5. Street Art – Page 668 – Natural adventures

987. Upfest 2017 (40)

Researching this piece has revealed more than I might have expected, which is always most fulfilling. The chimpanzee, so full of expression, was sprayed by Skie One, and the leaves and portrait (to follow) on the right by Nesr both from High Pressure Murals. The discovery was to put names to a piece that I photographed at Upfest 2016, and one which I can post when I do a bit of a catchn up of left-overs from last year.

This is a fine mural (I guess I can safely call it that) and has a stencil-like look about it, although it is freestyled. I am interested by just how many apes and monkeys are painted by street artists, Parrots have a pretty high head-count too. I guess they are groups of animals/birds that are close to us and therefor of interest.

Skie One and Nesr, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Once again it is great to see the artists at work to see how they create the piece, here it looks like a process of adding layers, maybe in a more conventional fine art way…not that I really have any idea what I’m talking about. I do know I like this piece though.

986. Upfest 2017 (39)

Tucked away in the garden of The Rising Sun was this rather provocative and surreal piece by EdF*ck. I can’t find out much about the artist, so I include his Upfest programme biography:

‘Hi my name is Edf*ck, my work mainly consists of spray paint and de-collage but extends to illustration and character design, often encapsulating dark imagery captioned with playful slogans and vicious characters.’

So my first impression of this artist and the style is that I rather like it. It reminds me of the kind of magazine cut-out collages I used to make as a kid, creating disturbing distortions of reality from pictures. One major difference…this is considered, cleverly worked and artistic. I’m glad I ventured into this corner of the pub garden, because I missed it on the Saturday of the festival.

985. Upfest 2017 (38)

This great piece which was located at The Rising Sun pub, is by Mind Control who was probably the youngest artist at Upfest this year at a youthful 16. He has been spraying since he was 12 and has already found himself on the festival circuit. A precocious talent indeed, and one to look out for.

Mind Control, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Before Upfest this year he was interviewed by Auntie G, you can read what he says on her excellent blog here. The piece itself is ambitious and captivating. I’m not sure I would have guessed it was by a young artist when I first saw it, but now I’m in posession of the facts it does have a naive quality to it. I look forward to seeing more work from Mind Control and hope he returns to Bristol soon.

984. Upfest 2017 (37)

One of my favourite artists from Upfest 2016 was DinDin who produced this official piece and left a couple of wheatpastes in the Moon Street area of Stokes Croft before she left Bristol. This year she excelled with this beautiful stencil featuring a street dancer in what looks like a fairly stark wasteland.

This piece really stands out and catches the eye. What I found interesting as well was how different the piece looked in the overcast conditions and then in the bright sunlight. Maybe this is an artifact of how cameras work, but the difference is remarkable.

I think that DinDin got her work done quickly this year – I think she must have seen the forecast – so I didn’t get to meet her, which is a pity because I realy do like her work very much.

983. Upfest 2017 (36)

Watching the evolution of this piece by Ebee was fascinating. I don’t think the weather was very helpful, and it probably took a lot longer to complete than the artist might have originally envisaged.

Ebee is from London and has been painting since the 1980s, which puts him in great company, and even from this piece you can see that his work is influenced by the early New York graffiti.

I like taking these ‘in progress’ shots because it is interesting to see how the artist sets about their work and the sequencing of how they lay down the composition.

This is a really accomplished piece of wildstyle writing that incorporates an element of 3D style to the letters, although they are contorted and in differing planes, which makes this different from more conventional 3D art. The piece spells out ‘Ebee’ although it takes a while to get your ‘eye in’. A lovely piece of writing.

982. Dean Lane skate park (73)

Yet another gift to Bristol from an Upfest artist, although this one had actually been living in the city for some years before ending up in London. Xenz was afforded one of the premium walls at Upfest which he sprayed in collaboration with Will Barras – more on this when I post it.

This writing feels like a ‘getting back to my roots’ kind of piece, traditional and fabulously animated. The butterflies and the birds incorporated into the piece really chime for me and give it that sense of urban/rural crossover and sense of irony. I was really happy to have found this and photographed it, because all too often pieces here disappear before you can blink.

981. M32 roundabout J3 (44)

It is great when visiting artists come to Bristol for Upfest, and then decide to remain a short while in the City adding one or two more pieces. On this occasion, Helen Bur was accompanied to one of Bristol’s great spots by Kid Crayon, where she sprayed this lovely piece.

Helen Bur, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2017

I like these letters and especially the HB pencil which appears to be a signature icon, if her website is anything to go by. As an aside, it is interesting that she uses a pencil and was spraying with Kid Crayon, who always used to feature a crayon in his work although recently he seems to have dropped it. Artists featuring the tools of their trade.

This is a good piece, and as a resident of Bristol, it is always pleasant to see visiting artists enjoying our streets.

980. The Bearpit (86)

Object… has been busy in The Bearpit again, with a flurry of political pieces. This one cleverly uses the existing posters that were pasted to the wall as a colourful and contextual backdrop to his central piece.

Object..., The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2017 — Object…, The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2017

This is a really good piece, creative and imaginative, and always with an edge that we expect from Object… . The character is imprisoned in a circle and encouraged with the words ‘push past their walls’.

There is a strong feeling of movement and momentum in this piece and it works really well for me, but it would, wouldn’t it?

979. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (28)

I hope that by posting this piece I will learn more about it from others who may know about it. I don’t recognise the artist, whose name appears to be ISRA, and no amount of Interweb searches have yeilded anything. What I can say is that this is a stunning piece with an extraordinary colour palette, modest and low key.

ISRA, Stokes Croft, Bristol, August 2017

The protrait is quite incredible, and is complemented beautifully by the abstract colour pattern to its right. This is a rare piece from an unknown artist, but a work of real quality.

These arches at the Carriageworks are on borrowed time, as the building is due to be renovated and turned into flats that nobody from these parts will be able to afford, but wealthy landlords will snap up to make a tidy profit on. Perpetuating the housing crisis and buy-to-let economy which prices the poor out of affordable accomodation. Rant over.

I am determined to enjoy these fine pieces on these arches for as long as I am able. Gentrification happens everywhere and it is not all bad.

978. The Bearpit (85)

A theme used by many street artists is the depiction of a monster – I guess this is so that they can be creative and use their imagination as there is no template for a monster really.Another common theme is to seen a character using a spray can. This monster piece by NEVERGIVEUP in The Bearpit brings these themes nicely together.

NEVERGIVEUP, The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2017

NEVERGIVEUP is taking over the mantle of most prolific artist in Bristol and is varying his style, which started with his customary bunnies. He is a versatile and young artist and I’m sure will develop his styles over time. He is certainly fearless in spraying walls not previously sprayed, but is respectful of other’s work too.

The Bearpit has had a little bit of a renaissance since Upfest, and there are som decent works there, in amongst the throw ups and tagging.

	Suzette Benjamin on 7465. River Avon (111)
	Cethru Cellophane on A dog’s life
	Sheree on 7465. River Avon (111)
	hitandrun1964 on Dirtygypo
	hitandrun1964 on 7464. Lucky Lane (18)

	Suzette Benjamin on 7465. River Avon (111)
	Cethru Cellophane on A dog’s life
	Sheree on 7465. River Avon (111)
	hitandrun1964 on Dirtygypo
	hitandrun1964 on 7464. Lucky Lane (18)

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