6895. Dean Lane skate park (827)

Tian, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2025
Tian, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2025

This was the second wheatpaste I found by Christain (Tian) Lecouble on his recent visit to Bristol, during which he scattered a dozen or so paste ups in the East Street area of the city. In my mind, he is a brilliant artist who uses a sense of nostalgia to enhance his collage style. He is an accomplished and successful artist in his own right, and his paste ups seem to be a bit of a fun distraction for him.

Tian, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2025
Tian, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2025

The sepia tinted boxer is taken from a painting he composed called ‘Philadelphia Miracle’ and features the boxer Richie Kates whose career spanned 1969 to 1983. Tian is 61, and so I am guessing that Kates entered his mind at that time, and these works are representations of his own past, which resonates with me as I am the same age. This is one of many more Tian wheatpastes from this visit to come on Natural Adventures.

2912. The Bearpit (187)

Looking back to May last year when The Bearpit was nearing its end as a street art spot, (shame on Bristol City Council) and the visiting French wheatpaster Tian, left us several fabulous pieces in Stokes Croft and the roundabout.

Tian, The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2019
Tian, The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2019

This fabulous piece, printed from a stencil, is of a boxer, I have no idea who, and is one of his larger paste ups at about three-quarters life size. The yellow tones work really well on the red background and the piece is full of life and movement. If and when Tian returns to Bristol he may struggle to find as many spots to paste his work as he has been used to on previous visits as the pace of gentrification accelerates.

2216. Stokes Croft

Wow, just wow, another wonderful paste up from Tian down in Stokes Croft. This one features a boxer, but I fear I don’t know which one. I have Googled Muhammad Ali, it might be him; Apollo Creed, it’s not him; Joe Foreman, it might be him when he had hair; Joe Frazier, I don’t think it’s him. And there my knowledge of boxers dries up… any ideas?

Tian, Stokes Croft, Bristol, May 2019
Tian, Stokes Croft, Bristol, May 2019

The wheatpaste itself is a beautiful stencil using his preferred yellow/sepia tones, I just don’t think I can get enough of his work and rather joyfully I have a whole load more to post over the coming weeks.

Cornish snow

 

In seventy-nine

we two played with a lightness

enjoying the snow.