6176. M32 roundabout J3 (595)

Grimes, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2024
Grimes, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2024

At the end of each month I tend to dig out a few pieces that have managed to get trapped in my vast archive, which is organised into monthly files, and this is a piece by Grimes that I photographed back in March, but never quite got round to posting.

Grimes, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2024
Grimes, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2024

I think it is fair to say that Grimes has now fully bedded down as a Bristol graffiti writer, and his lively style is appearing reasonably frequently in most of the main graffiti spots in town. This yellow piece is full of energy, which is created by the shapes of his letters, highlights, and in this instance a dynamic background of cartoon pink flames. Two or three starbursts also create a sense of movement and dazzle. It won’t be too long before I have enough Grimes pieces to create a gallery.

6175. M32 Cycle path (272)

Laic217, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2024
Laic217, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2024

This year, we haven’t really had to wait too long before being treated to a Laic217 piece on a reasonably regular basis, and this is one of his most recent works on the M32 cycle path. What Laic217 has presented us with here is a rather trippy, and slightly menacing (those black fingernails like talons) piece that plays into his penchant for face distortion.

Laic217, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2024
Laic217, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2024

Although the piece is nicely executed, I personally find it a little unsettling, which I am sure is the point. Laic217 will push the boundaries in a way that his art can. His solid, tight, block letters contrast really well with the unconventional character portrait. Not my favourite piece by Laic217, but a great example of the way he challenges us to see things.

6174. M32 roundabout J3 (594)

Face 1st and Zake, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024
Face 1st and Zake, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024

Although it didn’t last a very long time, this is a nice collaboration from PWA’s Face 1st and Zake. I think that I would be the first to say that it is an unusual collaboration, but in the same breath a really interesting one too.

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024

Face 1st has been experimenting a lot lately, especially with his 3D block writing, and this piece demonstrated perfectly the kind of writing he is producing at the moment. The writing appears to be cut in to a long block of machinery or a device, indicated by the numerous red filament bulbs along the length. The letters spell out FACE, of course, and although a little rough at the edges, the concept is a great one. I love the light bulbs.

Zake, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024
Zake, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024

Zake has painted one of his cartoon character faces, full of depth and relief. I don’t feel that the two pieces work terribly well together, but they don’t need to, because each stands alone perfectly well. I do enjoy the constant creativity and unrelenting effort from the PWA crew – and ever-present heart-beat of the Bristol scene.

Thursday doors – 11 July 2024, Assisi, Umbria, Italy

Doors 270 – Assisi doors, Umbria, Italy, July 2023 (Part II)

This week I bring you a few more doors from a trip to Umbria last July – can it really be a year ago? This is the second selection from the beautiful and world renowned town of Assisi, home of the patron saint of animals, merchants and ecology, St Francis. Once again there is no theme to this selection of doors apart from the fact that they are all Assisi doors.

Can you guess which is my favourite?

Here we go:

A pair of doors with quite different designs, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
A pair of doors with quite different designs, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Nicely proportioned doors, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Nicely proportioned doors, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Wooden doors, stone steps, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Wooden doors, stone steps, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
fine wooden doors and stunning stone surround, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
fine wooden doors and stunning stone surround, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Ghost door, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Ghost door, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Possibly the best gelateria entrance anywhere, ever, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Possibly the best gelateria entrance anywhere, ever, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Slimline door, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Slimline door, Assisi, Umbria, Italy, July 2023

Naturally, the gelateria was my favourite, and although not strictly a door, the surround must have been a doorway at some point in time.

One more set of doors from Assisi next time, until then have a great weekend, and who knows…England could be European champions by then, or forlorn bridesmaids.

If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.

by Scooj

Thursday Doors 2024 logo

Crunch time for Engerland

.

