Tag: Abstract

5838. Brunel Way (254)

j9449j, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
j9449j, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

This is a great occasion. I have been trying to find out who this artist is for absolutely ages (I know I am not alone) and at last their name ‘j9449j’ appeared as a tag on an Instagram post a week or two back, and we are no longer in the dark. What this also means is that I can release a whole bunch of their work from my archives which has been itching to be posted.

j9449j, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
j9449j, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

j9449j has a very distinctive collage style with plenty of shapes, symbols and plants, bound together with clever use of colour ‘patches’. The work is original and quite unlike anything else we routinely see in Bristol. How nice it would be to actually meet j9449j and find out more about their art, style influences and so on. This is the first of many posts (retrospective and future) I hope.

5833. Peel Street Green (27)

Mr Klue, Peel Street Green, Bristol, February 2024
Mr Klue, Peel Street Green, Bristol, February 2024

Mr Klue has definitely woken from his winter slumbers and is doing what he does so well, and decorating the walls of Bristol with his unique abstract ethereal letters. I am not too sure though that I have ever seen a piece of his on this wall before, and it is nice to see him break away from the security of his favourite spot in the tunnel.

Mr Klue, Peel Street Green, Bristol, February 2024
Mr Klue, Peel Street Green, Bristol, February 2024

I suspect that Mr Klue has a large stock of blue, green and white tints, as his last three pieces have all had very similar colour schemes. The letters spell, as usual, KLUE, but are so very well disguised. I am guessing, and hoping, that this early year flurry of pieces extends well into 2024.

5816. St Werburghs tunnel (405)

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2024
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2024

I am very short of time today, with lots to do, having spent the whole of yesterday in London at a wonderful wedding of a cousin of mine. Still feeling a little worse for wear, and tired, as we were on the last train out of London, and then had to endure music and a party in our next door neighbour’s flat which continued until 4am. A little bit of Mr Klue magic is the perfect antidote to this.

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2024
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2024

Mr Klue has been a little quiet over the winter, but seems to be cranking things up a little. This piece is in one of his favoured spots, and is probably one of his clearest renditions of the letters KLUE in his ephemeral abstract style. A perfect piece for a Sunday morning.

5733. Sheffield

Rob Lee, Sheffield, November 2023
Rob Lee, Sheffield, November 2023

Happy New Year. If all goes well, then I will have been exercising my ‘inner nerd’ this morning, fossil hunting in Bracklesham Bay. What this means is that I wrote this post, in the early hours of last night/this morning, after seeing in the New Year quietly with my wife, mother and the dog.

Rob Lee, Sheffield, November 2023
Rob Lee, Sheffield, November 2023

Back in November, I visited Sheffield with my daughter, who was looking at potential University courses. I was very taken with Sheffield, it is a lovely city with a great atmosphere and lovely people. Of course I managed to find a couple of pieces of street art. This rather large and wonderful mural is by Rob Lee. The bold abstract design is a strong statement piece that dominates the buildings that back onto a square. Fine work indeed.

5691. M32 Cycle path (239)

Slakarts, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, November 2023
Slakarts, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, November 2023

There is a special reason for really admiring this piece by Slakarts, and that is the skill with which he has painted this roughly textured and flaky hoarding without appearing to compromise his final outcome in the slightest. The piece jumps out from the wall and oozes quality.

Slakarts, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, November 2023
Slakarts, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, November 2023

Slakarts, as I have mentioned recently, has seriously taken his foot off the gas with his street pieces, so it is always a real treat to find one. The piece tends towards the abstract, merging a couple of his iconic stylised faces into one. The yellow and green colour combination works particularly well on this rather dreary wall. Great stuff from Slakarts.

5676. M32 roundabout J3 (531)

Slakarts, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
Slakarts, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023

A year or two ago, Slakarts was one of the more prolific artists in Bristol. I have a feeling that he is busy with work these days, which is, of course,  good thing, but it means we get to see fewer pieces on the streets. These days, every piece is a very welcome surprise, like this one on the M32 roundabout.

