A fifties throwback
in dowdy clothes and singing;
we share friendly smiles.
by Scooj
834. Raleigh Road, Tobacco Factory (9)
I love the stencil work of Stephen Quick, and I love Star Wars, so this was a nice treat for me to find. The piece is attached next to the front gate of the car park to the Tobacco Factory and looks out onto the street with a quiet modesty.
I guess it is a tribute piece to the amazing Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia. Stephen Quick is becoming a bit of a specialist at tributes to the stars…which is a little unfortunate, but they are also a wonderful way of recognising how important these people are in our lives.
A New Hope is simply shortened to HOPE – there is a story here somewhere. Simple, moving and some great drips. Nice work from Stephen.
833. M32 Spot (4)
A couple of weekends ago, there was a small gathering of Bristol street/graff artists underneath the M32 in the dry weather DIY skateboarding area known as the M32 Spot. The Peoples Republic of Stokes Croft (PRSC) had used their reach, to encourage some artists to adorn the concrete pillars under the motorway. There will be several posts on this particular gathering.
First off is this fabulous piece by Jee See, whom I was fortunate enough to meet, at last, as he was just finishing off this piece (not the bloke in the picture). Square pillar works are a devil to photograph, due to the different light intensities on each of the sides and the background lighting ranging from very dark to very bright.
I guess the pillars must be rather challenging for the artists too. Jee See told me that Japanese the writing on the side of the pillar says Gothic Chav, although I might have got that wrong.
All in all this is a nicely thought out piece in which Jee See expresses his thoughts . I enjoy his work very much, and perhaps a little more now having seen him at work. An guy with some cool things to say/spray.
School footie
Break times spent contained
in ‘the pen’. You lot are Spurs
we’ll be The Arsenal.
by Scooj
832. Dean Lane skate park (57)
Another lunchtime walk, and another chance meeting with one of Bristol’s graffiti artists. It’s the sunny weather you know, it brings them out onto the streets. When I took these pictures, I wasn’t sure who the artist was, and he was being rather evasive about revealing his name to me. I didn’t pursue the matter.
We had a good conversation about the rules of spraying and about taggers and the merits of legal and non-legal walls. All interesting stuff really. Sadly I didn’t get a finished version of the piece, but it wasn’t too different from this picture (UPDATE – I went back a couple of days ago and got a shot of the final work). Turns out the artist (who posted his work on Instagram) is Rusk who is one of the RAW (Read and Weep) crew. I have featured a piece by Rusk once before, and have others yet to publish. A really nice guy and central figure in Bristol’s graffiti art scene.
Ant day
.
Gulls in thermals swoop
and stall, feasting on new queens;
tiny protein treats.
.
by Scooj
Heatwave
Sitting in the cool
lobby inside the front door;
the only escape.
by Scooj
831. M32 roundabout J3 (40)
It has been a little while since I have seen a Sled One piece, but this one has been worth waiting for. A crocodile, or is it an alligator? with SLED written into the main part of the body.
There is a lot to like about this piece; the colours, the backdrop design, the writing and of course the reptile with its stylish purple glasses. This was my second attempt at photographing the work. The first time was on a very bright day, and there was a shadow cast across half of the wall…sometimes overcast days can be a blessing.
830. M32 Roundabout j3 (39)
I was lucky enough to meet Ments at the Graffiti Nation exhibition opening evening at the Upfest shop in April. As with all other graffiti artists, he looked nothing like the image I had conjured up in my mind. It is interesting what assumptions we are capable of making before actually meeting a person.
Ments came to Bristol but is originally from East Anglia, and if street art is your thing, it is probably an obvious move to make. This piece is of such a high quality and showcases the organic feel he gives to his work.
This wildstyle writing is complex, but look carefully and you might be able to make out the letters MENTS. His work is so distinctive and seems to improve from piece to piece.
Peacock
Intimidating
deception masks a higher
imperative to
survive juvenility
into metamorphosis.
by Scooj
- Below – the peacock butterfly that inspired my first haiku. This Tanka is about the peacock butterfly caterpillar.
Natural adventures 