A vibrant and attractive addition to North Street is this magnificent piece is by the Toronto-based Canadian muralist Bird0 (Jerry Rugg). This kind of mural is just one of the many brilliant things about Upfest and how the artworks created breathe new life into urban areas.
Bird0, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
This is the first work I have consciously registered by Bird0 and it has grown on me since I first saw it. I didn’t really ‘get it’ at first, but having researched his work a little since last July, I am definitely fast becoming a fan, and would love to see more of his work.
Bird0, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
The scaffolding was up for the entirety of the festival, and so most visitors to Upfest wouldn’t have seen the final ‘reveal’ when the scaffolding came down, which is a pity.
Bird0, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
The surreal nature of his art and the geometric approach he adopts both appeal to me and it was interesting to see the piece develop. There is a nice short bio of Bird0 on Streetartbio.com.
A recent piece by Tom Miller in one of his favourite locations, the arches at the Carriageworks in Stokes Croft. This is a much calmer piece that we are used to from this artist whose surreal style challenges and provokes us. Not so much of the frenetic stuff flying about the place, but we do see a merging of body parts, in this case a hand and the head.
Tom Miller, Stokes Croft, Bristol, January 2017
It is no secret that I am an admirer of Miller’s work, and have been from the first piece I saw at the same location back in December 2015. This piece plays on ideas, dreams and imaginings…light shining down from an umbrella. All very odd, but interesting to look at. The figure is set against a black background which gives the whole piece a clean appearance.
Tom Miller, Stokes Croft, Bristol, January 2017
I am very glad that I photographed it when I did, even with the van parked right up against it (illegally I might add) because a day or two later it had been tagged and defaced. Pity.
I have been hanging on to these pictures for a long time now. They are a set of works that were drawn and pasted up by Jonesy for the Human Nature project in Leonard Lane in July 2015. These are harrowing drawings that highlight some of the perils threatening our environment and wildlife. There is a tortured feeling to these pictures.
Jonesy, Leonard Lane, Bristol, August 2015
Jonesy is probably better known for his sculptures, and I thoroughly recommend taking a look at some of his work on this Inspiring City website.
Jonesy, Leonard Lane, Bristol, August 2015
Each of these images is nightmarish and foreboding. Knowing what we know now about Trump and his intentions these warnings have even more potency about them.
Jonesy, Leonard Lane, Bristol, August 2015
Leonard Lane has become a bit tatty since the Human Nature project and it could really do with a Human Nature II project – nature fights back. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Ok, I’ll admit it, I am having a bit of a thing about Laic217’s work at the moment, and it won’t stop here. We see him once again experimenting with a figure distorted behind broken glass. There is a story here, the heart shape in the hole in the glass betrays that much. Laic’s faces and figures inhabit that territory between realism and cartoon, very much the province of street artists, where walls and boards provide the canvass.
Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2017
This is a haunting piece, and lacks the humour and lightheartedness of many of his pieces, but it is intriguing and different and sets itself apart. Not to everyone’s taste I am sure, but I so much enjoy finding his works.
Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2017
No prizes for spotting the rather nice 3Dom eye character adjacent to this piece.
My trip to Weston-super-Mare last summer was a bit of a treat for me. I managed to grab 20 minutes away from the family who wanted to sit on the beach and eat ice creams, and decided to take a little peek in the Tropicana. The small anteroom, it turns out, is something of a museum honouring JPS and PZY. I’m not so sure how this came about, but there is a lot of their work there.
JPS, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
This is one of the smaller stencils, highlighting the lateral thinking that JPS often applies to his smaller pieces. A small hole in the wall becomes an object for lifting by two fork lift trucks. It is a witty and fun piece, which offsets some of his darker themes. More to come from this treasure trove.
Weston-super-Mare is the home of the great stencil artist JPS, and the Tropicana is home to many of his pieces. This one is in the lobby area between the street and the open area inside the Tropicana, where Dismaland was hosted.
JPS, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
This fine piece is of Peter Weller’s Robocop holding a spray can, I mean, why wouldn’t he? The detail in the stencil is incredible, and all the more remarkable when you take a close look at the texture of the wall.
JPS, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
There were some tourists standing in front of the piece when I was trying to take these pictures, and only reluctantly would they sidle out of the way. their bags however remained. Another classic from the main man.
