If anyone can tell me what is going on here, then I doff my cap to you. Some fabulous anti-style graffiti writing from Taboo with a pink flamingo holding a Halfords bag in its bill, and the words “I’m Champa(i)gn, you… Lambrini”.
Taboo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2023
The colours here are striking without being gaudy, and I have to say I love that red colour, and I think it works very nicely on the light blue background. The whole thing feels slightly anarchic or eccentric – it would be nice if there was a word that meant both of those things – ‘anarcentric’ perhaps. More great stuff from Taboo.
Sliding doors at the front entrance, Bristol Zoo, Bristol, October 2018
Little did I know when I took these pictures in October 2018 that Bristol Zoological Gardens would close its doors for the last time on 3 September 2022. After 186 years as the world’s fifth-oldest zoo, the collection is being moved to a larger site on the northern edge of the city to its younger sibling, ‘The Wild Place’. For most Bristolians and indeed for many people living in the hinterland of the zoo, this was a very sad day indeed. Although some of the buildings in the site were old, Bristol zoo was progressive and was a leader in conservation and breeding programmes for endangered species from around the globe.
Whatever your feelings about zoos, they play a role in education and research that result in a greater good for the biodiversity of our planet. Taking myself as an example, it is certain that I was inspired by my countless visits as a child to the Zoological Society of London (London Zoo) to become a marine biologist, and spend the rest of my life working in the environmental/nature sector (doing good things, I hope).
So here are a few of the doors from the old Bristol Zoo. My only regret is that I didn’t take more photographs of this wonderful space. When the children were little, we had a family zoo membership, and it was our ‘go to’ destination, and the children’s favourite day out in the city.
Door within a door, Bristol Zoo maintenance gate, Bristol, October 2018Ghost door, Bristol Zoo, Bristol, October 2018In the butterfly house, Bristol Zoo, Bristol, October 2018Reptile house doors, Bristol Zoo, Bristol, October 2018Original aquarium entrance door, Bristol Zoo, Bristol, October 2018Photograph of the original aquarium entrance door and keepers, Bristol Zoo, Bristol, October 2018
It makes me rather sad, reflecting on these pictures, but I guess we have to preserve our very many happy memories of the zoo, and keep our fingers crossed that the developers of the site retain some of the heritage and integrity of this stunning green space.
Well that’s it until next week, I wish you a very happy weekend.
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.
Klashwhensober, New Stadium Road, Bristol, March 2023
I met Klashwhensober shortly after he had ‘repaired’ this piece, which speaks volumes about how much the artist cares about his work. I know how important graffiti writing is to Klahwhnsober, nourishing him and providing a strong focus in his life.
Klashwhensober, New Stadium Road, Bristol, March 2023
This outstanding piece in the dark, sooty underpass shows Klashwhensober at his artistic best. Beautifully crafted letters with a stripy 3D drop shadow are filled with beautiful complementary colours and some ‘meteors’, leaving a trail in the lilac section. Another day and another fine creation from a lovely artist.
Hypo has had a new lease of life recently – perhaps his work/domestic circumstances have changed, but he is out and about painting more than I have seen since 2015, so much so, that I felt compelled to compile a gallery of his work last week.
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
As well as an increase in the quantity of his work, I feel like there is a commensurate improvement in the quality of it too. This is a lovely piece that pops out of the wall thanks to some clever shadow work and use of white highlights. There are several colour transitions in his fills, at least seven, and the finishing with dots works nicely too. In most of Hypo’s work there is a bilateral symmetry and that really comes to play in this piece. Fabulous work from this established Bristol artist.
Mudra and Peggy, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2023
Counterintuitively, sunny days are a bit of a nightmare for street art photographers. The nature of urban art is that much of it is surrounded by tall buildings, street and park trees, telegraph poles, lampposts and road signs, all of which cast dramatic shadows when the sun shines. I try not to post too many pictures with shadows, but sometimes it is inevitable, and my impatience to share a piece trumps my desire to return to the spot to re-photograph it when conditions are more favourable. That happened with this wonderful collaboration between Mudra and Peggy.
Mudra and Peggy, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2023
This is what I would term a true collaboration, where the whole piece is a mash-up of elements from both artists, and it becomes difficult to be certain who painted which bits. The highly designed piece has adopted the paint jam ‘house colour palette’ used by their fellow artists who painted other boards on the same day. The flower and eye elements are almost certainly by Peggy, and if you look closely you can see Mudra’s name split into two parts. This is a fine creative piece and very much in keeping with the Elton Street gallery.
Because Stiff paints only rarely, it is always a pleasant surprise to come across one of his pieces. Stiff is one of two Bristol artists who regularly (almost exclusively) feature alien scenes in their work, the other being Nugmoose. Their styles, however, are quite different, and they are easy to distinguish from one another.
Stiff, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2023
Stiff always paints on a black buffed wall, which instantly marks out the piece as one of his, and also provides a clean canvass on which to work. In this scene, a man is looking at a doppelgänger of himself, which turns out not to be all that it seems. His look of horror is comical, as tentacles reach out to catch him. A lovely story piece by Stiff.
Here Comes the Sun. Well that’s the ear worm sorted out for today at least, and it is fitting the Bnie has, deliberately or otherwise, gone for a script font and psychedelic background that is similar to that used by the Beatles in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Bnie, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2023
The most recent set of pieces in the Elton Street gallery, curated by Bnie, are on show now, and what a fine collection it is. Because the framed boards are set high, they tend not to get tagged, and the pieces remain in mint condition for all to see. This is a really classy piece by Bnie, beautifully designed with great proportions, and perfectly finished, crisp and clean throughout. More to come from this recent paint jam.
Natural adventures 