Tag: Art

136. Old Bread Street

This is the image I have agonised over most since I started blogging about Bristol street art. I came across it in the amazing car park at the end of Old Bread Lane surrounded by hoardings that make fabulous practice walls for local artists.

Sled One, Old Bread Street, Bristol, November 2015
Sled One, Old Bread Street, Bristol, November 2015

I like the work so much that it adorns the front cover of my ‘street art calendar 2016’, but it is only recently that I made out the artist’s name…it is blindingly obvious now, with hindsight. Sled One is another Bristol artist, who seems to work with several other artists, including SPZero76, featured in yesterday’s entry.

Sled One, Old Bread Street, Bristol, November 2015
Sled One, Old Bread Street, Bristol, November 2015

There appears to be a hell of a lot of meaning in this piece…it would appear to have an environmental theme and a ‘cutting off his nose to spite his face’ kind of thing going on. The character also really reminds me of Woody Woodpecker, although I am sure that is accidental. I cannot say how much I like it. I took the picture last November, but I expect it has been painted over by now.

Sled One, Old Bread Street, Bristol, November 2015
Sled One, Old Bread Street, Bristol, November 2015

9/10

135. Gloucester Road, Poppers

A wonderful new piece by SPZero76 has recently appeared on the side wall of Poppers, a party shop on the Gloucester Road. It would seem that SPZero76 has been rather busy lately, with a recent piece also appearing in Shoreditch, London. UPDATE 4 March 16: via Twitter, SPZero76 informes me that the wildstyle burner in the centre of this piece is by Mr Wigz, so it is a collaboration between the two.

SPZero76, Gloucester Road, Bristol February 2016
SPZero76, Gloucester Road, Bristol February 2016

SPZero76 is an illustrator and street artist who is based in Bristol and London, who has a great website where you can find out more about his work.

SPZero76, Gloucester Road, Bristol February 2016
SPZero76, Gloucester Road, Bristol February 2016

I particularly like this new mural because it brightens up what was previously a rather dull alleyway. There are several references in the work including to Lost Souls (his crew) and to Massive Attack (Robert del Naja is an active street artist, 3D).

SPZero76, Gloucester Road, Bristol February 2016
SPZero76, Gloucester Road, Bristol February 2016

A really great new addition to my local area.

8.5/10

134. Princes Place

I had a great stroll along the Gloucester Road this morning, and photographed loads of street art, some of it very recent, other pieces, like this one, that have been around for some time.

3Dom, Princes Place, Bristol, February 2016
3Dom, Princes Place, Bristol, February 2016

This area would appear to be one of 3Dom’s favourite haunts, and there numerous works by him nearby. This one ‘when philosophers are kings’ dates back to at least 2010. The colours have faded a little, but it really has something about it.

3Dom, Princes Place, Bristol, February 2016
3Dom, Princes Place, Bristol, February 2016

It is a great wall, and I am a little surprised that it hasn’t been sprayed over. It is interesting that 3Dom’s work is rarely tagged or marked, I guess his pieces are respected, and rightly so.

7/10

133. North Street, The Steam Crane

At the far Eastern end of North Street, where it joins with Dean Lane, you will find The Steam Crane pub. There is a side alley that gives access to the rear of the pub, and on one of the walls is this wonderful piece by Pakone, which was created as part of Upfest 2015.

Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016
Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016

Pakone is an artist from Brest in France and is a member of the C29 crew. This piece is difficult to capture in photographs because of the narrow setting, but his detail and depth are beautifully crafted and show his dream-like ideas.

Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016
Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016

This was a bit of a hidden gem on my most recent wanderings around the area.

Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016
Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016

8/10

131. Dean Lane (5)

What I particularly like about Dean Lane is that it is a quiet residential road that spills out into North Street, the hub of Upfest street art. The spill-over art and graffiti that can be found in Dean Lane is more understated and less showy. It is art that you might stumble upon, rather than actively seek out.

Elaine Carr, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2016
Elaine Carr, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2016

The Bristol scene on these gates was completed last September by a local scenic artist  and prop/model maker, Elaine Carr. The subtle piece incorporates some of the iconic buildings found in Bristol, and really brightens up these ordinary gates.

