion of Tasha Bee and Kool Hand. I really like this piece, and it is the details I am drawn to, such as the little spike on the white outline to the left of the left eyebrow. I really hope that what we are seeing from Lobe is just the beginning and that there is more to come.

2413. Redcliffe Way (1)

Sometimes you glance a piece of street art when driving about the place and make a mental note to go back on foot. This is one of those, and well worth the legwork to find it. It is a beautiful stencil of an owl by Kin Dose, which I figured was several years old, but is probably less than 18 months old if streetview is anything to go by.

Kin Dose, Redcliffe Way, Bristol, August 2019
Kin Dose, Redcliffe Way, Bristol, August 2019

The first observation is that this spot is a prime location for a stencil. Blocked out windows like this always make such fantastic framed backdrops for street art. I think that this is a barn owl, and the stencil is in very much the same style as his 2018 Upfest stencils, with the animal sprayed over a coloured swirl background. When I spoke to Kin Dose earlier this summer, he said that he has moved away from doing stencils because the cutting out process is tedious and he is preferring his spray-brush style at the moment. Lovely piece.

2412. M32 roundabout J3 (162)

The stencil in this picture is the second I have posted, although it was the first I had found, by Yoshi. It is an interesting piece of a man, casually dressed, looking at a goldfish in a bowl which is floating away under a blue balloon. Heaven only knows what is going on here, maybe the artist suffers from separation anxiety or something like that. Whatever the story, it is an interesting piece from this relative newcomer.

Yoshi, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2019
Yoshi, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2019

The original piece had one question mark over the man’s head, but the additional question marks were added later, presumably by the artist who sprayed the pink pondering face on the left that seems to also be wondering what is going on. It is nice to see this connection and succession between two pieces.

2411. M32 roundabout J3 (161)

There is absolutely no stopping this guy. I hope he has a good job, because he is absolutely burning through the paint at the moment. I got really lucky with this piece and met Rezwonk for the first time when he was just finishing it off. At the same time I was also lucky enough to meet #Bristiol.graffiti, another local street art hunter and lovely lady. She has been so, so busy this summer spotting old and new art all over the city, and is a great source if you want to get a good idea of the scene in Bristol.

Rezwonk, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2019
Rezwonk, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2019

Rezwonk takes his ideas to a different level with this piece, by rather cleverly lifting his ‘e’ off the piece and onto the railings of the roundabout. Clearly a lot of thought and preparation went into this one, and it has paid off in bucket loads. This spot is subject to incredibly different light conditions depending on the weather and time of day. These two pictures were taken on different days, and you can see how the light can affect the appearance/colours/shadings of a piece. Once again Rezwonk excells himself.

2410. M32 roundabout J3 (160)

I might have said it recently, but I’ll say it again just in case, Daz Cat has been really productive lately and he is stretching his repetoire of work through original ideas and collaborations and it is a pleasure to watch.

Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2019
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2019

Rather kindly, Bristol City Council have buffed a few walls on the M32 roundabout and one of the first to occupy the new clean space was Daz Cat with this entertaining pair of cats painted on either side of an entrance to one of the pedestrian/bicycle underpasses. On the left is a gold cat speaking the word ‘chrome’.

Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2019
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2019

On the right of the tunnel is a chrome cat saying the word ‘gold’. This appears to be a cat conversation with each calling out the other’s name. It is a lovely idea nicely executed, and what fun Daz Cat must have had painting this blank canvas. With any luck the council will buff a few more walls on this roundabout, enabling a bit of a refresh. I fear that this was not their intention, but hey ho.

2409. St Werburghs tunnel (94)

Things have been hotting up again in St Werburghs Tunnel recently, and although there hasn’t been a formal paintjam to my knowledge, there have been a steady trickle of new piece, including this rather nice 1960s retro piece from Corupt. It rather reminds me of cartoons I watched as a young child.

Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019

The colours are a little washed out because of the artificial light in the tunnel, but the design of the letters, the shading and accents and the face painted on to the ‘C’ come together nicely to creat a really pleasing work. We probably don’t get to see enough of Corupt’s work, but this is a real beauty.