Category: 7.5. Upfest 2022

4483. Upfest 2022 (9)

One of the most pleasurable parts of the new format for Upfest, was the opportunity to meet artists in the weeks before the festival weekend while they were completing their allocated walls, and none more so than Ant Carver who I also met last year. The technique and painting methods he uses means that he paints over several days, and I think I caught up with him on three separate occasions while he painted this extraordinary portrait piece.

Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

The first stage to his work is creating a matrix on the wall which he photographs and then superimposes his draft onto on his mobile phone. The lines act as a grid which he uses to map out a sketch on the wall, and he can create his outlines with pin-point accuracy. I believe that the piece is one he had painted on canvass for an exhibition.

Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Ant Carver, I think, uses spray cans for some of the work, but much of it is painted with brushes. The fine detail in the piece is achieved with the brushes, something that would be difficult to achieve using spray paint alone.

Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

I have a feeling that This piece, and indeed last year’s 75 x 75 piece are about aspects of mental health. I am not too certain that Ant Carver completed the piece, because the candle doesn’t look finished to me. I’ll need to check up on that.

Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

All in all another very pleasing and special piece from Ant Carver, on a new wall for Upfest, which is in a really great spot for maximum exposure. Great work from this modest and really likeable artist.

4482. Upfest 2022 (8)

It is difficult to know where to begin with this outstanding street scene by Dan Kitchener, whose work just seems to get better and better. Painted on one of the larger Upfest walls, the typical street scene features tons of smaller screens displaying Japanese advertising and anime figures cheek by jowl.

Dan Kitchener, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Dan Kitchener, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

The wall is not easy to photograph, so I have broken the piece down into sections or chunks to give a taste of the intricacy of each section. At the base of the piece, a wet street scene with a car and pedestrians holding umbrellas, is reminiscent (as I have said many times before) of the dystopian scenes from Blade Runner, a theme present in so much of Dan Kitchener’s work.

Dan Kitchener, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Dan Kitchener, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Above the street level, a bank of advertising screens and hoardings illuminate the dark street. It would be interesting to have a translations of all the writing, to understand better what is happening here.

Dan Kitchener, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Dan Kitchener, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

It is amazing to see this all as one piece by one artist, because it comes across as if each section is by a different artist, if you see what I mean. I don’t know how long it took Dan Kitchener to paint the piece, but I know he works fast, and I imagine this represents 2-3 days of painting. An utterly outstanding piece that transports you halfway across the world, if even for a short while.

Dan Kitchener, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Dan Kitchener, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

4481. Upfest 2022 (7)

What a striking piece, one that really grabs the eye, and then when you look deeper, there is so much detail around the portraits with the superb calligraphy built into every aspect of the piece. I don’t know too much about the artist, Davide, and this is the first time he has featured on Natural Adventures. I believe he is from Italy, and his Facebook page is well worth a look.

Davide, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Davide, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

I am not sure if the calligraphy is made up or if it actually means anything, but it is certainly an original and unique style. It really is quite incredible that Upfest manage to draw artists from around the world, and I wonder if the people of Bristol really appreciate how lucky we are.

4480. Upfest 2022 (6)

These gates opposite the Hen and Chicken have played host to so many outstanding pieces for Upfest, and this time it is the turn of GretL, for at least the second time at the festival.

GretL, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
GretL, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

It seems that hummingbirds are a very popular theme with street artists, and there is definitely something about creating a moment in time in their frenetic and rapid wing beat. These stylised birds are truly beautiful and set against a sumptuous arrangement of leaves. A gorgeous piece.

Gretl, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Gretl, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

4463. Upfest 2022 (5)

This fabulous piece on one of my favourite Upfest walls is a great way to round off the first five pieces from Upfest 2022. As you can imagine, there will be hundreds of pieces to post by the time the festival ends, so please bear with me as I try to write about them in batches, alongside all the other wonderful street art that we are blessed to see in Bristol. This is by an artist I haven’t heard of before, Derm, and features what looks like a Vaughn Bode Lizard, an Iconic character in the world of street art.

Derm, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Derm, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

The lizard in this piece is riding what looks like a half-track motor cycle, complete with flat tyres. A classic cartoon-style piece of urban culture street art that really stands out on this wall. One of the great pleasures of Upfest is being exposed to the talents of new artists from around the country, Europe and the world. A great piece of work.

