We fly back to Bristol today, after a wonderful week away in Madeira. I will be in the air when today’s posts publish, so I wrote them both last night. You don’t need to know any of that, but it is late, I am tired and I don’t much want to go home.
Mr Klue, Purdown, Bristol, August 2025
I suppose, at least, that I will be able to go for walks with the dog again and seek out new street/graffiti art. Such as this classic piece up at Purdown, by Mr Klue. The ghostly character resembles the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland, and has an ethereal fantasy appearance. A Bristol icon from Mr Klue.
I am writing this from a tired Travelodge in Warrington, having watched Arsenal lose to PSG in the second leg of the Champions League Semi Final in an equally tired and slightly empty Irish Pub. I have had a long day, and still have this blog post to write. At least I am writing about this fabulous Mad Hatter piece in the tunnel by Mr Klue.
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2025
I think Mr Klue painted this as a bit of an extra, after he has finished another piece that I watched him complete. He is on a roll this year and has been churning out some great pieces. I particularly like these little characters that he paints and I have seen several of them over the years. This character is a little more solid than his ephemeral abstract writing and manages to convey a certain amount of mystery and intrigue.
I am always reminded when I see this character, of a wonderful double LP that me and my sister had as children, which was a musical version of Alice in Wonderland, and thanks to the Interweb, here is a picture of it. Try and find an online version to listen to, you won’t regret it.
Alice in Wonderland album cover. A brilliant musical version with a star-studded cast.
Every year, it seems that Mr Klue takes some time out from painting walls, which is a pity, but it makes his return all the sweeter when it does happen. Mr Klue has been busy lately creating his outstanding pieces at the ‘farm end’ of St Werburghs tunnel, which seems to be his safe, ‘go-to’ spot.
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2022
This piece returns to a running theme in Mr Klue’s art, which is a portrayal of the Mad Hatter from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland – a rich source of inspiration for many street artists. The exaggerated top hat with the 10/6 ticket is matched up with a shirt and tie along with a smoking cigarette. There is something slightly unsettling, but also endearing about this piece. It is always good to see Mr Klue’s work, and I hope this will be a sustained effort from the fabulous abstract artist.
There are all sorts of conventions in the world of graffiti and street art, and broadly speaking most artists remain within the boundaries, albeit on a vast spectrum. There are some artists who seem to linger on the fringes of convention, either through their content or style, and I would class Taboo as one of those.
Taboo, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022
Although Taboo’s writing and character combinations are reasonably conventional, his lettering style and incorporation of characters is not, and this is what sets him apart from other artists. In this piece ‘reality is not enough’ his unusual letters, spelling out ‘Taboo’ in chrome, serve as a backdrop to a C. S. Lewis character from Alice in Wonderland, the caterpillar puffing on a hookah. This is wonderful hallucinogenic stuff, and I am rather sure that the author would probably approve.
I mentioned recently that the turnover on certain walls in Bristol is accelerating and that there is a bit of a squeeze on available wall space largely due to gentrification. As a result, wonderful pieces like this one, part of a larger collaboration, by 3Dom and Feek just don’t last as long as they deserve to. I was lucky to have photographed this when I did, because it got over painted within a few days.
3Dom and Feek, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021
The split face, part monster part smiley, bearing a devilish halo is by 3Dom and is a seriously classy piece. The artwork is fantastic and the incredible details expertly painted. I particularly like the sparkling tooth.
Feek, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021
On the monster’s outstretched hand is a Humpty Dumpty character with an axe and wearing a Mad Hatter’s tea party hat and with what I presume is an Alice character eating cake. Could the whole thing be a Lewis Carroll-inspired crazy surreal Alice and Jabberwocky scene? No matter what it is, the artwork and skill displayed by both artists is a real treat to behold.
The first of this year’s Cheltenham Paint Festival pieces is from the tireless John D’oh with this clever Alice in Wonderland reference. As is often the case with John D’oh’s work, this piece is having a bit of a swipe at McDonalds and other corporate fast food outlets and the impact they have on obesity and poor health.
John D’oh, Paint Festival 2020, Cheltenham, September 2020
In this scene, a rather plump Alice is being tempted to ‘drink me, eat me, buy one get one free, go large for 30p, free soft drink with every large meal’. Seeing it like this in a Dinseyfication drills home the message rather well. Many more from John D’oh to come from the paint festival.
Natural adventures 