It has come of age,
celebrity, and now we
mourn collectively.
by Scooj
541. Greville Road (4)
Have you ever had that strange thing when you hear a word for the first time, maybe on the radio, or at work or something, and then, having never been aware of it in your life before, you keep hearing it again and again. One of those words for me was ‘segue’. It is funny how awareness works. And so it is with Andrew Burns Colwill for me. I didn’t know who he was only a little while ago when I posted about his goldfish. Now, as I go through my archives, I keep finding pieces by him, that I didn’t know were by him, and the best bit about that is that I can now post them here. ABC is very much front of mind for me at the moment.
This piece entitled ‘Health and Safety’ encapsulates our nation’s obsession with H&S and our equal counterbalance of mocking it. “Hold the handrail” they say at work when going up or down the stairs. Infuriating, but somehow endearing. The problem I have with H&S is that it is enforced, not because people care, but because people want to be seen to be caring. Being seen to be doing things is the biggest sham. Just do it…then you will be seen.
I seem to be on a bit of a soapbox. three glasses of wine and this is what happens. Back to ABC…I really like his work. There is something very serene about it, but in this piece there is something troubling too. Perhaps he is so moved by the H&S thing that he needed to express his feelings through his amazing art. I just rant. More to come in a while.
“I’d just as soon kiss a Wookie”
Farewell Fisher queen,
boyhood would have been poorer
without you Leia.
by Scooj
540. Picton Lane (6)
This is another beautiful bird creation by Aspire in Picton Lane, a little alleyway tucked away in Montpelier. I think these are house sparrows, which were so common when I was a youngster, but are something of a rarity these days.
I am full of admiration for the way that Aspire can just turn up to a wall and within a few hours transform it into something of beauty. His talent is as rare as the birds he paints.
I am filled with horror to learn that he has recently moved to London. Our loss is most certainly London’s gain. I wish him all the very best…the streets are lined with gold don’t you know.
I am sure that he will come back occasionally to his native Bristol, lest we forget (an unlikely scenario). Bon voyage.
539. The Bearpit (30)
The Bearpit is a great place for graffiti/street artists to do quick pieces. A place where graffiti is tolerated, perhaps even encouraged, and with plenty of nooks and crannies to leave mark.
This is a piece by RIP that I photographed back in August 2016. I am not sure who the subject of the stencil is, so I must confess that it is slightly lost on me, but it is another fine piece from this urban guerilla whose regular visits to Bristol are always welcome.
I am informed by Duncan that it is Kurt Cobain – thank you.
538. Raleigh Road Vector (3)
This is another nice piece from wildstyle specialist Soker. It was in the Vector car park back in July, just before being overpainted during Upfest. The car park is a special place for Bristol street artists as it has five walls available in a gated space, so the works are rarely tagged. It also allows for gatherings and collaborations.
537. Dean Lane skate park (30)
This is a piece from back in July, and one that was probably overlooked by many. It is by the fabulous Angus and was sprayed at about the same time as his ‘Purple Rain’ tribute to Prince. It would seem that Angus was experimenting with 3D circles/spheres at the time, and I think they work rather well.
536. Upfest 2016 (75)
HAPPY CHRISTMAS ALL!
I haven’t seen much micro stencilling since I started writing about street art and graffiti art, so it was a real discovery to see this incredible stencil by Eins92. I’m sure it was no reflection on the artist, but there was no biography in the Upfest programme, so I have had to dig a little deeper to find out anything about him.
Eins92 is a German street artist who has recently spent some time in the UK going to various urban art festivals and leaving behind his little treasures. There is a really good interview with him in this Global Street Art feature. I can’t believe I didn’t photograph another of his stencils on the other side of the bus.
This work is so intricate, and the stencils he cuts are so incredibly tiny. This is really skilled work and he produced it perfectly.
535. Upfest 2016 (74)
A little while back I posted an amazing wall painting by Andrew Burns Colwill from Upfest 2015. It was the goldfish leaping out of a bowl piece in the Tobacco Factory car park. Well, Andrew was back again this year, and this time I managed to get some pictures of him at work.
Why the long face?
That Friday feeling
but now it’s time to cheer up
Christmas Eve beckons.
by Scooj
Natural adventures 