4462. Upfest 2022 (4)

I was hoping that there would be some Ukraine pieces at this year’s Upfest, and Karl Read has delivered handsomely with this fabulous stencil piece featuring Volodymir Zelensky. The concept is simple and powerful, as the president of Ukraine reveals his true identity as Superman. I am reminded, each time I see President Zelensky of the Shakespearean quote from Twelfth Night that “Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them”. The middle one of these might apply in this instance.

Karl Read, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Karl Read, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Karl Read, an Upfest veteran, has cleverly worked on the colour scheme for the piece, with Zelensky painted in black and white and his Superman outfit blasting out in Ukraine’s blue and yellow colours. An additional nice touch is the little lapel badge worn by the president. This is a great contemporary commentary piece, deserving of this high profile wall in Bedminster.

4461. Upfest 2022 (3)

This year, Upfest is in two parts. The first part, which has been running for about three weeks now, has been to paint as many of the feature semi-permanent walls as possible before the festival weekend (May 28-29). The second part will be the remaining 350 or so artists painting on boards ‘live’ at various venues. This piece from My Dog Sighs falls into the former category.

My Dog Sighs, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
My Dog Sighs, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

There are positives and negatives to this new approach (change is never easy). On the upside, there will be plenty of completed new works for visitors to enjoy, without the eyesore of scaffolding on the other hand, that wonderful interaction with some of the greatest artists on the circuit is lost. It can feel a little bit like ‘rent an artist’, without the opportunity to watch them at work. On balance I can see that it makes sense, and as a resident of Bristol I have been able to meet a lot of artists over the last week or two.

My Dog Sighs, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
My Dog Sighs, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Unfortunately I missed My Dog Sighs this time, which is a pity. I think he was in and out very quickly. Such are the demands on some of the bigger names during festival season. This piece is one of his pigeon pieces, similar to the one he painted for the Cheltenham festival last year. The characters and colours are magnificent, and his work so totally on point. It might have been nice to see another one of his eyes for this festival, but I might just be being picky.

My Dog Sighs, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
My Dog Sighs, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Pigeons are something of a favourite theme for street artists, and I guess that perhaps there is something unconscious going on, in that these artists being on the streets probably see a great many of these urban birds. A fine addition to the Upfest 22 collection.

4460. Upfest 2022 (2)

It is easy to forget what a special time Upfest is in the Bristol calendar, especially for south Bristolians in the Bedminster area, where the festival is centred. The lucky residents of this area are blessed with some of the very best street artists and muralists visiting to decorate their walls and bring a sense of pride to the community.

Sian Storey, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Sian Storey, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

This gorgeous hummingbird piece is by Sian Storey and a fitting follow-up to her beautiful piece from last year’s 70×70 wall. The highly colourful and dynamic mural features two hummingbirds in flight surrounded by flowers and petals with a gold patterned motif in the centre.

Sian Storey, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Sian Storey, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

There is a great amount of detail in this busy piece, creating a sense of movement and frenetic activity. This is a very special wall that has hosted several significant artists in previous festivals, and Sian Storey has done it proud. The piece is slightly off the beaten track, on Westbourne Grove (which happens to be a Google Maps black hole).

4459. Upfest 2022 (1)

Upfest 2022 has begun, and the format has changed a little this year. The ‘permanent’ walls have been buffed and prepped for painting in the three weeks preceding the festival weekend, so that when people arrive for the festival, there will be a stunning array of new work completed for them to enjoy. It is possible that some H&S measures might have helped with that decision too. What it means is that for people like me, there has been ample time to capture works in progress and chat with artists from all over the UK, Europe and the world.

Willl Cross, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Willl Cross, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

This artist, however, didn’t need to travel far at all, as he lives in the same road as his artwork. Willl Cross (yes, three ‘L’s) is a fine artist (oil paintings) from Bristol whose work is truly stunning, and you can see some of it on his Instagram feed, which I strongly recommend you take a look at. This was his first effort at ‘street art’ and judging from the outcome, I sincerely hope it isn’t his last.

Willl Cross, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Willl Cross, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

I believe the woman in the portrait is wearing Bulgarian traditional costume, and Will Cross worked hard to recreate the intricate patterns in the blouse and apron. The whole composition is full of atmosphere and depth, and brings a little bit of Eastern Europe directly into the heart of Bedminster.

Willl Cross, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Willl Cross, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

There is so much to love about this painting. It is the work of a very talented young man who deserves recognition, and with this prominent spot is likely to get it during the Festival weekend. What a great way to introduce this year’s Upfest festival, which ill be taking place on 28 and 29 May (this coming weekend).