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Max Dowman, sixteen
sets a goal scoring record
star in the making
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by Scooj
Tag: Bristol
7527. St George skate park (25)
This might not be Foksymoron’s finest piece, and it looks like it might have been here for a little while, but I include it because I like the sentiment expressed in the top left-hand corner ‘stop the killin’, which feels particularly relevant right now.
This particular ramp side is a favourite for graffiti artists in the park and has hosted many fine pieces. The fox here, still looking very cool in his shades, has been decorated with some yellow fill patterns, which is not something I have seen all that often from Foksymoron. Nice work.
7526. M32 roundabout J2 (12)
This is an absolute beauty from John D’oh in amongst the treasure trove of column stencils under the M32. There is no overt political commentary as far as I can see, although meanings can be read into almost anything if you put your mind to it.
A cloaked woman is holding out a lamp, which is attracting some moths over her gently extended hand. This is actually a three-colour stencil, with a very subtle yellow white colour used in the lamp, and blended onto the woman’s arm and cloak. This is really nice work from John D’oh and rather touching. It demonstrates that sometimes overcomplicating things isn’t needed to create something beautiful and meaningful.
7525. Sparke Evans Park (147)
Nips continues to delight with her work and her pieces seem to be coming thick and fast at the moment. Although the last piece I featured here by Nips was a chrome delight, it is her fills that are the trademark of her work. The letters are separated from the background with a contrasting purple drop shadow, but it is the outstanding letter fills that are so captivating in this piece.
Nips’ letter shapes tend to remain fairly constant, so the interest is around what she does with colour and form in her fills and background. Here she has mastered both. Starting with the background, Nips has opted for a fairly minimal coverage but used it well with a blend of fiery oranges and yellows. A combination of greens and browns are washed together, creating something similar to a tie dye effect. This is brilliant and presented by an artist who shows confidence with her colour selections. Excellent.
7524. M32 roundabout J3 (751)
I was so lucky to catch up with Corupt minutes after he had completed this outstanding piece of graffiti writing on the roundabout. We had time for a long conversation as he was with a friend who was only halfway through completing his piece. It sounded like things had been a little turbulent for him for a while, but that they were settling down, and he will be able to concentrate a little more on his writing now.
These STICK letters (he switches between STICK and CORUPT) are superbly presented with a stunning array of fill patterns in reds and oranges, and a classic stripy vertical drop shadow. Set on a dark buffed wall, this is a classy piece of work, but then why wouldn’t it be?
7523. St George skate park (24)
From time to time I find myself being very late to the party – I cannot be everywhere all the time, and there are some spots that I don’t visit all that often. Even though this piece by Lis is a bit old and grubby, I wanted to post it because I missed it first time round, and I love her work.
The blue whale, complete with a cane and monocle and sporting a top hat, was painted in November last year, and you can see how much wear these ramps get from the skaters and scooters. I have never really thought of a posh blue whale before, so this is an interesting and humorous take from Lis. Looking forward to more of her work now that the days are drying up a little.
7522. M32 roundabout J2 (11)
After what feels like a lengthy absence, John D’oh has been hitting a particular area of Bristol pretty hard recently and making it his own. There is a large area of supporting columns under the M32 north of J2 on the motorway and adjacent to Eastville Park to it’s east, and this is where he has established a veritable gallery of his stencil work.
John D’oh’s work, often painted in single layer stencils (one colour), usually blends humour with political commentary, and even adds a sprinkling of pathos from time to time. He is never one to shrink away from the big discussion points of the day as you can see in this piece depicting the shredding of important files by the Trump administration. As an aside, I find it unfathomable that the MAGA cult still worship this man in spite of his obvious and overt disregard for everyone and everything, especially his blind followers. Watch this space for a rush of wonderful John D’oh stencils from this spot.
7521. Sparke Evans Park (146)
I am taking a bit of a punt on this one, because it can be difficult to be sure who the artist is of an unsigned work… you have to go on style alone. I haven’t seen much lately that I could nail down as a dead cert Dog Bless the Band piece, although there have been a few candidates. He used to make it a bit easier by always writing MOTEL with a very distinctive ‘M’, but those are not necessarily the letters here. The selection of modest earthy colours is another indicator as well as the soft and blended fill style. Looking at his previous work, I think that I am reasonably confident it is the work of Dog Bless the Band.
I have to say that I am a big fan of this style of writing, there is something organic and ‘mother earthly’ about it. It is gentle and unthreatening, almost as if created by nature itself. I will be on the lookout for more from this artist, and may have to raid my archives to dig out some ‘probables’ that I can attribute to him. Very nice piece.
7520. River Avon (114)
Werm has been on fire this year, turning out a variety of tight pieces, each with a slightly different look. This piece brings us back to his favoured structural letter style with a solid bilateral symmetry.
What makes this one stand out for me is the superb colour selection and freshness of the piece. Everything is near perfect. The letters are beautifully proportioned. The turquoise fill with its contiguous pattern of blue circles joined with lines has a molecular model feel to it, and is simply amazing. The red border is regular and clean and the piece sits on a beige buffed wall with superb red bricks randomly distributed. A very classy piece from Werm.
The Art of Sok
A gallery of incredible character pieces painted in a cartoon style by South Wales-based The Art of Sok.
Instagram: @theartofsok
Big Cartel: https://theartofsok.bigcartel.com
All photographs by Scooj
Natural adventures 