Elaine Carr, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2016
Elaine Carr, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2016

Note to self…I must do a gallery of all the interpretations of the Clifton Suspension Bridge by street artists as a Bristol Special some time.

6.5/10

129. Moon Street (6)

I have seen a lot of work by DNT is Bristol, but I have been trying to dig out information about him before featuring any of his work. It has been difficult. Then I stumbled on this lovely YouTube clip which presents DNT as he is, and offers a short biography in his own words.

DNT, Moon Street, Bristol, December 2015
DNT, Moon Street, Bristol, December 2015

This small piece in Moon Street is relatively recent and rather unusual. It sits yards away from a 3Dom piece featured here a little while ago. The cat wins me over, even if it does have three eyes…after all, I have a cat with 26 fingers/claws.

7/10

128. St Francis Road

I have seen this incredible piece many times during my wanderings up and down North Street. It is literally eye-catching and, in my view, the outstanding work from the Upfest 2015 event.

My Dog Sighs, St Francis Road, Bristol, January 2015
My Dog Sighs, St Francis Road, Bristol, January 2015

The artist’ ‘My Dog Sighs‘ comes from Portsmouth and has recently found much success with sell out solo exhibitions in the UK, the US and in Israel.

My Dog Sighs, postcard printed to accompany the piece in St Francis Road
My Dog Sighs, postcard printed to accompany the piece in St Francis Road

An additional part to this particular work is to complete the puzzle. This was achieved by marrying up a postcard with the other eye, to complete the whole. I am lucky enough to have been given one of the postcards (I missed Upfest 2015 because I was away…that won’t be happening again!).

My Dog Sighs, St Francis Road, Bristol, January 2015
My Dog Sighs, St Francis Road, Bristol, January 2015

9/10

126. Haymarket Walk

On my way out of The Bearpit earlier this week, I came across this wonderful recent tribute to David Bowie by Cheba, an established Bristol street artist.

Cheba, Haymarket Walk, Bristol, February 2016
Cheba, Haymarket Walk, Bristol, February 2016

This portrait (the first and last by Cheba, according to his twitter feed) takes up a wall in the side of the Premier Inn which overlooks The Bearpit.

Cheba, Haymarket Walk, Bristol, February 2016
Cheba, Haymarket Walk, Bristol, February 2016

Cheba has work all over Bristol, notably the recent piece adorning the whole front facade of the Full Moon pub in Stokes Croft which I will try to feature here soon.

7/10

125. The Bearpit (2)

A little while ago I puzzled over a rather surreal piece that had been painted at the Carriageworks in Stokes Croft. After some internet searches I found out it was by Tom Miller, a young graduate from the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol.

Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2016
Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2016

He now has two new works in The Bearpit. This one is called ‘Portin‘. Common to all his works, this piece adheres to his style of ‘imaginite’, a word coined by Miller to describe what metaphysical imagination would look like in solid form.

Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2016
Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2016

I look forward to seeing more of his work in Bristol, and will look out for his art exhibited in local galleries.

8/10

 

 

124. The Bearpit (1)

Variously called The Bearpit, Bearpit, Bear Pit or Bear-pit…I will stick with the first.

This space has recently undergone something of a transformation, thanks largely to The Bearpit Improvement Group, and provides some excellent permitted gallery space to upcoming and established street artists in Bristol. Once something of a ‘no-go’ area it is fast becoming a ‘somewhere to go’ place, especially for me…expect lots of blogs from here.

Kid Crayon, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2015
Kid Crayon, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2015

I’ll start with a piece by one of my favourite Bristol artists – Kid Crayon. I saw this vibrant piece earlier this week walking in to work and was chuffed to bits to see it. It was not so long ago one of his wheatpastes, that I have featured before, was cleared away and I have missed it, but this new work more than makes up for it.

Kid Crayon, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2015
Kid Crayon, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2015

I’ll be looking out for more of KCs work, but more often than not it finds me.

8/10