6626. Dean Lane skate park (792)

Mr Riks and Lokey, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2024
Mr Riks and Lokey, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2024

Although this wonderful collaboration from Mr Riks and Lokey doesn’t look particularly festive, I believe it to be a Christmas piece. It is certainly lovely to see these talented graffiti writers out painting together, although I think this paint jam was meant to be considerably better attended.

Mr Riks and Lokey, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2024
Mr Riks and Lokey, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2024

Mr Riks has such a distinctive style, and he has brought his letters to life with a distinctive blue-green and yellow combination, and for good measure added a little wasp with a spray can in hand. Lokey, meanwhile, remains one of the only anamorphic writers in Bristol, and this wonderful piece rounds off a productive year for the artist. A superb Christmas collaboration.

6485. Cumberland Basin

ESKA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024
ESKA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024

It would seem that itinerant artist ESKA is staying in Bristol a little longer than I had been expecting… perhaps he is enjoying the opportunity to paint walls in Bristol too seductive. This is the third piece I have posted since his arrival, and I note that there is a new piece on the Cheltenham Road at The Carriageworks which I have yet to photograph.

ESKA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024
ESKA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024

ESKA’s work is a whirlwind of letters, anamorphic shapes and symbolism which come together in perfect harmony aided by clever colour theming. This is a truly stunning piece. In future I think I will have to take a few close up shots of his work, because there is so much hidden detail in the piece, which really needs to be seen and studied. Sensational and unique stuff.

6409. Dean Lane skate park (761)

Lokey, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Lokey, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

This wall in Dean Lane has taken a lot of paint recently, and anything painted here hasn’t lasted more than a few days, and so it was for this wonderful piece of anamorphic graffiti writing by Lokey. The piece was part of the celebratory paint jam marking Andy Council’s birthday (note the AC50), and encouraged by Paul H, we visited the spot the day after the works were finished, which was just as well given that several of them didn’t last long.

Lokey, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Lokey, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

Recently, Lokey has been taking his daughter with him to paint (which, incidentally I think is brilliant), but on this occasion it was just him, so he was able to put maximum effort and concentration. I think that this is probably the best piece I have seen from Lokey for a while… so full of precision and a perfect teaser for the eyes. Those letters really pop. Wonderful stuff.

6356. Cumberland Basin

Lokey (Lokea) and Ember, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2024
Lokey (Lokea) and Ember, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2024

It is so good to see Lokey painting a little more often these days, and I wonder if the frequency of his painting is related in any way to his daughter joining him and ‘collaborating’ with him – pester power can be a very compelling force. This is one of several recent collaborations that Lokey has painted alongside Ember.

Lokey (Lokea) and Ember, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2024
Lokey (Lokea) and Ember, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2024

Lokey has taken to writing LOKEA, which I suppose is simply switching things up a little, which writers like to do from time to time. His distinctive anamorphic writing style lifts wonderfully well from the wall. His daughter, Ember, has painted a cat, her character of choice, and I have to say it is rather good. I don’t know how old she is, but I can see that there is great potential. It looks like naïve, childish art because that is exactly what it is. Fantastic!

6133. Upfest 2024 (30)

Uncle, Upfest 24, Luckwell Road, Bristol, May 2024
Uncle, Upfest 24, Luckwell Road, Bristol, May 2024

Wowzer! A word I rarely use, but this outstanding anamorphic piece by Uncle left me breathless, and even now, looking at the photographs, it plays tricks with your mind. This kind of anamorphic art has been around for centuries, and in its more formal settings is called trompe l’oeil, which in French means ‘deceiving the eye’, and which can be seen in cathedrals, churches, palaces and streets all over Europe (and beyond I expect). Street artists have been refining the style and are now creating some utterly mind-boggling work for all to enjoy.

Uncle, Upfest 24, Luckwell Road, Bristol, May 2024
Uncle, Upfest 24, Luckwell Road, Bristol, May 2024

One of the things about anamorphic art is that it often has to be viewed from a specific point to achieve the full effect, and the first photograph just about hits the spot. Uncle has managed to create a green box that appears to be sunk into the building, and the 3D lettering in red, white and blue is sitting within the ‘recess’. Much of the illusion is created with very clever use of light and shade and shadows cast.

