Category: 7.4. Upfest 2021

3850. Upfest 2021 75×75 (32)

Many of this year’s Upfest pieces have been on large, premium walls, often over-painting previous masterpieces, but not all. There are a few standard sized boards at the Tobacco Factory car park that are the perfect size for graffiti writers. One such writer is Candie Bandita from London who specialises in script and lettering, particularly on shutters, and whose name is derived from a Commodore 64 game called Candy Bandit… not one I remember, but I was an Amstrad user addicted to Elite.

Candie Bandita, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 2021
Candie Bandita, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 2021

The piece is a very special piece of writing in perfect colour matches with a superb metallic look to it achieved with clever use of white fills and shiny white stars. Setting it off perfectly is the neon pink Bandita glowing across the base of the piece. This is really accomplished graffiti writing and a privilege to see in Bristol. Shame that the Tobacco Factory café have elected to place a table right in front of the wall… keeping it real I suppose.

3848. Upfest 2021 75×75 (31)

Beaver Electrical Ltd is a lucky business. Not only do they have their shop in Bedminster, but they also happen to have an end-of-row wall that has had an enormous SPZero76 mural on it for the last couple of years, and now, thanks to Upfest 75×75 they have a brand new mural from the same artist.

SPZero76, Greville Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
SPZero76, Greville Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

This new piece is an absolute beast and contains so many of the components that we would expect to see from an SPzero76 piece. Set in a stunning rural landscape, two lady bikers have stopped for a chat while in the background a robot advances. There is an element of a dystopian future about the piece, albeit not as horrific as some portrayals.

SPZero76, Greville Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
SPZero76, Greville Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

The attention to detail in this cartoonesque scene is astonishing, from the blades of grass through to the intricate engine parts of the motorcycles, let alone the two stunning figures. There are some nice touches too with his name displayed on the fuel tanks.

SPZero76, Greville Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
SPZero76, Greville Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

Of course, no piece on this wall is complete without some frolicking beavers and SPZero76 has duly delivered down in the bottom right hand corner. The whole mural is a thing of incredible beauty and shows off the artist’s considerable talent. Brilliant. The picture below is his previous outstanding mural on this wall.

SPZero76, Greville Street, Bristol, December 2018
SPZero76, Greville Street, Bristol, December 2018

3846. Upfest 2021 75×75 (30)

Upfest is the gift that just keeps on giving, and I cannot remember a time when so many high-quality pieces have been painted over such a sustained period. Given all the problems that the pandemic has thrown at us, I think the Upfest team have done an astonishingly brilliant job this year.

Snub 23, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Snub 23, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

This superb piece by Snub 23 looks as if it has been lifted straight out of a comic book, it is quite remarkable. The artist has used the dimensions of the wall perfectly and has created a really interesting perspective with the curvature of the tunnel behind the main character.

Snub 23, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Snub 23, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

The bright colours used for the hero of the piece contrast nicely with the grey scene and there is a sense of purpose about his stride. The whole thing reminds me of Dan Dare from the Eagle Annuals I used to read as a kid (they weren’t mine, they had belonged to my uncles when they were young). Amazing piece.

3843. Upfest 2021 75×75 (29)

‘It’s okay not to be okay’ is a very contemporary message from Sprite for this year’s Upfest initiative. I think that it can only be a good thing when mental health messages are amplified through street art as it demonstrates that real progress is being made in this ‘Cinderella’ branch of medical healthcare.

Sprite, Stanley Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Sprite, Stanley Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

The pink rabbit is a really rather lovely stencil by the Brighton-based artist whose intention is to make people smile and I think she has certainly succeeded with this piece. Her work is very scalable and perfect for bombing a town or city with great messages. It would be good to see more of her work in Bristol.

3840. Upfest 2021 75×75 (28)

There is real craft and ability in the work of Emily Joy Rich, and her training and work as a graphic designer certainly come to the fore when you see her work. Her letters are so clean, tidy and sharp and her designer’s eye uses the space beautifully. I have only seen a handful of her pieces and like each one of them, she seems to be, in a way, upholding the art and craft of the sign-writer.

Emily Joy Rich, The Tabacco Factory, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Emily Joy Rich, The Tabacco Factory, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

‘You are not alone’ reminds me of the Close Encounters tag line ‘We are not alone’ but the two have very different connotations. The hashtag #youarenotaloneart, seems to be a ‘thing’ and checking it out on Instagram highlights some beautifully written murals from across the world. This one is a corker from Emily Joy Rich and I particularly like the two-tone grey shading on the word ‘Alone’, which gives it loads of perspective and lifts the word out from the wall. Highly accomplished work and another triumph for Upfest 75×75.

