This is a big bold statement piece from Bogat alongside the M32 motorway, from a week or two back. This is a striking piece and I know that when I post it on Instagram it wil be popular, there is something about his work that is appealing.
Bogat, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2023
The piece spells BOG in large and nicely finished letters with some cool drips going on at the top of the piece. The open-mouthed character making up the ‘O’ is typical of Bogat’s work. There is some nice shading on the face and hat offering texture to the face. I am enjoying Bogat’s work very much and look forward to seeing more.
More unusual writing from Kid Krishna, this time on the wall to the right of the tunnel on the northern side of the M32 roundabout. This is a candidate wall for the ‘One Wall’ series of posts I write, showing a time series of pieces on the same wall… when I have time.
Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2023
Kid Krishna told me that he always writes CRIE in his work, although even though he has assured me this is the case, I struggle a little to see it sometimes. I guess it is not important what it says, instead, the composition being more central. This is a straightforward cream on black piece, with nowhere to hide, so Kid Krishna has really exposed his work here. There is some geometry and method in his writing, which you can see from the circles. Painted with rollers, this is a fine reminder of the versatility of the artist.
Dog Bless the Band, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2023
The writing says MOTEL, quite why I’m not sure, it always feels a bit random to me. The artist is Dog Bless the Band, whose name is definitely one of the more creative ones, competing strongly with ‘In the Allotment’ and Stupid Stupid Meathole (remember him?). In this piece the M reminds me of a cartoon elephant – that might just be me though.
Dog Bless the Band, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2023
Dog Bless the Band always uses understated colours – muted is probably the word – almost as if he doesn’t want to draw attention to the piece. Whether this is modesty, or simply a palette preference is hard to know, but it is certainly a feature of his work. There is something rather animated about the writing, perhaps it is the patchwork style in the fills or the flowing curvy lines. The red and yellow border bring vibrancy to this quiet and peaceful piece.
There was a time last year when Maybe was painting roughly once a week, but he has definitely slowed down of late… perhaps it is the cold weather. This is a rather nice large piece in the skate park which is quite tricky to photograph because of the angle of the slope and the size of the piece.
Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023
Featuring his interlocking faces in a variety of contrasting colours, this triangular piece demonstrates how far Maybe has come in developing his early concepts from a couple of years ago. Some great use of blended fills and dark shading show a significant improvement in sophistication of his contemporary work.
SPZero76 and Kid Crayon, Cattle Market Road, Bristol, March 2023
Sometimes I am so far behind the curve I actually surprise myself. I think I was aware of this wonderful winter wonderland piece by SPZero76 and Kid Crayon, otherwise known as the EAT crew, from last Christmas, but I simply haven’t visited the hoarding in such a long time.
SPZero76, Cattle Market Road, Bristol, March 2023
The whole piece is a continuous story and a great collaboration, with the left-hand side painted by SPZero76 and the right-hand side by Kid Crayon. Inevitably, SPZero76 has included a robot snowball-launcher alongside a woman throwing a snowman’s head.
Kid Crayon, Cattle Market Road, Bristol, March 2023
Kid Crayon has painted a couple of young lads throwing and launching their own snowballs back. Beautifully sprayed by both artists, this is a fun, cartoon-style piece that really captures the spirit of winter, and snow that most Bristolians can only dream of (even though we had a little bit of the white stuff this year). We just don’t get to see enough by the EAT crew these days. Perhaps they will get busy on the streets this year.
A gallery of bold and beautiful writing from Bristol’s Evey
Instagram: @evenrbf
RBF Crew
All photographs by Scooj
Evey, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2023Evey and Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023Evey, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2023Evey, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, February 2023Evey, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023Evey, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2022Evey, and Bnie?, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022Bnie, Vozie, Pekoe and Evey, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022Evey, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2022Evey, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, August 2022Evey, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2022Evey, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022Evey, Greenbank, Bristol, April 2022Evey, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2022Evey and Eman, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2021Evey, M32 roudabout, Bristol, March 2021Evey, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, July 2020Evey, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
Evey, Peggy and Desi, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2023
The turnover at Sparke Evans Park is very slow these days, and the chance of meeting artists actively painting there is minimal, however that is exactly what happened when Evey, Peggy and Desi were painting this wall a short while ago. Of course, I had to go back again to get clean pictures of the completed wall, and what a wall it is.
Evey, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2023
To the left of the three is a gorgeous EVEN from Evey, painted in the pink and blue colours replicated through the collaborative effort. There are some nice letter shapes and a band of horizontal fades running through the letters, which are given a little bit of extra interest with squiggles, hearts and a peace sign.
Peggy, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2023
In the middle is a wonderful floral design from Peggy, picking up hints of the pink and blue theme, and adding in some yellow touches to lift the design further. Each of the flower heads contains a signature eye peering out. The style of strong black lines and colourful fills betrays her tattoo art background.
Desi, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2023
To the right, Desi picks up the bold lettering and colours and in part reflects Evey’s work, although there is a subtle difference in the patterning, with both colours appearing in each of Desi’s letters and alternating top and bottom halves from one letter to the next. The whole wall by these three ladies recognised International Women’s Day, and what a fine way to celebrate it.
This was an unexpected and most welcome surprise, discovered while walking to Vauxhall tube station after attending a large team meeting at the Oval in London recently. Because of who I am, I always have an eye out for anything even slightly resembling graffiti or street art wherever I go. It must be most annoying for the people I am with, that I might appear to be distracted or uninterested. The truth is that I am always looking, searching for the ‘out of the ordinary’ whether that be street art or architecture and the like.
Stewy, The Cricketers, London, March 2023
The extra surprise was that this stencil piece of Ian Dury is by Bristol’s Stewy, and I felt rather at home finding it. My colleagues weren’t particularly interested, which was regrettable, in fact I think they found my desire to investigate and photograph the piece a little weird.
Although I was never much of a fan of Ian Dury, his impact on the music scene was undeniable and his subversive glance at society certainly chimes for me. The significance of the location of this stencil is that The Cricketers pub was a venue at which Ian Dury and the Blockheads played some of their early gigs. The venue is now a shuttered and disused building, but one with a great history. Thank you Stewy for making my day in London.
Natural adventures 