All the time I am becoming aware of graffiti artists in Bristol that I have overlooked, for no reason other than it takes a while to work out who they are and to be able to recognise their style. One such artist that I have recently been enjoying is Whysayit.
Whysayit, Moon Street, Bristol, January 2017
I don’t know much about him, other than that he tends to stick with wildstyle writing, but it is a very distinctive and original style that he uses. His pieces pop up all over Bristol and tend to be found on heavily graphitised walls…no clean backgrounds for this artist. The letters spell out Y SAY (I think), and this is a particularly colourful and happy work. I am enjoying spotting his work more and more.
Well this is the one really, a very very special piece by Andrew Burns Colwill.
In a modest setting behind the Harbourside shops and restaurants stands a container. Painted on the side of the container is one of the best pieces of free street art in Bristol. It is amazing. I have watched as people shuffle past it without looking and then someone will glance at it and recognise what a magnificent work it is. Certainly one of my favourite pieces in Bristol…ever.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Anchor Road, Bristol, January 2017
There is an elaborate story unfolding in this picture. In the middle we have two figures sitting at an hourglass table playing a game of chess. One is a modern/future man, the other on the left looks to be ancient Mayan or something like that clutching a scroll. There are remnants of a bridge behind them one side built of wood the other of stone, representing the eras these two characters come from, maybe.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Anchor Road, Bristol, January 2017
Then if we zoom out a little we see more of their surroundings. Above them, floating in the air lifted by balloons with faces, is an island with a city – what it represents I am not sure, but some similar motifs were portrayed in Colwill’s Upfest piece from last year. To the right, the ruined stone bridge can be seen in its full glory, and a bomb shell is sticking out of the ground. To the left the bridge becomes closer to its environmental beginnings…more organic, and there are flowers in the foreground.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Anchor Road, Bristol, January 2017
Taking another look to the right we observe evidence of civilisation in the form of a stone city on the hill, married with weapons of destruction.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Anchor Road, Bristol, January 2017
Further to the right still, soldiers are emerging from a war torn forest – looking like a scene from the Great War.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Anchor Road, Bristol, January 2017
To the left hand side we can see pyramids through the mist in the distance, so maybe the red-robed character is ancient Egyptian. On this side too, there are more figures, tribesmen wielding spears lurk in the trees.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Anchor Road, Bristol, January 2017
The whole piece would be a fine addition to any art gallery, but here it is for all to see if only they would look. I believe the picture to be about the struggle between the environment and our close connection to it and the consequences of progress. Now I am no expert and I haven’t had the pleasure of talking to Colwill so my description and conclusion are based on what I see. What do you see? Have you looked?
In late January I had a meeting in Exeter for which I had arrived a little early. I decided to head for the High Street to see if I could grab a bite to eat. What a great decision that was. I am not familiar with Exeter, especially the central shopping area, so the last thing I was expecting to find was this very impressive piece etched into a wall by the Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto, who works under the name Vhils.
Vhils , High Street, Exeter, January 2016
Exeter is not a city known for its street art culture, and this piece is a grand statement in the main shopping area, rather isolated and alone, but very, very impressive. I have seen work by Vhils on the Interweb many times, but seeing it up close like this was a genuine treat.
Vhils , High Street, Exeter, January 2016
His unique approach to creative street art, is to etch or scratch away the rendered surface of a wall back to the brickwork to create his large portraits. The overall effect is to carve something with a bit of depth and texture, albeit in binary colour schemes.
Vhils , High Street, Exeter, January 2016
I must say that I was really surprised to find something like this in Exeter and praise the authorities who commissioned the work. I am sure it is a constant talking point for residents and visitors alike. Happy days.
Back to the Bearpit and some recent work by ObjectØØØ. As always his very individual style carries with it so much emotion and passion combined with political statement. The figures in his work always feel distorted and tortured by struggle against inequity.
Object000, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
This piece is located at the end of the tunnel where the artificial light meets the daylight, and it is really hard to get a decent photograph, but I have done my best. I like to feature ObjectØØØ’s work whenever I find it because I am fascinated by how much the artist invests himself in his work.
Object000, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
The commentary is a little ambiguous, but I think I know what he is getting at. Great to see some new work from this unusual street artist.
Natural adventures 