Tag: Ashton Gate

1261. Upfest 2017 (125)

Funnily enough, this is another piece that I don’t recall very well from the festival itself – there were so many works at Ashton Gate that it has been impossible to recollect them all. However, looking at the images on my computer, this one really stands out as a beautiful  and colourful piece.

Onga, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Onga, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

To my shame, Onga hasn’t really crossed my radar before, despite having lived in Bristol for a few years, and contributing regularly to Upfest in the past. Maybe it is because he doesn’t spray on the walls I visit, I don’t know. I know from a biography I read that he enjoys festivals, and since I have only been to Upfest for the last two years and no other festivals at all, it might explain why our paths haven’t crossed before.

This is a fine piece that probably needs a little bit of scrutiny and unpicking as there is a story there somewhere.

1168. Upfest 2017 (107)

There were so many great pieces on the long wall at Ashton Gate, a new venue for Upfest this year, and I have barely started to cover them yet – several of them were whole crew collaborations and I’m not sure how to post them. However this is a wonderful piece from artist Leo Boyd.

Leo Boyd, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Leo Boyd, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Leo Boyd is a Belfast-based screen printer and artist who is branching out into screen printing on walls, which this fine piece demonstrates beautifully. His biography on his website is very funny, tells you little about the artist other than his sense of humour and what is important to him. Worth a read.

Leo Boyd, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Leo Boyd, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

There is some really interesting stuff going on in this piece, but I am not sure what the story is. My take on it is an environmental one, but I don’t think that is necessarily the artist’s intention. I think it is more about the relationship between mankind and technology. Make of it what you will – it is in my view, a striking work.

1010. Upfest 2017 (48)

One of the truly outstanding and memorable pieces of Upfest 2017 was this extraordinary image of an infant holding a spray can. The artist, Mon Devane, comes from the city of Ourense in Galicia, Spain.

Mon Devane, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Mon Devane, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Taking a look at his website, you can see that he has  a strong and recognisable style, using a monochrome style on vibrant backgrounds. There is nothing subtle about his pieces, they are bold statements, and beautifully crafted.

Mon Devane, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Mon Devane, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I do like it when street artists incorporate a spray can into their art, like the old masters including a paint pallette – the tools of their trade. I think that this might have been one of the most popular pieces from the Ashton Gate wall (although there were so many great pieces there), simply because of its instant impact.