With this piece, I got to see that Kid30 is not a one-trick pony. The only pieces I have seen by him before, and that is only a few, have been mash-up pieces of cartoon characters stitched together. This x-ray tortoise piece is something quite different.
Kid30, Nottingham, November 2023
I would guess that this piece is probably a commission, although maybe he simply felt like doing something a little different. I am not sure whether the tortoise skeleton is anatomically correct, but it looks pretty credible to me. Kid30 has used this grayscale piece to show off his talent, which is pretty visible throughout Nottingham.
I find myself writing (last night) about this wonderful piece by Boaster in Nottingham from a hotel room in Sheffield having spent the day in Manchester. I seem to be ‘on tour’ quite a lot these days, although this trip isn’t with work, but with my daughter who is checking out some university options.
Boaster, Nottingham, November 2023
I have come across Boaster twice before at Upfest, and remember really liking his surreal work. This piece is a belter, spelling out BOASTER with individual mini-pieces for each letter. The B and the O are both outstanding in their own right, let alone the rest of the letters. It is such a pleasure and a privilege to be able to visit other towns and cities in England and to enjoy their culture, architecture and of course street art. The best bit is that I hadn’t studied the street art scene in Nottingham, and that each piece I found was a super unexpected bonus. Bravo Booster!
Boaster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Boaster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I will never be able to keep up with Klashwhensober’s prolific presence around Bristol. Not only does he paint whenever he gets the opportunity, he also paints at all the regular spots and some of the out-of-the-way places too. I’m not sure I have seen him occupy this particular wall in Dean Lane before and it didn’t last for very long, so I am pleased I captured it when I did.
Klashwhensober, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Without a doubt, this is one of Klashwhensober’s better pieces and he has smashed it on a premium wall and it doesn’t look in the slightest bit out of place. The bright yellow and grey letters stand out beautifully on the contrasting orange/red background. Great fill patterns and drop patterns too and the finishing is pretty much on point too. A great piece from Klashwhensober.
Mr Klue, Horfield skate park, Bristol, November 2023
Having been so prolific earlier on in the year, Mr Klue is going through one of his lean periods, and it can be quite a struggle finding anything new by him. This has always been the way with Mr Klue who is a ‘peaks and troughs’ kind of artist.
Mr Klue, Horfield skate park, Bristol, November 2023
This piece adorns the end of a ramp wall at the skate park adjacent to Horfield Leisure Centre – a place I used to visit frequently when our daughter was learning to swim. Mr Klue has a great eye for his colour palettes and doesn’t disappoint with this KLUE piece. The letters feel a little squashed, and I think that the height of the wall has cramped his style quite literally. It is, however, always great to find anything from this unusual abstract graffiti writer.
Gatoloco (Kasoe), M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
What an absolute treat. Gatoloco, who is an occasional visitor to Bristol, has absolutely knocked it out of the park with this outstanding piece of writing. The letters spell KASO, he appears to have dropped the ‘E’, but maybe that was all he could fit into the space.
Gatoloco (Kasoe), M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
I think that Gatoloco might be my favourite writer outside the city of Bristol. He brings so many design elements into his work, without it looking busy or fussy. I love the stripes on the letter ‘A’, a theme he has adopted in other recent pieces (a quick squint at his Instagram account revealed). The piece can be roughly dated, by the shout-out to Gaza. Fine work from the visitor.
Mr Penfold’s work seems to be only occasional these days, so it is always a genuine pleasure when I find one. This is a recent piece, painted alongside friends Billy and Merny, making up part of the outdoor gallery on the side of Lost Horizons.
Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023
Mr Penfold’s highly designed abstract work translates really well from the studio to large outdoor ‘canvasses’, which cannot necessarily be said for many abstract artists. I would say at this point, though, that we probably don’t have our fair share of abstract street artists in Bristol, and it is a genre that could do with a bit of a boost. Slakarts is definitely moving in that direction, but generally abstract artists are few and far between. Mr Penfold has painted his distinctive large, colourful and solid shapes on a black background, making our eyes do the hard work, dancing from one shap or colour to another. A lovely piece from the artist.
Claro_que_sssnoh, Peel Street Green, Bristol, October 2023
It feels like quite a while since I last posted a piece by Claro_que_sssnoh, and even longer since I saw evidence of a paint jam by him and his Spanish compatriots in the Sunday Lovers crew/collective.
Claro_que_sssnoh, Peel Street Green, Bristol, October 2023
I like the wall at Peel Street Green, because its layout lends itself to a gallery appearance, with each section of wall occupied by a single piece. Also there is very little tagging that happens here, rather there is a rolling replacement of each piece with a new piece. Claro_que_sssnoh has written his usual HONS letters in his unique style and added in plenty of decorations to his light off-white fill. The numbers 23 tell you it was painted in 2023 and the letters SL refer to Sunday Lovers. It is always good to fine pieces by Claro_que_sssnoh.
Although Halloween was quite some time ago, I still have several ‘horror’ pieces in the pipeline, including this beauty by Biers. I met the artist about a week after he painted this one, and he said that he didn’t like it very much. I quite often find that artists can be their own most ferocious critics. From my perspective, I think this is a great piece, very much in the Halloween spirit of things.
Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2023
The writing spells out WD40, which is difficult to pick out unless you know, and follows Biers’ usual format of writing his letters and incorporating a character in the ‘0’. The character in this instance is Chucky from the Child’s Play franchise – films I have never actually seen myself – horror is my least favourite genre of films… they scare me. Wonderful work from Biers. Boo!
Having emerged from the tunnels beneath Perugia, we (and by that I mean me and my son, this was a dad and lad day out) were treated to a bustling city, which happened to be hosting a Jazz Festival, filled with music and visitors. Certainly there was a lively buzz over and above the white noise of regular tourists (like us).
These doors are presented pretty much in chronological order, mapping our route through the streets and squares. This was a slightly cooler day, the only one during our week-long trip, and a perfect one for exploring. Let’s cut to the chase… here are some doors:
Door with wooden frame, window and bell, Perugia, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Six panelled door, Perugia, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Door and balcony above, Perugia, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Beautiful arched doorway and carved wooden doors, Perugia, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Ancient stonework surrounds a modern door, Perugia, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Grand entrance, Perugia, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Palazzo dei Priori with several doors and entrances, Perugia, Umbria, Italy, July 2023
Our trip to Italy feels like it was several years ago, so it is great to refresh my memories, digging out these doors for this post. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Another selection from Perugia next week… probably.
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.
Natural adventures 