Castle Park is not particularly known for its graffiti, there are not many walls and there is little or no culture of it, it was surprising therefore to find this little bit of ‘decorated’ wall and who should be there?… Nevergiveup and one of his rabbits.
Nevergiveup, Castle Park, Bristol, August 2019
The nature of his #followmyrabbits concept means that he is definitely the most ubiquitous artist in Bristol, more even than the most prolific taggers, who tend to stay within their districts. This is a particularly nice bunny photographed on a particularly nice day and painted on an interestingly textured wall that gives it a soft spongy look.
A gallery of versatile street art and graffiti writing from Bristol’s Pirate Wall Artist – Soap.
All photographs taken by Scooj.
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2021Soap, Nightwayss and Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2021Soap, M32 cycle path Bristol, February 2021Soap, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2021Soap, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2021Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2021Soap, Frome side, Bristol, December 2020Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, December 2020Soap, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2020Face 1st and Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, September 2020Face 1st and Soap, William Street, Bristol, September 2020Soap, William Street, Bristol, September 2020Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020Soap, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2020Soap, Brook Road, Bristol, April 2020Soap, Lawrence Hill roundabout, Bristol, February 2020Soap and Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020Soap, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020Face 1st and Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020Soap and Bad Taste, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2019Soap, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, November 2019Soap and Face 1st, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2019Soap, St Mark’s Avenue, Bristol, September 2019Soap, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2019Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019Soap, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019Stupid Stupid Meathole and Soap, Sandbed Road, Bristol, May 2019Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2019Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2019Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2019Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2019Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2019Soap, Lawrence Hill roundabout, Bristol, February 2019Face 1st and Soap, Mina Road, Bristol, February 2019Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2019Soap and Tasha Bee, Stokes Croft, Bristol, January 2019Soap, Ashfield Place, Bristol, January 2018Tasha Bee, Soap and Supid Stupid Meathole, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2018Face 1st and Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018Soap, Star and Garter, Bristol, November 2018Soap, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2018Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018Tasha Bee and Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018Soap, Tasha Bee and Face F1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2018Soap, St Werberghs, Bristol, July 2018Soap and Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2018Soap, Norrisville Road, Bristol, May 2018Soap, Stokes Croft, Bristol, January 2018Face F1st and Soap, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017Face F1st and Soap, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017Face F1st and Soap, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2017Soap, PWA, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2016
Discovering St George skate park has been something of a revelation for me. I knew of its existence, but just never bothered to find it, that is until recently. I guess that there is a challenge for artists and ‘hunters’ alike as certain areas become gentrified such as the Carriageworks and others get closed down to artists altogether, like The Bearpit, new areas become more attractive and I think St George is one of those.
Fiva and Nightwayss, St George, Bristol, August 2019
This is a really jolly collaboration between Fiva (Fiver) and Nightwayss on one of the ramps in the skate park. Fiva gives us some straightforward block letters with a white fill and black dots, set on a black background with white dots. Yet another fine Fiva piece.
Nightwayss, St George, Bristol, August 2019
Tucked away to the right hand side of Fiva’s work is a brilliant little story of a naughty monkey playing with a box of matches by Nightwayss. This is an engaging piece that just seems to blend in with the concrete so well and almost has a 3D effect where it looks like the monkey might just decide to wander off at any minute.
Nightwayss, St George, Bristol, August 2019
Personally I think this is one of Nightwayss’ best pieces, not so much in the artwork, but more in the narrative. A pocket-sized piece that has enough detail and credibility to feel almost real. I love this a lot. I’m beginning to think that a Nightwayss gallery might be on the cards before too long. Watch this space.
It has been a long while since I last posted anything by Object…, but that might be because he has been very busy with retrieving boards from The Bearpit and running events at the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft gallery in Jamaica Street.
Object…, M32 Spot, Bristol, August 2019
Object…’s work often looks pained and tortured, but especially so in this instance The disfigured fingers have a grotesqueness to them and in a strange way, I find the piece a little upsetting. Of course I don’t know the context of the piece, but it feels terribly troubled. Object… is very good at this challenging kind of artwork.
I have suffered from mild tinnitus ever since I had flu five years ago and as soon as I become conscious of silence I also become conscious of the quiet hum in my head. I am used to it, but there are times when it becomes maddening.
On the upside, Natural Adventures was born during my period of sick leave.
I have a feeling that this might be another Monday Club collaboration, this time from Conrico and Rebecca Prince with what might be her debut street piece. (Actually if I had bothered looking properly I’d have noticed the words Monday Club – d’oh)
Conrico, New Stadium Road, Bristol, August 2019
Conrico has really impressed me since he appeared on the scene a few months ago. His work has such a strong narrative about it and his illustrative style is imaginative and creative. I believe that he painted this dragon on the M32 roundabout but it didn’t last very long, the turnover on this wall isn’t quite as high.
Rebecca Prince, New Stadium Road, Bristol, August 2019
Rebecca Prince is a Bristol artist whose Instagram feed would suggest that she has only very recently started painting walls. I think she has yet to find her touch, but I am very much looking forward to seeing her develop and translate her lovely drawings into great wall art. I love people giving it a go and having the courage to take to the walls.
Another piece form an artist unknown to me, and I am guessing that it might be something to do with Upfest Summer Editions because this is an Upfest spot, previously occupied by a Jody piece. It is a colourful and styalised piece by Amy Vik who I think is from Mexico, although my Google searches aren’t throwing up too much information about the artist.
Amy Vik, Lime Road, Bristol, July 2019
The art itself does have a central/south American feel about it and it is certainly very different from anything else I have seen in Bristol for a while. It is always good to see overseas artists visiting the city.
Another one from a month or two back from Decay which was painted for this year’s St Paul’s carnival. What is interesting about this piece is that it is a reversion to his older style of work with ‘Chuck’ in the centre of rays of concentric ovals eminating from the middle. I guess this design probably fit the space better than his more recent writing designs which are better on a ‘landscape’ wall.
Decay, Brighton Street, Bristol, July 2019
Of course the colour selection is entirely appropriate to the carnival and many other pieces by other artists carried the same base colours. I can’t think how many pieces Decay has painted this year, and I haven’t captured them all by any means. I think that together with Rezwonk he bears the crown of most productive Bristol artist 2019, unless things change for the remainder of the year.
This summer has been so very busy for street art in Bristol and I am really struggling to keep up with it all. For every piece that I write about in these posts there are at least another seven or eight that never make it out of my archives, and all of this without the hunderds of pieces I would normally be writing about from Upfest at this time of year. All this means that I have an inevitable backlog.
L7M and Paul Monsters, South Street, Bristol, July 2019
This not-so-recent collaboration is yet another extraordinary piece to have been organised by Upfest for their Summer Editions event. Who’d have thought of bringing together L7M and Paul Monsters? But here they are working together with their hugely contrasting styles.
L7M and Paul Monsters, South Street, Bristol, July 2019
The centrepiece by L7M is a delicately, wispily painted finch (I’m not sure which species) full of movement and colour, a skilful mixture of fine detail and blurry ‘smoke’. His work is truly exceptional and we have been lucky in Bristol to see quite a bit of it in this area thanks to Upfest.
The geometric surround is the work of Paul Monsters and is typical of his 3D blockwork, but notably different from anything I have seen from him before in that it is black, white and grey, when I normally associate his work with oranges, greens, browns, yellows and mauves. The whole thing makes for a clever juxtaposition which challenges the norm. Great collaboration.
Natural adventures 