Semi-final clash

potential to fluke a win

likely bore us all

.

by Scooj

6173. Sparke Evans Park (100)

Raid, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2024
Raid, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2024

What a fine way to mark a century of posts from Sparke Evans Park, with this immaculate piece of graffiti writing from Raid. Since his arrival in Bristol, about 18 months ago, Raid has consistently turned out great pieces, with an emphasis on the intricate and colourful letter fills, and he has produced another cracker here.

Raid, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2024
Raid, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2024

In addition to the writing, which is set on a purple, diamond-shaped background and some flames, Raid has included a ‘Screw’ character from Vaughn Bode’s imagined universe. I am wondering if the character is an artefact of a piece that was there before (I should know this), and Raid has incorporated it into his work. The edges and sharpness are not consistent with his tight style. Another fine piece from Raid – I’ll have to update his gallery, as they just keep rolling in.

6172. M32 roundabout J3 (593)

Mind 49 and SPZero76, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024
Mind 49 and SPZero76, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024

A couple of weeks back, there was a superb paint jam on the M32 roundabout. I am not sure if it was to celebrate something specific, or simply a whole bunch of artists enjoying a sunny day (what are those?), but whatever it was all about, it resulted in some cracking pieces, including this meeting of styles collaboration between Mind 49 and SPZero76.

Mind 49, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024
Mind 49, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024

Mind 49 has been smashing it with each new piece he produces. His portrait work, often from unusual angles and with faces partially obscured is painted in a soft photorealistic style, if that makes sense. The character in this particular piece is looking away, but immediately catching the eye is the addition of a large swallow flying by, utterly unexpected, and quite brilliant. This is a wonderfully conceived piece which segues nicely to something completely different via a multicoloured strip.

SPZero76, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024
SPZero76, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024

The two pieces have nothing in common at all, and SPZero76’s animated comic style is not something I would expect to see adjacent to Mind 49 soft-portrait style. The multicoloured strip is the only thing that unites them. The piece entitled ‘after the robot apocalypse’ features a dog? character and a feline robot toting large weapons, in some dystopian future setting. A wonderful and lively animation piece from a truly gifted artist.

6171. River Avon (63)

j9449j, River Avon, Bristol, June 2024
j9449j, River Avon, Bristol, June 2024

My rather loose description of this spot, which I call River Avon, is actually a cycle/foot path that runs alongside the river from Sparke Evans Park to Temple Meads Station, where light industrial units back on to the pathway for most of its length. This piece by j9449j (or dr3amc0re94) is at the Eastern end of the pathway, and quite easily overlooked… I only spotted it on my return leg of my walk.

j9449j, River Avon, Bristol, June 2024
j9449j, River Avon, Bristol, June 2024

The joy of j9449j’s work is in its organic simplicity. I suppose you could class it as kind of anti-style graffiti writing, but it is perhaps a little bit more designed than that. As ever, I struggle to read the letters in this piece, so shall have to remain content with the fills and suggested vegetation. j9449j is an artist I am keen to meet – I have so many questions!

That’s my girl

.

In Cambodia

daughter spent a day fishing

feasting on her prize

.

by Scooj

6170. Dean Lane skate park (729)

Zaenone, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024
Zaenone, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024

I think that one of the under-rated walls and indeed partially unseen by many is the swimming pool wall at Dean Lane skate park, that lies behind a fence and a hedge for much of its length. If you can be bothered, and historically I am guilty of not bothering, you can access the space between the wall and the hedge/wrought iron railings and see quite a few pieces, and the turnover here is reasonably high. At the right-hand end of the wall, the hedge stops and there is a stretch which can be seen and photographed easily from the ‘wrong’ side of the fence. This piece by Zaneone is in that visible stretch.

Zaenone, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024
Zaenone, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024

Even without his customary book-end characters, Zaenone’s pieces have a certain symmetry to them. The letters spell ZAEN1, with a reversed E. He has chosen some nice red, orange and yellow colours, and there is depth provided by the 3D drop shadow, and the blue shading around the outside frames the graffiti writing nicely.