I just don’t seem to see enough of Soge’s work, but it is great to know that he is still in Bristol and taking a can to a wall once in a while. This recent piece was painted alongside Hire and other artists I am not so familiar with in a session in the tunnel
Soge, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2022
The scratchy writing spelling out SOGE is typical of his writing, and the pink and yellow-bordered purple letters appear to be sitting on a cosmic nebula-type setting. A fine piece of writing from a great writer who needs to get out more (IMO).
I don’t think that there has ever been a time when I have not been excited to find a piece by Kid Crayon. His work has been at the heart of my love for street art, and he is probably the street artist I have followed most closely over the last six years or so.
Kid Crayon, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2022
This piece is quite unlike anything we might expect from Kid Crayon, but there is a reason for that, He painted it as a part of the Secret Writer name exchange idea, where writers wrote the name of another artist (supposedly anonymously – although Kid Crayon signed this one). He was honouring the artist Rasexone1 and in turn Kid Crayon’s name was written by Magnesone. What a stupendous idea and one that binds the street art community, but a bit confusing for people like me who are trying to untangle and make sense of the whole scene.
In addition, this was the first Kid Crayon piece I had seen in a long time and I asked him, at the Upfest festival, why he has hardly been painting lately. His answer was great news… he has been working flat out with some big commissions, and that for an artist is something to cherish. More posts of his even more recent work coming soon.
As our Government edges towards fascism, the canary in the mine has died, but have we noticed it yet? Well I have, and many others too. Changing times ahead.
It is not only the quantity of graffiti and street art that is being painted in Bristol at the moment, but the outstanding quality of some of it that is quite mind-boggling, and you know that when Smak, Sled One and Ments get together that you are going to be in for a treat.
Smak, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
On the left of this triptych Smak has absolutely smashed out his letters with extraordinary class and style in what I can only describe as a very Smacky way, which I hope makes sense. Although quite well disguised, once you get your eye in you can clearly see the letters SMAK. Great colours and a confident piece.
Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
A surreal and utterly bonkers elephant character by Sled One is in the middle section of this collaborative wall. Alongside 3Dom, Sled One is the leading character artist in Bristol and his weird creations are always something to look forward to. It is his details and textures, tones and depth that makes his work completely stand out from the crowd.
Ments, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
To the right is a fabulously etherial piece from Ments, who seems to reinvent his style on an annual basis while always maintaining an organic and rather abstract nature with his letters. This piece feels almost more like a canvas study than a piece of graffiti writing. Superb skills all round, this is a wonderful collaborative wall.
Over the last few years, I have taken a particular liking to Claro_que_sssnoh’s work, more so perhaps than his hugely talented Spanish compatriots, which I ought to remedy if I can. I think that the reason I like his work is that it is pretty unique and stands out in a way that some other artists can be a little generic.
Claro_que_sssnoh, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, May 2022
This piece in Sparke Evans Park carries many of the characteristics that one would expect to see in Claro_que_sssnoh’s work. Long thin lettering that is interconnected or joined-up, with a deep 3D shadow in a contrasting colour, orange-red to the letter’s green. There is a bit of a bonus skeleton character in this piece, which isn’t often seen in his work, and I wonder if it is by him or one of his HMR paint jam friends. This is another fine piece from Claro_que-SSSnoh, and I think that it is high time that I posted a gallery of his work… watch this space.
When artists come to Bristol for Upfest, they occasionally leave behind some ‘extras’, and this is exactly what My Dog Sighs did in a couple of spots around Bristol with these wheatpastes. In Bristol, wheatpastes have never been all that popular, which is a pity, so to see these superb paste ups from such a significant artist is a real joy.
My Dog Sighs, Leonard Lane, Bristol, May 2022
The first paste up features MDS’ Everyman character painted on a newspaper background, with the profound statement ‘our secrets sleep in winter coats’. Although this looks like an original artwork, it is in fact a print, which in no way devalues it(except in monetary terms), as many wheatpastes are prints that are replicated in multiple venues.
My Dog Sighs, Leonard Lane, Bristol, May 2022
The other two prints feature rather more subtle characters, more akin to the artwork he has been developing from his crushed can pieces. At one time MDS might have been in danger of becoming a one trick pony, however he has spread his wings and diversified so much in recent years which is great to see.
My Dog Sighs, Leonard Lane, Bristol, May 2022
I think these three were in Leonard Lane, but I can’t be one hundred percent sure as I took photographs of his wheatpastes in several different places. The final piece has one of his pigeon-people that MDS has been painting for two or three years. Fabulous stuff. You will always find me partial to a bit of paste up work.
We are living in a country whose government has brought it to its knees. This conservative government has destroyed so much that I and others hold dear. I honestly don’t think I share any of their values at all, and every day I feel disgusted by their announcements and ashamed to be British. On the upside, I know that I am not alone, as this piece by Georgie suggests. We must be careful not to lay all the Blame on Mr Johnson. The mess began with David Cameron who gave in to the right-wingers, and we now have a far right cabinet doing their incompetent worst. Unspeakable really.
Georgie, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
This piece is a direct reference to ‘partygate’, which is symbolic of the contempt Mr Johnson and his government have for the people they serve. The piece features The nasty man holding up a glass in a toast to Lee Cain, at a leaving party that wasn’t a party in lockdown. Georgie has captured the moment well. The balloons are real balloons attached to the piece creating a fabulous effect. Hear, hear Georgie.
Nol is another artist who is no stranger to Upfest and appears to really enjoy himself with his lighthearted and rather geeky monsters. This year Nol introduced an element of gamification to his work. His main piece was an identification parade of four monsters, each of which could be found dotted around Bedminster, and could be ‘collected’.
Nol, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
I managed to find three of the four monsters, and I have a feeling that the fourth had been painted over before I ever managed to photograph it, which I guess is the story of street art all over… you snooze, you lose.
Alongside all the newcomers to Bristol’s Upfest festival, there is a cohort of ‘regulars’ who turn up and wow us with their talent, year after year. One of these regulars is RTC (Rich Turner) who has been present at several festivals and presented us with this magnificent British bulldog stencil piece this year.
RTC, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
RTC manages to produce these massively detailed and multi-layered stencil pieces that are photorealistic in their appearance. The backgrounds too are beautifully constructed with hexagons bubbles and stars all adding to the structure of the piece. What is most amazing is that it is all contained with; one of the small 1m squared board.
Natural adventures 