Falling through the cracks
victims of austerity;
my head hangs in shame.
by Scooj
- I sometimes struggle with the word victim, and the ‘victim culture’ that thrives during ‘shocks’ of all kinds. In this case I feel the word is valid.
Survivor
Forgotten gateway
to who knows where? neglected
and incongruous.
by Scooj
112. Millennium Parade
One of the unintended consequences of developing the Bristol harbourside has been the erection of hoardings in front of unrented retail spaces. Being Bristol, these would have been magnets for graffiti of all kinds. It would appear that the developers commissioned Cheo, a prolific local artist, to paint the hoardings to brighten up the area, and to prevent others from scrawling.
This four panel mural tells a story of a giant squid and pirates; a suitably nautical theme for Bristol.
People seem to take these murals for granted. Every time I go to Millennium Parade I watch, and I have never seen anyone stop to look at the art although I am sure they are conscious of it.
As always Cheo has plastered the panels with his trademark bees.
7/10
The curse of adulthood
When I was young I
saw only the wonder of
the world; no longer.
by Scooj
111. Leonard Lane (6)
This rather beautiful and unusual piece by The Krah, is hidden away in the dark reaches of Leonard Lane. The Krah is a London-based artist/street artist, who was raised in Greece where he was a prolific graffiti artist during the 1990s.
He has a fabulous website that shows off his work, and is really well presented…well worth checking out. This piece is typical of many of his works and has that designed feel to it that can also be seen in Inkie’s and Zesk’s work.
A lovely and refreshing work.
Relentless
Since dawn, the sad rain
leaves its depressing stain on
all that it touches.
by Scooj
110. Hotwell Road
I have walked past this wonderful Dali portrait many times, but it was only today that I noticed the signature close to the ground. It is by Ben Slow, who has a background in fine art.
Ben Slow, Hotwell Road, Bristol
Since painting this piece in 2009, he has gone on to do some large portraits mainly in London, but also in other cities around the country. I am very fond of this piece.
8/10
Love me
You tell me these things
as if I need reminding;
I like to love me.
by Scooj
Game
It’s not the losing
that hurts; it is the manner
in which it is lost.
by Scooj
109. Hurle road.
I pass this mural every week on the way to my daughter’s piano lesson. Every time I see it, I say to my daughter “I must get a picture of that”. She groans, and has become very bored with me repeating myself.
Today I took the pictures. This commissioned piece appears on the side of a shop on the Whiteladies Road. A commission is probably the only way street art is going to make it into this area. It is by Andy Council, and I have posted a couple of his works previously from the Hotwell Road and Nelson street. You will see he has a very distinctive style.
His works often incorporate Bristol landmarks and here he has included the Clifton Suspension Bridge. This is very safe street art, but brightens up the area nonetheless.
6/10
Natural adventures 