I’m not sure how often Andy Council participates in paint jams (I can’t recall any recent occasions) but he certainly joined in the spirit of this one down on the M32 roundabout between St Agnes and Easton.
Andy Council, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
Andy Council is well-known for creating pictures of animals or birds that are composed of natural of built features. He has excelled himself with this beautiful duck-billed platypus swimming through a watery scene. This is a wall that just keeps on giving and will continue to do so until its next makeover and then its next.
This is the second instalment of doors from Citta di Castello in Umbria and a nice reminder for me of our recent summer break – I must try to hang on to that holiday feeling for as long as possible to see me through the winter. Some nice ones here, I hope you enjoy them.
OK, so it’s a window pretending to be a door, Citta di Castello, Umbria, ItalyGraffiti and tags door, Citta di Castello, Umbria, ItalyDoor with plenty of character, Citta di Castello, Umbria, ItalyDouble door, Citta di Castello, Umbria, ItalyDouble door, Citta di Castello, Umbria, ItalyMain door of the Cathedral of St Florido and Amanzio, Citta di Castello, Umbria, Italy
This week I offer you another little gallery of doors from a recent trip to Umbria Italy. This set of doors are from a small hilltop town called Monte Santa Maria Tiberina, nestled between Arezzo to the west and Citta di Castello to the east.
We used to visit this area quite frequently in the 1980s and 1990s and I recall the town forever playing host to a couple of large cranes. These were lovingly (and slowly) restoring the whole town and some of its buildings. The cranes have gone now, thank goodness.
Some doors are the originals, but you might notice that the feature image, for example, is a faithful reproduction. I love the way this little town has retained its heritage without giving in to the trappings of modern urbanisation (apart from the rather unnecessarily ugly interpretation board below).
Door, Palazzo Marchesi Bourbon del Monte, Monte Santa Maria Tiberina, Umbria, August 2018Door, Monte Santa Maria Tiberina, Umbria, August 2018Door, Monte Santa Maria Tiberina, Umbria, August 2018Door, Monte Santa Maria Tiberina, Umbria, August 2018
What a fine addition to the main drag of North Street from Andy Council. A fresh piece, which I hope will remain for Upfest 2018 from one of the most identifiable Bristol street artists. I understand the artist whose work previously occupied this spot was not overjoyed, but I think I know whose work I’d rather see.
Andy Council, King William Street, Bristol, June 2018
This piece is similar in shape and size to one of his that I posted a few weeks ago on West Street. The subject is of a dinosaur although I’m not exactly sure which one – it looks like one of the ones with a bird-like tail. Typical of his work, we see the whole creation is composed of architectural building blocks and common with Andy Council’s pieces, there is the inclusion of the Clifton suspension bridge. The red billowing smoke adds movement to the whole piece. More fine work from Andy.
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2023Andy Council, East Street, Bristol, August 2023Andy Council, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023Andy Council, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023Acer One and Andy Council, Chatterton Square, Bristol, December 2023Acer One and Andy Council, Temple Way, Bristol, December 2022Acer One and Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022Andy Council, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022Acer One and Andy Council, Chatterton Square, Bristol, September 2022Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2022Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022Andy Council, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022Andy Council, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022Andy Council, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2022Andy Council, Waterloo Street, Bristol, April 2022Andy Council and Paul Monsters, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022Andy Council, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022Andy Council, Garnet Street, Bristol, July 2021Andy Council, Garnet Street, Bristol, July 2021Andy Council, Chessel Street, Bristol, July 2021Andy Council and Acer One, South Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21Andy Council and Acer One, South Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21Andy Council and Acer One, South Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21Andy Council, Soker and Paul Monsters, Waterloo Place, Bristol, June 2021Andy Council, Soker and Paul Monsters, Waterloo Place, Bristol, June 2021Andy Council, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2021Acer One and Andy Council, Chatterton Square, Bristol, April 2021Andy Council, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021Andy Council and Soker, North Street, Bristol, July 2020Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, July 2020Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, July 2020Andy Council, Avonvale Road, Bristol, February 2020Andy Council, Avonvale Road, Bristol, February 2020Andy Council, Gloucester Road CoLAB, Bristol, FebruaryAndy Council, Sevier Street, Bristol, July 2019Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, June 2019Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, June 2019Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Andy Council, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, November 2018Andy Council, King William Street, Bristol, June 2018Andy Council, West Street, Bristol, April 2018Andy Council, Newfoundland Street, Bristol, March 2018Andy Council, North Street Green, Bristol, February 2018Andy Council, Chalk Farm Estate, London, November 2017Andy Council and Hemp, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2017Andy Council, Chalks Road, Bristol, July 2017Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017Andy Council, Greville Road, Bristol, April 2017Andy Council, Stapleton Road, Bristol, January 2017Andy Council, North Street Green, Bristol, February 2017Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, January 2017Andy Council, West Street, Bristol, September 2016Andy Council, Nelson Street, Bristol, October 2015Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2016Andy Council, Hotwell Road, Bristol, August 2015Andy Council, Hurle Road, Bristol
Back to Barcelona again (a rich source of doorage) and a little look at a couple of the enormous appartment doors that can be found in the more affluent commercial areas of the city. This door was sandwiched between two rather exclusive shops, and was typical of the rather imposing entrances in the area. I particularly liked it because of its Tolkeinesque design – elves live here.
