More from Mote, who isn’t showing any signs of slowing down at the moment. This piece is another in his series of bird monsters and fits the square concrete slab perfectly. One of the aspects of Mote’s work that I really like is the clarity and crispness. The fills are solid, with nice patterns, and his black borders and details are always sharp. I imagine that there is a perfectionist in there somewhere.
Mote, Purdown, Bristol, June 2023
This bird monster has a green bill and pink eyelids, which stand out against the blues and purples of the rest of the bird. Even though it is not so long ago that I published a gallery of his work, I have to keep on my toes with updating it. The production line of pieces continues.
There is no doubt about it, Mote is in a very rich vein of form, not only with productivity, but also with his series of bird monsters, which appear to have inspired him greatly, and which I must say are rather appealing. I also like the way that Mote has grown the range of formats, from thin columns to squares to landscape orientation.
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2023
Mote has drawn on nature itself, recognising the delineation between a bird’s face and the rest of its plumage, more apparent in some species than in others, for example parrots and vultures. There is some interesting fill work in the two halves of green, reversing the drip colours, and some of the drips falling out of the monster’s face and on to the floor. I have loads more to post from Mote, just from June, let alone pieces that are loitering in my archive.
As part of my commitment to posting pieces from Upfest 2022, I am interrupting my normal flow of Bristol street pieces with a sequence of ten artworks from last year’s Upfest, starting with this beautiful design piece from Zoe Power, an artist and muralist from the host city.
Zoe Power, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
I would normally expect Zoe Power to be painting a wall rather than a board, because her work is rather sought after locally, but she did a wonderful job with this square space. Her design is beautiful and really easy on the eye, and she has used blues and pinks that are a tried and tested combination that work well at scale. I believe that Zoe Power is a new mum, and I haven’t seen much of her work on the streets lately, so digging this one out of the archive is a pleasurable experience.
I simply can’t keep up, not with Mote and not with any other artists either. Whilst it might sound like a complaint, it is not really a bad thing because it signifies a thriving street art and graffiti writing culture in Bristol… as if we didn’t know that already.
Mote, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2023
Mote himself, has really been on full throttle lately and this piece on the M32 roundabout is part of his series of bird monsters, that he seems to be particularly keen on at the moment. In these bird pieces, Mote creates a delineation between the face and beak/bill and the rest of the bird, defined by different colour schemes. There is a lot to like about these giant ‘doodles’ and they have become very much a part of the furniture in the city.
After a short pause, Mote has been hitting the streets hard and with larger and ever more complex pieces. This delightful monster, part of as series of ‘birds’, is tucked away in the passageway on the long curved wall at Cumberland Basin.
Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
Mote doesn’t need to sign his work, as it is so distinctive and original, but he tends to do so with a little upturned crown – here in green at the bottom of the piece. The bird monster is in three main colour blocks, which complement each other nicely. Mote rarely uses prime colours, tending to stick with softer pastel shades, creating a more modest offering than some of the artwork in Bristol. Improving with every new piece, Mote is firmly establishing himself on the Bristol street art scene.
Aspire, Lighthouse Community Gardens, London, April 2023
Every once in a while, the stars align and things work out and all is well in the world. These are moments that we must cherish and draw on to help us through more challenging times when it feels like there is no hope.
I had been invited to facilitate a workshop in London at the end of April, at a small community centre in the heart of Stratford, adjacent to the Olympic Park where there has been a phenomenal amount of redevelopment over the last decade or so. As I approached the location from the station, I spotted an entire block of hoardings, entirely covered in graffiti writing and street art – this was a good day, before the workshop had even begun. Even better, the hoardings surrounded the Lighthouse Community Gardens, the location of the workshop. Guess what I was doing before and after then meeting and in our lunch break.
Aspire, Lighthouse Community Gardens, London, April 2023
I was surprised at how many of the pieces on the hoardings were by artists I am familiar with, including this beauty by former Bristol artist Aspire. Bristol’s loss was definitely London’s gain as you can see from this outstanding sparrow perched on an ice lolly. Aspire’s work is so distinctive – almost always featuring birds, incorporating some pixelated elements. More recently, Aspire has featured human relationships with birds in the form of litter or food etc – the lolly plays this role here.
I was in a very good place, and the workshop went really well too. A red-letter day.
An endearing bird monster thing painted by Mote on the hoarding behind Temple Meads Station. Mote is tireless and his imagination limitless, which is a good thing for those of us who like to find his work dotted around the City.
Mote, Cattle Market Road, Bristol, March 2023
This rather forlorn creature is nicely composed, and the soft tones work well together. I am guessing that this might have been here a while because it proceeds his wobbly monsters, which started appearing in February this year. Another one for the collection.
