And then time stood still
as if it were yesterday;
your rage held in check.
by Scooj
841. Upfest 2016 (134)
Let’s hear it for the local RAW (Read and Weep) artists…Ryder and T Rex. I think one of my favourite things about Upfest is that it combines high-end street art with local graffiti art, and bridges all the divides that may be out there in the world of street/graffiti art – at the very least for a few days.
Ryder and T Rex often paint together, and their collaborations can be seen plastered all over Bristol. They have a particular penchant for spraying vans and caravans. I fear they are rather too under represented on this blog, something I will have to rectify.
For now though , take time to appreciate the magnificent ‘fairground influenced’ writing of Ryder and the cheeky, possibly clumsy, dinosaur from T Rex. A popular combo from the Bristol
840. Upfest 2016 (133)
At Upfest 2016 there was one site where there were about thirty or so of these smaller (metre square) boards. I rather like seeing some of this smaller street art, which tends to have a bit of a crossover with fine art, perhaps exemplified by this portrait by Lauren Maria Hill.
This young Bristol artist appears to focus on portrait work and seeks out commissions and freelance work on her website. Her images, including this one seem to concentrate on the face itself with great detail, leaving the surrounding hair as a complementary feature, but somehow separate from the face. I like her work, and hope to see more of it around Bristol.
839. Upfest 2016 (132)
An interesting abstractish sort of piece in one of the prime window slots on North Street, currently occupied by a Copyright and Paul Monsters collaboration. This piece is by Age Age, an artist I am struggling to find out much about.
His piece here is next to the Upfest work of Caro Pepe, which is interesting, because in my trawl of the Interweb, I have found several collaborations between these two artists. A quick look on his Facebook page confirms this.
Age Age, Hannes Höhlig, is an illustrator and graphic designer from Berlin who, it would appear, likes to get out and spray the streets from time to time. His work is a little surreal and attractive – there are stories going on here. This was a nice festival piece which sadly was defaced not too long after the festival, along with several other pieces in the area. My understanding is that some of the Bedminster locals spray the pieces they don’t like or don’t respect. Oh dear.
Egg case
Its purpose fulfilled
a precious gift from the sea
with tales of mermaids
by Scooj
838. Upfest 2016 (131)
This is a stunning piece by Naskool that was situated on hoardings just off North Street, next to the Green. Naskool is an Austrian artist who started spraying in 2004 and now specialises in photorealistic street art.
Naskool, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Naskool, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
I managed to take pictures while he was still creating this piece, and it is interesting to see how he built the layers. It seems different artists adopt different techniques.
Naskool, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Naskool, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
This is one of the great works of the 2016 festival in my view – the expression and character that oozes from this piece is quite captivating. Alas, it didn’t last very long, as these hoardings were fairly swiftly ‘corporatised’ by the construction firm who are developing the site.
837. M32 Spot (5)
Another column under the M32, and another brilliant piece which is impossible to do justice to with my limited photographic skills. This distinctive and crisp piece is by Zase and Dekor with an imaginative and creative underwater scene.
I love the artistic style of this duo and the combination of the wildstyle 3D ZASE lettering combined with a fantastical scene.
The interesting thing about painting a column is that the story that unfolds is caught up in a loop, never-ending. There is no beginning and no end, simply a scene. This must present a bit of a challenge to the artists who choose to spray all four sides.
There is a wit and charm about this particular work – the diver is holding a roller and seems unaware of the looming shark. Perhaps he will beat it off using his artistic weapon of choice. I am a fan of this project, but columns really are a nightmare.
Radula
An algal carpet
etched by the teeth of a snail;
patterns in the stone.
by Scooj
836. Dean Lane skate park
This is a wonderful small piece – stylised and anarchic by Lumagro at the far side of one of the Dean Lane walls. I love his line drawings and the humour he brings to this piece. The colours too are fantastic.
This is only the second piece I have seen by this magnificent artist, and it was sprayed on the same occasion as his first. These are so different and really add something to the Bristol scene. More please Lumagro.
835. Dean Lane skate park (58)
This is an unusual and surreal piece by an unusual artist. I don’t really know too much about him, but I know he has been spraying down at Dean Lane for a considerable number of years.
This piece is peculiar in many ways, but there is a big story going on somewhere here. Built around a tank there are mountains, aliens, buildings and a robot character…make something of that.
There is also a tribute to CK One, who passed away in December 2011, but is still remembered fondly in the Bristol graffiti art fraternity.
Natural adventures 