However, this door is not the main event of this post. Much of the attraction I have for doors is imagining what lies on the other side – does the door provide any insight or is it a barrier to discovery?
One of these large doors happened to be open when my daughter and I strolled past, and oh my! what an incredible lobby area lay on the other side. I was utterly overwhelmed by the decoration and detail to this entry way.
Beyond the Barcelona door, Thursday doors
So we stepped closer to get a better look…
Beyond the Barcelona door, Thursday doors
From the ceiling to the floor, this lobby oozes class. Stunning ornate plasterwork on the ceiling draws you in past the beautiful tiled walls and marble steps. and on either side of the steps metalwork rails (which appear to have no purpose other than decoration) lead you a second interior set of doors.
Doors beyond the Barcelona door, Thursday doors
The beautiful inner set of doors are worthy of a Thursday doors post in their own right, and the crazy lampshade seems to be utterly at home in this visual feast. Now I don’t know if this is typical of Barcelona appartments, but I think it is amazing that so much effort has gone into something that will be seen by so few people. This is a city that seems to be proud of putting on displays, and for the visitor it is awe inspiring.
A week or two ago I went in search of an Upfest piece from last year that I still hadn’t yet found. I found it, which is good, and I will post it very soon…worth the waiting for I can assure you. On the way, I stumbled into this rather lovely small piece from Andy Council neatly tucked into the corner of a building. It is as if the space was always meant to have a piece of art there.
Andy Council, West Street, Bristol, April 2018
This piece goes back to 2014, but it is still looking fresh. It appears to be a Bristol fox, and how fitting to have an urban fox composed of houses and buildings. Unusually Andy Council has not incorporated the Clifton suspension bridge, but has managed to include one of the large tobacco warehouses, I think it might be the Create Centre. On a sunny day, this was a real bonus find in an area I rarely visit.
I usually like to present one door at a time in my Thursday doors posts to allow for a thorough examination of the door, without the distractions of others. However, sometimes it is appropriate to look at several at once – besides which, how else will I be able to clear out my archive of doors?
On a recent trip to Barcelona with my daughter, I noticed that in the old city many of the doors to apartments above shops were extraordinarily thin and tall. Some were so slender that you wonder how larger people might manage. Were they designed this way to maximise the space for the shop front? or was there some other reason for this architectural design? Answers on a postcard…
Here are a few of the many doors we saw:
Barcelona door, March 2018Barcelona door, March 2018
Barcelona door, March 2018
This door was open, and what I saw inside was not at all what I expected. This is not a place for those afraid of confined spaces. Immediately behind the door, there was a stone spiral stairtcase, tighter than any I have ever seen before. By the look of it on the doorbell, there are eight apartments through this door. The mind boggles at the logistics of meeting people travelling in opposite directions, and looking at this through the lens of the British pre-occupation of health and safety – isn’t this something of a horrific fire escape risk? Interesting as it is, I fret every time I look at this picture.
I recently took a few work colleagues on a guided street art tour to Bedminster as part of an organisational event designed to share skills, learn more about the work we do and to get to know each other better and the city we live in as part of a wellbeing initiative. The tour was very oversubscribed, and I may have to run some more. It was something of a success and all the participants told me that they had really enjoyed it.
Andy Council, North Street Green, Bristol, February 2018
What luck it was then that we came across one of Bristol’s most well known street artists at work, just finishing off a new work as part of his nomination as Upfest artist of the month for March in the build up to Upfest 2018, Andy Council.
Andy Council, North Street Green, Bristol, March 2018
His style and presentation should come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog. He has created a wonderful dinosaur, a stegosaurus type I think, which is composed of architectural features, including the Clifton Suspension Bridge on the head of the beast. I stopped for a quick chat with Andy, but it was the coldest day of the year so far and I felt I needed to keep the tour moving. It was nice to be able to show people an artist at work, and even better that it was Andy Council.
This sensational piece, which was part of the Ferdinand estate initiative organised by Global Street art and Camden Council, is by Bristol’s very own Andy Council. So good to see an artist’s work in London that I am very familiar with.
Andy Council, Chalk Farm Estate, London, November 2017
This has all the hallmarks of a great AC piece: An animal (in this case a horse with a flowing mane), a fantastic colour palette and the whole being composed of architectural elements and local landmarks.
Andy Council, Chalk Farm Estate, London, November 2017
I remember seeing this on social media when he first sprayed it and thinking that I would probably never see it. When I found it, I certainly hadn’t been looking for it. If I had done my homework properly I would have known where to look. Somehow though I prefer to wander around places using my instinct to track down potentioal street art spots. It is like a sixth sense.
Natural adventures 