Tag: 45rpm

2929. St Mark’s Avenue (7)

I bring you the second piece from a little cluster of pictures I took in September last year from a visit to the exceptional St Mark’s Lane in Easton. This magnificent collaboration is from RichT and 45RPM.

RichT and 45RPM, St Mark's Avenue, Bristol, September 2019
RichT and 45RPM, St Mark’s Avenue, Bristol, September 2019

The large wall is not unlike their tour de force which adorned the nightclub in Frogmore Street a while back, in terms of its style. This is a true collaboration where it is difficult to unpick who painted which elements of the work.

RichT and 45RPM, St Mark's Avenue, Bristol, September 2019
RichT and 45RPM, St Mark’s Avenue, Bristol, September 2019

There is a magnificent story going on in this marine scene, both above and below the surface of the water, depicted in two different colour schemes. The underwater part is frenetic with a dangerous combination of large scary fish and high explosives. WTF?.

RichT and 45RPM, St Mark's Avenue, Bristol, September 2019
RichT and 45RPM, St Mark’s Avenue, Bristol, September 2019

This is an extraordinary collaboration and probably doesn’t get seen as much as it deserves to. The narrowness of the lane makes it really tricky to photograph and I have tried my best with these pictures. This is so utterly worth the trip to Easton simply to soak in the detail of the scene. A stunner.

Richt and 45RPM, Frogmore Street, Bristol, November 2015
Richt and 45RPM, Frogmore Street, Bristol, November 2015

2925. Dean Lane skate park (309)

This wonderful triptych collaboration from Piro, 45RPM and Epok appeared last september on the garage wall at Dean Lane. Don’t ask me why I never posted it… inexplicable. This collaboration follows the format of sharing a wall and colour scheme with three associated pieces.

Piro, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
Piro, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019

On the left is a fabulous piece of graffiti writing from Piro, an artist whose work is almost entirely absent from Natural Adventures, which is a pity, because he has an incredible style and technique. His work is always incredibly tight.

45RPM, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
45RPM, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019

The centrepiece character is by 45RPM depicting a devilish glass of beer or perhaps ginger beer or something more alcoholic altogether. This is a nice feature that joins the two pieces of graffiti writing really well, a segue beer if you like.

Epok, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
Epok, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019

The piece on the right is from Epok and is absolutely stunning in my book. The letters spell out EPOK and the design and colour elements of the writing are so very easy on the eye. I haven’t seen much from Epok lately, so finding this one in my ‘coronavirus’ archive was a real treat.

2561. M32 Cycle path (36)

It has been a very very long time since I last posted anything by 45 RPM. There was a time, when I first started doing all this malarkey, that 45 RPM seemed to be out on the streets painting an awful lot. I actually have quite a few of his pieces in my archive screaming out to be published. In time I guess.

RPM 45, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2019
RPM 45, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2019.

I actually happened to be on the cycle path when 45 RPM was starting this piece. Most unlike me, I didn’t introduce myself because at the time I didn’t know who he was. This is a nice Halloween piece or perhaps more Day of the Dead which he did in collaboration with RichT. More to come from this session.

641. Moon Street (20)

This is a quick one from 45RPM on the long wall in Moon Street, opposite the Lakota. 45RPM has a broad range of pieces that he likes to spray, one of which is his graffiti burners. This is typical of many that can be found dotted around the city.

45RPM, Moon Street, Bristol, February 2017
45RPM, Moon Street, Bristol, February 2017

The colours are vibrant and eye-catching, and sets this piece out alongside other not-quite-so-good pieces.

566. Upfest 2016 (77)

This rather nice large, clean piece by 45RPM, one of Bristol’s finest street artists, captures the theme of the festival ‘Mr Men’ (and little Miss) with a new addition of Mr Paint? I’m not sure what he is called, but it is a witty piece painted in the spirit of the event.