Uncle, Upfest 24, Luckwell Road, Bristol, May 2024
Uncle, Upfest 24, Luckwell Road, Bristol, May 2024

I am so pleased that Upfest invited Uncle, who is from Hong Kong, to paint this piece this year, and I hope that it encourages more of this kind of awe-inspiring art in the city. You can find more of Uncle’s work on his Instagram feed, that has quite a few interesting images and reels of this piece. Outstanding work.

6085. Cumberland Basin

Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024

A bit of a quick one today, because I have an early start and a very long day running another workshop, so today’s posts were (are being) written last night after a long weekend away. This is a shame, because there is quite a lot to say about this unusual and very clever piece by Acer One.

Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024

There are two words in this circle, ‘CONRAD’ in gold and ‘BUKEM’ in black. These names relate to Acer One’s love of drum and bass and are tributes to MC Conrad and LTJ Bukem. At that point my knowledge about this piece drops off a cliff. How Acer One conceived and then executed this piece is what makes him so very special. This is the work of a very talented artist.

Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024

Not content with this triumph, Acer One also had a little play with some anamorphic art just around the corner, I mean, why not? Many attempt and fail with this king of trickery, but Acer One has managed to do a good job, and if only my photography was up to scratch you’d see how well he did. Acer One is an artist who is always pushing boundaries and developing his technical skills. Great work.

Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024

5877. St Werburghs tunnel (410)

Lokey, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024
Lokey, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024

A couple of weeks ago, Ryder organised a massive Read and Weep (RAW) paint jam in St Werburghs tunnel, drawing artists from Bristol and beyond, to congregate in the darkness and damp and produce some amazing art in a party atmosphere. One of the artists, who doesn’t paint nearly often enough, was Lokey.

Lokey, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024
Lokey, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024

Lokey has a special place in Bristol graffiti writing, because, other than Zase perhaps, he is the only artist who paints his letters in an anamorphic style. Anamorphic in this sense means that the letters appear to stand out from the wall, almost as if you are looking through 3D glasses. It is on the same spectrum of art as trompe l’oeil, designed to deceive and confuse the eye. Clever stuff, and always very welcome.

5628. Cumberland Basin

Lokey, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2023
Lokey, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2023

There are some artists who pause for a long time between pieces, and it reaches the stage where they become out of sight… out of mind. I had quite forgotten about Lokey and his outstanding anamorphic writing, so it was an extra special surprise to find this piece. The day was a good one with the thoroughly enjoyable company of Paul H who was able to get out for a few snaps.

Lokey, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2023
Lokey, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2023

Purple and orange always make great bedfellows in street art, and Lokey has woven the colours in the most incredible way to create the 3D depth that appears to lift the letters several inches off the wall. Such clever and skilled work. I would love to see more of Lokey’s work, but I suspect his pieces will continue to be a bit of a rarity.

Sirens

In memory of an artist who brought studio art onto the streets of Bristol. He will be greatly missed.

A complete series of Sirens blog posts on Natural Adventures can be read here.

All images by Scooj

Riverside, Sirens, Bristol, November 2019
Riverside, Sirens, Bristol, November 2019

Sirens, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020
Sirens, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020

Sirens, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020
Sirens, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020

Sirens, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
Sirens, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020

Door painted by Sirens, River Avon cycle path, Bristol, June 2019
Door painted by Sirens, River Avon cycle path, Bristol, June 2019

Sirens, The Bearpit, Bristol, September 2017
Sirens, The Bearpit, Bristol, September 2017

Sirens, The Bearpit, Bristol, July 2017
Sirens, The Bearpit, Bristol, July 2017

Sirens, North Street hoarding, Bristol, June 2017
Sirens, North Street hoarding, Bristol, June 2017

Sirens, Leonard Lane, Bristol, June 2017
Sirens, Leonard Lane, Bristol, June 2017

Sirens, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017
Sirens, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017

Sirens, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017
Sirens, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017

Sirens, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017
Sirens, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017

4197. M32 Spot (130)

Anamorphic art comes in many forms and some of the high-end stuff is utterly mind-bending, but even on a more basic scale it is still clever and intriguing. This fabulous column piece by Face 1st explores the technique.

Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2022
Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2022

I have seen many, many pieces by Face 1st, but never anything like this, and I must say I rather like it. The girl really does look like she is inside the column behind some kind of clear glass or plastic window. It is when you see pieces like this that you really get to see the versatility of an artist. Great stuff.