Slakarts, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
Slakarts, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023

Slakarts has developed his style considerably, developing his trademark faces into something altogether more sophisticated. This sophisticated abstract piece incorporates his face design into a busy mash up of facial features, letters and symbols to create a bright and exciting experience. I would love to see more of his work, but have to be grateful for small mercies.

5654. Elton Street (26)

Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023
Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023

Mr Penfold’s work seems to be only occasional these days, so it is always a genuine pleasure when I find one. This is a recent piece, painted alongside friends Billy and Merny, making up part of the outdoor gallery on the side of Lost Horizons.

Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023
Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023

Mr Penfold’s highly designed abstract work translates really well from the studio to large outdoor ‘canvasses’, which cannot necessarily be said for many abstract artists. I would say at this point, though, that we probably don’t have our fair share of abstract street artists in Bristol, and it is a genre that could do with a bit of a boost. Slakarts is definitely moving in that direction, but generally abstract artists are few and far between. Mr Penfold has painted his distinctive large, colourful and solid shapes on a black background, making our eyes do the hard work, dancing from one shap or colour to another. A lovely piece from the artist.

5504. White Street (1)

Fink, White Street, Bristol, September 2023
Fink, White Street, Bristol, September 2023

I have been looking for this spot for a long time, my pride getting in the way of asking, but was assisted by Paul H when I asked him where the second Fink piece was. He told me it was just around the corner from Peel Street Green, and the rest as they say is history (sorry about the cliché). If only I had extended my walks by about 200 meters, I would have found the spot before.

Fink, White Street, Bristol, September 2023
Fink, White Street, Bristol, September 2023

Fink visited Bristol while he was over from Dubai painting at the Cheltenham Paint Festival, and left us with two superb portrait pieces in his stunning single continuous line style. This face is painted in beautiful blues, purples and pink, the colour combination of 2023, which work so well together. The central large face is accompanied by several smaller ones in the background fills. This is belter of a modern piece and would look good in any contemporary art gallery. What a treat his visit turned out to be.

5356. Cumberland Basin

Scooj, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
Scooj, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023

Although this is his debut piece, Scooj needs no introduction on Natural Adventures. He finally got the courage to paint his first wall during a Bristol Mural Collective paint jam a few weeks ago on a warm and very windy afternoon.

Scooj, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
Scooj, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023

To be brutally honest his work probably doesn’t match up to his ambition, but the abstract piece is certainly a little different from most of the work seen in the city. There might be a very good reason for that. Some bright colours distract a little from the overall untidy finishing, but for a first effort the piece is passable.

Scooj, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
Scooj, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023

Scooj is not an artist, and so it will be vital to practice his spray skills and hand control, and come up with designs he can execute. This piece is a little muddled, and the ‘holes’ cut through the yellow might be perceived as moons. My advice to Scooj would be don’t give up just yet, keep practising and hit a few more walls. Hats off to the Bristol Mural Collective for creating a gateway for new artists to have a go at painting in a fun and safe environment.

5256. Upfest 2022 (66)

Anthroe, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022
Anthroe, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022

Such has been the productivity on the streets over the last year combined with my attempts to post as much as I can, I have completely neglected my Upfest 22 posts, which really isn’t very impressive. I will try to squeeze in as many as I can whenever I can, because there was so much quality art to see from what was a very successful couple of days at the end of May 2022.

Anthroe, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022
Anthroe, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022

I had to have several goes at photographing this magnificent piece by Anthroe, but it is the damn cars that make it so challenging. The piece itself is a fabulously colourful portrait of a woman holding a bouquet of flowers, with what looks like a petrol pump (surely not) in her left hand. The whole piece is set on an abstract patterned background. This is one of my favourite pieces of the festival by an artist I don’t know at all, but I believe that he lives and paints in Los Angeles, so it is great to see this piece here in Bristol.

Anthroe, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022
Anthroe, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022