2843. St Werburghs tunnel (161)

I don’t get to see too much work from Object… these days, but I seem to have a fair amount in my archives and this wonderful piece in St Werburghs tunnel was painted back in October 2018.

Object..., St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018
Object…, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018

Object… specialises in these political commentary pieces in which contorted figures agonise and tentacles are often involved. I have a feeling that this might have been a collaboration with another artist contributing the colourful flower on the left hand side – it looks altogether too upbeat to be Object…’s work. I like his work a lot, Nd it feels good to release this one from the archive.

Those were the days

 

Needle in the groove

transports me to a time when

I was immortal

 

by Scooj

 

2842. Dean Lane skate park (299)

Going back to October 2018 and this wonderful spikey and menacing rabbit from Hire. I have included this one from the archive for two reasons. Firstly I am a big fan of Hire’s work and secondly to show hoe consistent his work is, having posted a more recent piece from a couple of weeks back.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2018

Apart from a few early pieces in The Bearpit, I don’t think I have seen any Hire pieces too far away from Dean Lane – it would seem that the artist is happiest painting here. This particular rabbit looks especially menacing.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020

2841. Waterloo Street (1)

I cannot begin to explain why it has taken me so long to post this outstanding piece by Deamze, especially as I am a lifelong fan of Goscinny and Uderzo’s Asterix the Gaul books. I guess that part of the reason is that my words simply can’t do justice to the genius of this piece, and so I left it, always meaning to come back to it.

Deamze, Waterloo Street, Bristol, October 2018
Deamze, Waterloo Street, Bristol, October 2018

I rarely use the word genius, but I atcually think that Deamze is the absolute master of his craft and in this work, he has mashed up characters in the correct colour palette from Uderzo’s illustrations to draft out his name in his own style and it is all utterly commensurate with the ethos of the comic books. This is interpretive art at its very, very best.

Deamze, Waterloo Street, Bristol, October 2018
Deamze, Waterloo Street, Bristol, October 2018

Deamze leaving Bristol for Hobart is surely one of the greatest creative losses for the city, and I am full of jealousy when I see his work from the other side of the world on Instagram. Maybe sometime he’ll pay us all a visit and drop a few pieces while he’s at it. One of my all-time pieces of Bristol street art.

Highest high

.

Chilly wind, blue skies

witnessing the highest high

for a hundred years

.

by Scooj

2840. L Dub (15)

I took this picture on my first visit to L Dub (Lawrence Weston) in July last year, but there were so many pieces being painted in Bristol at that time, that this was one of many that got left behind. The silver lining of being in lock down is that I have time to free up photographs from my archives (only a fraction mind).

Dun Sum, L Dub, Bristol, July 2019
Dun Sum, L Dub, Bristol, July 2019

Dun Sum seems to ‘own’ L Dub, with barely a surface there that hasn’t been spray painted by him. His work is really unusual and distinct, with his characters all having an unreal air about them, a kind of fusion of fantasy and that which we recognise. Dun Sum creates a new world forr us to enjoy. It is just such a pity that so few people get to see his work due to the very low footfall at L Dub. Perhaps he could be tempted into central Bristol…

2839. Dean Lane skate park (297)

Taken back in June 2019, this might be the last Soge piece that I have seen. Soge, who often paints with Hire has gone very quiet indeed and I wonder if he is still in Bristol at all. I do hope the absence is temporary because this style of graffiti writing seems to be pretty much the domain of these two artists.

Soge, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019
Soge, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019

Soge (I think) is Polish and one of several artists fom Poland, including Hire, Laic217 and Skor and without whom the Bristol scene would be less diverse and interesting. This magnificent piece of gothic-style graffiti writing is a little bit more organic and softer than Hire’s spiky work (to the left) and is technically superb. Look carefully and yu will be able to make ut the letters SOGE.  A fabulous piece. I hope there will be more to come this year.

 

Allotment

.

Two years of neglect

starting all over again

clearing and digging

.

by Scooj

2838. Dean Lane skate park (296)

Each of my next few street/graffiti art posts is going to begin something like ‘another trip back in time’ and this one is no exception. I cannot think for the life of me why I never posted this gorgeous piece from Tasha Bee (Keep it Colourful), but what a pleasure to do so now, especially when she has put the brakes on her street art work lately.

Tasha Bee, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019
Tasha Bee, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019

This one is from June 2019 at Dean Lane, and is a real beauty so typical of her stylised faces work. I miss her soulful faces and hope that when all this Covid-19 thing is behind us she will pick up her spray cans and paint the town red.

2837. M32 roundabout J3 (202)

Looking back to June 2019 and this rather different offering from Mr Penfold. Those who frequently visit Natural Adventures may be more familiar with his highly designed pieces with ‘liquorice allsort’ colours, often commissions, that adorn many a Bristol shop front.

Mr Penfold, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Mr Penfold, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

I didn’t know Mr Penfold did these character paintings, and this particular one probably remained in the archive due to being unsure who the artist was. How daft am I?… it couldn’t be much clearer, with the writing ‘PENNY’ slapped across the piece. It demonstrates that the human condition is to see what we expect to see and anything that falls outside our assumptions is at risk of being discarded. A more forensic approach might be needed. Love this unusual piece.