3838. Upfest 2021 75×75 (27)

When the murals for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days event are coming thick and fast, it is easy perhaps to not pay attention properly or to become a little blazé because of the wealth of riches. A piece like this on any high-street would be greeted with amazement, but here in Bedminster (the centre of Upfest activities) it blends in, becoming part of the furniture. It is my job to single out such pieces and study them and share them. This large mural is by Sophie Rae above Flip, a vegan delicatessen and shop on North Street.

Sophie Rae, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21,
Sophie Rae, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21,

Sophie Rae is a Mural artist and print maker based in Bristol who likes to work with natural plant themes interwoven with contemporary shapes, colours and designs to bring a very 2020s look to her murals. The job she has done on this very large wall is quite exceptional and really captures the vibrant Bedminster scene. I will definitely be hunting down some of her other murals.

3835. Upfest 2021 75×75 (26)

Sometimes words are not enough.

I am very tempted to end the post at this point and just leave you to enjoy the pictures, but that would be a bit lazy on my part and short-changing you of my talents as a street art rapporteur (LOL). This piece is by genius artist Liam Bononi.

Liam Bononi, North Street Standard, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Liam Bononi, North Street Standard, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

I haven’t encountered Liam Bononi before, but he is firmly on my radar now and I will be keeping an eye out for his extraordinary work. He has a fabulous website, and in his ‘About’ section there is a link to a short biographic video, which is well worth a quick watch if you have time. Liam is a Brizilian, now living in Liverpool, who started painting walls in 2007 and has decorated walls all over the world. Now is the turn for Bristol.

Liam Bononi, North Street Standard, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Liam Bononi, North Street Standard, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

In his biography, the following sentence stands out as best describing what lies behind his paintings:

His pieces represent the quest for the divine essence that inhabits each one of us and his art is a narrative about the human beings’ transformation through self-knowledge and search of the self true (sic).

Heady stuff, but then this is a heady piece and one of the most compelling I have ever seen at Upfest. Liam Bononi has just set the bar at a new level. My advice… seek out his work whenever you can.

3832. Upfest 2021 75×75 (25)

I feel another ear worm coming on. What is it with these street artists and music anyway…? Inkie has returned to his native Bristol to paint for Upfest, as he does every year and this time he was handed a nice new wall to play with.

Inkie, Argus Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Inkie, Argus Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

I have a feeling that Kylie sand this line followed with ‘na na naa, na na na na na, na na naa’ if my memory serves me well. I suspect that Inkie’s reference might be a different one. The piece itself is rather special, with the words written out in the big hair of the female character, and a lot of mystery in the air. No features on the woman’s face and a question mark medallion around her neck. I’m not sure hat the reference ’84 21′ is, although that might be the dates that Inkie started painting and today.

Inkie, Argus Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Inkie, Argus Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

Although the basic design ideas are there from Inkie, I feel like the piece is a bit of a departure from his normal style, particularly the block letters. Excellent stuff.

3830. Upfest 2021 75×75 (24)

There is no doubt about it – what we have lost in quantity by the change in format of Upfest 2021, we have certainly gained in quality. The 75 walls in 75 days initiative has been a massive success and each new wall brings with it extraordinary talent. This outstanding wall is by Pikto and really sets a high bar for this year’s productions.

Pikto, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Pikto, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

It is the composition and colours that initially draw the eye, but there is something about the catapult boy’s expression that tells a story here of mischief and satisfaction. Photorealistic pieces like this one have improved so much in recent years that we have become rather blazé, and it is not until you stop and study them that you see the quality and the detail.

Pikto, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Pikto, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

This particular wall has played host to some masterpieces recently and this one carries on that fine tradition. I took these pictures on a sunny day, and I rather like the way that the shadow cast by a tree to the left is commensurate with the shadow cast by the boy’s cheek on his face. Awesome is an over used word, but I will use it here. This piece from Pikto is awesome.

Pikto, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Pikto, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

3826. Upfest 2021 75×75 (22)

Ain’t no stoppin us now is a fabulous piece by Upfest favourite Oli T And if ever there was an ear worm in the making, this is it – McFadden and Whitehead have a lot to answer for. Oli T uses his big bright and precise lettering style to create these memorable images and somehow seems to capture the mood of Upfest events so well.

Oli T, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Oli T, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

This was another piece that was vandalised before I had a chance to photograph it, and to say I was miffed was a bit of an understatement. However, it had been repaired the day after it was tagged and I had had nothing to worry about. Somehow Upfest wouldn’t feel like Upfest without one of these pieces appearing somewhere.