Category: 5. Street Art

1250. M32 cycle path (11)

This wall really belongs to Deamze. I don’t know if other artists leave it to him out of respect, or whether I only ever get to see it when his work is there. Either way, I have only ever seen pieces by him here.

Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2017
Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2017

Deamze likes to do his graffiti writing alongside a character on this wall, perhaps it has something to do with the proportions. In this piece he uses subtle tones across the work and created a focal point with his red ASK.

Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2017
Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2017

The character is Homer Simpson, and it is beautifully crafted although the hands and tongue are not in keeping with the Matt Groening creation. A good piece from Deamze.

1249. Moon Street (40)

This is the second of two pieces by Rezwonk in Moon Street and one which on first glance looks like a simple geometric pattern scrawled on a gate. Looking more closely, there is probably more to it.

Rezwonk, Moon Street, Bristol, October 2017
Rezwonk, Moon Street, Bristol, October 2017

The patterns are composed of five lines, always in the same order, a little bit like holding five biros in your hand and making patterns or letters  – the kind of things you did at school. Another layer of sophistication here is that the lines are contained within a circle although the circle isn’t outlined. I am not certain, but I wonder if the patterns are letters…if they are, I can’t work them out. My favourite touch though is the five bar gate at the bottom right, almost like a checklist that the five colours have all made it onto the piece. A lovely abstract piece.

Rezwonk, Moon Street, Bristol, July 2017
Rezwonk, Moon Street, Bristol, July 2017

 

1248. The Bearpit (115)

This is a lesson in always making sure you get a photograph of a new piece when you can, even if the photograph is compromised by poor light conditions or weather of street furniture etc. If you don’t snap it up straight away, then the next time you see it it may be tagged.

Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017
Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017

This piece by Laic217 appeared in The Bearpit in October after something of a quiet period in his street work. I managed to photograph it, but the morning sun was casting a shadow across the wall. I figured I would return to get a ‘clean’ picture. The next time I visited however the smiley face had been tagged, albeit rather tastefully, with a tribute. Annoying as it might seem, this is all part of the street/graffiti art scene.

Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017
Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017

As always I like this work from Laic217, and hope he keeps it up. I have been enjoying the incredible progress he has made in the time that I have been doing this and get pleasure from seeing the direction his work goes in.

1247. Rivington Street, New York (1)

This large and impressive wall in Rivington Street is by KaNO. Such a magnificent cartoon character in a very distinctive style, it should come as no surprise that KaNO freelances as a character designer for such studios as Warner Bros, Cartoon Network, and Hasbro.

Kano, Rivington Street, New York, October 2017
Kano, Rivington Street, New York, October 2017

KaNO was born and raised on the streets of New York and was influenced by cartoon characters on the TV. He then went on to study art and design and animation. His full biography can be found on his website, along with some fabulous galleries of studio and street art.

Kano, Rivington Street, New York, October 2017
Kano, Rivington Street, New York, October 2017

This really is a wonderful piece from a greatly talented artist.

1246. Broome Street, New York (3)

This is another stunner from Tristan Eaton entitled Big City of Dreams which rises high above a car park, you know, one of those funny little ones in New York that must charge the most extortionate fees, and stack cars in a way we are not accustomed to seeing in the UK.

Tristan Eaton, Broome Street, New York, October 2017
Tristan Eaton, Broome Street, New York, October 2017

Tristan Eaton reminds me of an amalgamation of different styles that has elements of PichiAvo and Louis Masai about it, which is of course a great compliment. I think that his work is exceptional and love the piece I posted before of his Audrey Hepburn in SoHo.

Tristan Eaton, Broome Street, New York, October 2017
Tristan Eaton, Broome Street, New York, October 2017

1245. Broome Street, New York (2)

I still have a great many pictures from my trip to New York in October 2017, but have had some difficulty finding the names of artists, and the locations of some of the pieces. These difficulties act as a bit of a barrier to writing these posts, as I have limited time to do the research required. The emergence of Street Art Cities, a website and app, has been an absolute godsend in that respect. Street Art Cities allows local street art ‘hunters’ (people like me) to upload street and graffiti art onto a map-based platform with descriptions of the work. I am one of two such approved hunters in Bristol, and in New York, a recent upload extravaganza by the four hunters there is making my job of posting my holiday snaps so much easier. Maybe if they ever visit Bristol they will benefit from the work I have done for Street Art Cities.

John Matos, Bower Street, New York, October 2017
John Matos, Bower Street, New York, October 2017

 

Now I can tell you that this stunning piece of Yosemite Sam in Broome Street is by John ‘Crash’ Matos, an artist brought up in the Bronx in the 1960s and 70s. He tends to feature a cartoon character combined with the word CRASH in many of his pieces, a long way from bombing trains in train yards as a teenager. His nickname ‘Crash’ was coined after he accidentally crashed a computer in school…something that was much easier to do back in the old days I can assure you. This is a brilliant piece from a brilliant artist.

1244. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (32)

I see an awful lot of Face F1st’s work dotted around the Stokes Croft area and at the M32 roundabout, but this is the first piece I have seen where he has a message for us all. And the message is quite clear – ‘no ads on free walls’. What he is referring to is the increase in street art in this area that is advertising events in the local area. I have to say I have quite a lot of sympathy with him.

Face F1st, Stokes Croft, Bristol, November 2017
Face F1st, Stokes Croft, Bristol, November 2017

The face is angry, which again is quite unusual for this artist. The rest of the piece is colourful and bright and the word Face can be made out in the writing. An artist whose work I continue to enjoy, especially when it has this bit of edge to it.

1243. Dean Lane skate park (101)

You have to keep your eyes open in this game, looking for anything that might be different or new. This was a tiny little piece in Dean Lane by Diff, which was rather well camouflaged on a colourful background and not the easiest to spot.

Diff, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2017
Diff, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2017

Diff is a local artist who creates occasional pieces in the area and this one is a nice little surprise. It is a three colour stencil of a Buddha wearing glasses. I am not sure of the significance or background to the piece, but I know that I am pleased to have found it.

1242. The Bearpit (114)

I love this. Here we see John D’oh at his most hard-hitting, exposing two of the easiest targets on earth and keeping the debate alive. Never one to hide from political comment, he produces topical pieces with alarming speed, unlike me who seems to take an eternity to publish posts.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, December 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, December 2017

These single layer stencils are part of the furniture in The Bearpit and in other parts of Bristol, and John D’oh a permanent presence, reminding us to search our conscience and get fired up. So much more to come.

1241. Dean Lane skate park (100)

It is a rare thing for me to come across an Andy Council piece that is not a composite of buildings to create a beast of some kind. Equally rare is to see an Andy Council collaboration, but here is a piece that he sprayed just before Christmas with Hemper in the far corner of Dean Lane, and it is a real humdinger.

Andy Council and Hemp, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2017
Andy Council and Hemp, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2017

I don’t know much about Hemper other than that he is a well established and highly regarded writer in Bristol and I have only come across his work a couple of times. This collaboration feels like a bit of fun between two friends. Andy Council has made a character out of his ammonite signature, which has turned out really well. This was a nice piece to find, even though I got to it too late to see it untagged.