45 RPM, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
45 RPM, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

The wall though is a complete bugger to photograph. It would seem that the parking bay in front of it is reserved 24/7 for white van man (although in this case a Range Rover)! I can’t count how many times I have been to north street to photograph this piece, and there it is…some bloody van. So I will calm down, and you will just have to put up with van pollution in my pictures. To help me retain my poise, I offer two other pieces by 45RPM – an owl, and an anteater…ahhhh that’s better.

311. Brunswick Square hoardings (3)

The piece I posted by 45RPM recently of the anteater seemed to be very popular, so I am posting another of his works, this time from the magnificent Brunswick Square hoardings. This piece features the RPM lettering and a rather angry looking bulldog squeezing his way into the picture.

45RPM, Brunswick Square, Bristol, March 2016
45RPM, Brunswick Square, Bristol, March 2016

I have to say that I think 45RPM’s work is quite an acquired taste, or maybe that is just me, but every new piece of his that I see, the more I seem to enjoy them, and now, going back through my files, I am finding more of them and liking them better on this ‘second viewing’ than on the first. There is more to come on and from this fine street artist.

45RPM, Brunswick Square, Bristol, March 2016
45RPM, Brunswick Square, Bristol, March 2016

300. Armada Place (4)

This is a lovely light-hearted piece by 45RPM in Armada Place, just west of Stokes Croft. There is much to admire and observe in all of his works, which usually have a story unfolding around a wildstyle lettering of RPM.

45RPM, Armada Place, Bristol, May 2016
45RPM, Armada Place, Bristol, May 2016

In this particular piece, which I guess is called ‘tongue tied’, an anteater’s tongue morphs into a ball of wool which is then threaded into the RPM rather like a child’s toy. Some great imagery. I have only recently begun to appreciate properly some of his work, so expect a whole bunch more of it coming this way soon.

You might notice some lads in hoods at the edge of the picture. One is holding a spray can which he was using to spray BUZZ on and over pieces in the area. It happens.

194. Gloucester Road, Metropolis

This stylised owl seems to have occupied this little corner for ever – I can’t remember it not being here, but having said that my skills of ‘street art awareness’ have only been in full operation for about a year now, so it might not be all that old.

45RPM, Gloucester Road, Bristol, February 2016
45RPM, Gloucester Road, Bristol, February 2016

It is a work by 45RPM, the very same who created the corporate commission for the Body Shop in Hotwell Road. This owl is special, and you will note, completely unmarked by taggers. A lovely work that could do with a bit of a wash.

45RPM, Gloucester Road, Bristol, February 2016
45RPM, Gloucester Road, Bristol, February 2016

179. Hotwell Road, Esso Garage (2)

An emergency fuel situation led me to fill the car up at this garage in Hotwell Road recently. I might have annoyed queuing customers a little, because I hadn’t seen the mural before and snapped a couple of quick photographs. I was a little saddened that it had replaced one of my favourite Andy Council pieces that I posted about in August 2015.

45 RPM, Hotwell Road, Bristol, August 2015
45 RPM, Hotwell Road, Bristol, August 2015

This environmental piece is by 45 RPM, a Bristol artist, and was commissioned by the Body Shop as part of their ‘Enrich not Exploit‘ campaign. Three other street artists were also commissioned to create works in Brighton, Birmingham and Manchester.

I am always a little suspicious of business campaign commissions like this one, but I think the Body Shop is one company that has strong ethical and sustainable values that I can live with. This is not greenwash, it is more like influencing.

It is an unusual piece, but I am really beginning to like it.

78. Frogmore Street (4)

This busy mural is in great company, with a Banksy and JPS only meters away.

Richt and 45RPM, Frogmore Street, Bristol, November 2015
Richt and 45RPM, Frogmore Street, Bristol, November 2015

It is by 45rpm and Richt. Although 45rpm has a lot of work around Bristol, and a website, it is difficult to dig up very much about him although he does have a post about his work with Richt on pattern collage murals.

Richt and 45RPM, Frogmore Street, Bristol, November 2015
Richt and 45RPM, Frogmore Street, Bristol, November 2015

Richt is also a Bristol-based artist and illustrator whose works are also scattered around Bristol and the Westcountry. The pair appear to collaborate a fair bit.

7/10