Category: 5. Street Art

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
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.

ISRA, Stokes Croft, Bristol, August 2017
ISRA, Stokes Croft, Bristol, August 2017

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.

ISRA, Stokes Croft, Bristol, August 2017
ISRA, Stokes Croft, Bristol, August 2017

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, 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.

NEVERGIVEUP, The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2017
NEVERGIVEUP, The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2017

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.

977. Moon Street (35)

This is what graffiti art is all about – a slightly dodgy alley with a derelict store room where the door has given way. Here RIP has found the perfect spot to spray one of his ‘Dia de muertos’ stencils. I know I sound like a scratched record, but half of the art of graffiti art is the placement of the piece.

RIP, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2017
RIP, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2017

I’m not too sure when RIP did this piece, but I think it might have been during Upfest, so it falls neatly into the category of a little gift left behind after the festival. More from RIP to follow soon.

976. The Bearpit (84)

I met Mr Draws at Upfest, and he seemed to be rather down in the dumps, and indicated that he was off spraying. This seemed to be a bit out of character for one of our most prolific street artists in Bristol. I guess it happens to everyone from time to time…getting fed up with the same old things. So it filled me with some joy to see that after a short break, he is ‘back at it’.

Mr Draws, The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2017
Mr Draws, The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2017

He even says as much on this quick piece in the Bearpit. I have noticed from his Instagram feed that he has been spending a lot of time recently on his drawings and is enjoying mountains all over again, which is a good thing. I think this story serves as a reminder that life is tough, inspiration comes and goes, but there is still so much to enjoy. Glad that he is back on the streets again – I’ll be looking out for more.

975. Upfest 2017 (35)

I spoke to many people after Upfest and this incredible macaw was considered to be one of the best pieces of the festival, and it is easy to se why. The composition is perfect, filling the awkward panels with consumate ease, the colours and flow of the feathers is magical, the piece is full of movement and spectacle. Taking a closer look, the work is composed of triangles that come together to create the whole. I love this kind of artistry, and the whole thing shows a creator at the top of their game.

Mehsos, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Mehsos, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The artist, Mehsos, is from Belgium – something special seems to be going on in Belgium, with Bisser and Dzia also producing outstanding pieces – and generally works with portraiture. It is interesting to read from the UPfest programme notes that Mehsos ‘deconstructs emotions and highlights contrasts both in terms of colour and message level’ I’m not entirely certain what this means, but I like it. One for the top ten.

974. Upfest 2017 (34)

I know practically nothing about Jimzina other than that loads of her(?) pasteups appeared on virtually every piece of street furniture at Upfest this year. This is the first of many posts of her work, due to her prolific few days in Bristol.

Jimzina, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Jimzina, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I can only think that Jimzina prepared dozens of wheatpastes prior to Upfest, and spent an evening or two having a lot of fun pasting them up.

Jimzina, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Jimzina, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Most of Jimzina’s work seems to be drawn onto menus and other similar posters and is instantly recognisable from other wheatpasters. As far as I can make out, all the subjects of the pieces are young women striking slightly naughty poses…eye catching certainly.

Jimzina, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Jimzina, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
There will be more to follow, amnd in the mean time I’ll try to find out more about this mysterious artist.

 

 

973. Upfest 2017 (33)

I have recently become well acquainted with the work of Guts, a Bristol artist, and am enjoying it more and more with each exposure. His style has something of a doodler’s look about it, with lots of little characters and shapes filled in with bright colours. There is a real skill here though, because this could just end up as a messy sprawl, but look carefully and there is a story in this piece.

Guts, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Guts, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
There is a skater in the central role with a skateboard showering flames from the black. The skater appears to have lost his head, with a bone sticking out from the neck…a bit weird. Some of this looks like it has been inspired by tyhe comic style (and I mean British comics, not the Marvel-type ones).

Guts, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Guts, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
This is a good colourful piece which adds to the overall breadth of styles meeting at Upfest. Nice one Guts.

972. Upfest 2017 (32)

It is great to be able to post yet another incredible work by another Bristol Artist. This one is by Shab, and stands head and shoulders above many of then other abstract pieces at Upfest this year. His use of the brilliant white an black outlines on a slightly off-white background works a treat, and the match and flame are something to behold.

Shab, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Shab, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This is a thoughtful piece which had some scratching their heads. An acquired taste maybe, but actually technically really good. As always with his pieces an eye is incorporated too.

Shab, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Shab, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I do really like his work, but missed the opportunity to meet him. He had finished by the time I made it this far on the first day. This one makes it into my top 10 for the festival.

971. Upfest 2017 (31)

This is a wonderful compisite piece stitched together perfectly by Kid 30 on the hoardings in Raleigh Road. Kid 30 is an artist based in the midlands and member of the highly regarded Oxygen Thievez, of which Deamze is one too. His style is always clean and bold, and this piece is pretty awesome really.

Kid 30, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Kid 30, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The dogs I can identify are Snoopy, Pluto, Scooby and Slinky…I think. This piece was favourite of many who attended the festival. You’ve got to love a dog, of four.

970. Upfest 2017 (30)

The artist who created this piece has an interesting and colourful background. I will quote the profile from the Upfest programme:

‘Lapiz started wheat pasting in the streets of New Zealand after moving there from South Africa where he had worked in HIV research. The immense cultural shock proved to be a source of inspiration but needed a vent which was and still is street art. While living in Buenos Aires the many murals inspired him to paint his thought provoking stencils on a large scale.’

H

This piece for Upfest is challenging, but also beautiful. Split into three colour sections the whole piece presents as slightly menacing…balaclavas are always menacing…but also witty and very skilfully composed. I like this one a lot, and it really stood out.

UPDATE (7 September 2017) – following an instagram exchange, Lapiz shared a description of the piece as follows:

Female #nipples still have to be covered in public or the internet. But when it is a painting they usually aren’t. But what happens if you paint one of the best known statue of a woman, the #venus of milo as she was a real person including the nipples. And how would the spectator react. That is what i did for #upfest2017 a #streetartfestival with thousands of visitors. The only way to do it, is to use a ridiculous amount of highly detailed stencils. The body has 9 layers, the toga 7. The pink beanie was done so she looks like a member of #pussyriot just to push the viewer into the right direction. What do you think?