Tag: Bristol

Lies, obfuscation and deflection

.

Some civil servants

says Attorney General

are responsible

for undermining Brexit

because they are remainers

.

by Scooj


Oh Dear, where do I start?

Our Attorney General is thick as two short planks, in that she is driven by doctrine/ideology and not truth, not a very good starting place for a lawyer really. This week, to deflect from more allegations of sleeze in the Tory party, she tried to create a dead cat story, saying:

‘Some civil servants are resisting post-Brexit reforms because they cannot imagine “life outside of the EU”.’

I’m not sure that she understands how the civil service works, but if you do not do your job as directed or do not do it well, then you are moved on or out, unlike the politicians who make the laws that civil servants deliver on. If Brexit is a complete catastrophe, pointing the finger at civil servants is utterly misguided.

Suella Benjamin’s unprovoked attack is also unbelievably cowardly as she knows Civil Servants are bound to remain silent on such matters and are unable to answer back, so the assertion is uncontested and pedalled as truth by the right wing media.

Michael Rosen’s (a British author, poet and political columnist) response to this despicable claim was:

Suella Braverman’s attack on Civil Servants: hands up who can think of any govt anywhere anytime attacking its own bureaucracy and/or professionals in order to appeal ‘over’ them in order to win allegiance from ‘the public’ or the ‘people’…

And he is right. What is happening in our country right now is madness. The current far right Tory government, propped up and facilitated by Rupert Murdoch, and Viscount Rothermere, is leading us down a very dangerous path. I only hope that the British people come to their senses and realise they have been duped and conned on a wave of false patriotism, orchestrated by a self-serving elite who care only about money and power.

History will see this period of Tory rule as one of the darkest periods of modern times, in which we have witnessed our own decline and fall.

4545. Sparke Evans Park (50)

I had to include this piece by Jody, even though it is only a half-piece, because it is absolutely fantastic. It was painted during the 50th birthday paint jam for Turoe a few weeks ago, which generated some outstanding writing and character pieces. Unfortunately, as I have found out to my cost, you snooze, you lose, and I just didn’t get down to the wall in time to photograph Jody’s portrait in full. The left-hand side had been sliced off (neatly, at least) by a newer piece by Cort.

Jody, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2022
Jody, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2022

I feel I ought to know who the character is in this piece, but I don’t. It is remarkable to think that Jody can create something so brilliant in only four hours, and it is humbling to see the amazing work that these artists produce. A half beauty from Jody.

4544. Dean Lane skate park (504)

I have an unwritten rule about taking pictures of street art, and it that one should always take a picture when you have the opportunity, even if the light is bad, or there are obstructions, because when you return to the spot, for a cleaner shot, it might have been overpainted. These photographs of a recent Stiff piece in Dean Lane have dappled sunlight across them, but they are the only pictures I have, it didn’t last long and wasn’t there when I went back.

Stiff, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022
Stiff, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022

I was lucky enough to meet Stiff for the first time just over a week ago, while he was painting with the Bristol Womxn Mural Collective in Cumberland Basin, and he confirmed to me that he enjoys painting monsters and using the colour green. Stiff doesn’t paint very often, so the chances of meeting him are rather slight. This piece, like his others, is creative, fun and monsterish, and painted with a lightness of touch that is without pretension. Another one for the collection of beasts.

Sharp focus

.

Mindful. Noticing

the subtlest breeze’s caress

cool my fevered skin

.

by Scooj

4543. Upfest 2022 (25)

Not only is Upfest great for the people of Bristol and surrounding area, introducing them to the magnificent world of street art, but it is also a massive pull for artists too.  Artists are drawn from all over the globe to attend this important event on the calendar, but many artists are local to Bristol who rarely paint walls, but have the opportunity to transfer their studio skills to a more accessible format. Some even get a taste for it.

Rosie McLay, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Rosie McLay, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Rosie Mclay is a Bristol artist who has painted at Upfest before, but in between festivals she continues with her studio artwork, which I have seen her selling in the Tobacco Factory market once or twice, and fine stuff it is too. This piece is really rather beautiful, and she has used the larger format to great advantage. The ‘study’ has two feet joined by a piece of string which is wrapped around the big toes of each foot. The string is fraying in the middle. Colour and tone is added with the yellow circle and red triangle, although I am not quite sure what the whole thing is about. I am a fan of her work, and perhaps I ought to buy something next time I see her selling sketches.

Rosie McLay, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Rosie McLay, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

4542. Upfest 2022 (24)

This is a fine piece of graphic writing from Acer for Upfest on a permanent wall, although the permanence of the wall is no guarantee for the permanence of the piece and sadly this has already been dogged, which is a pity, because it is a classy piece that commands this spot overlooking Greville Smyth Park.

Acer, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Acer, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

It is something of a joy to watch Acer’s work and how it progresses from month to month and year to year. His theme these days seems to be based on a highly stylised font or series of fonts that incorporate black base-lettering with transitioning rainbow colour outlines, creating both high design and depth. The sentiment is a good one… PARTY, which is what Upfest 2022 turned out to be, and a great one at that.

Stranger Things

.

Opportunity

afforded me by illness

to binge-watch some shows

.

by Scooj

4541. Upfest 2022 (23)

The man who paints (draws, geddit?), faster than his shadow. What a stunning piece, and definitely one of my favourites from Upfest this year. Featuring comic book character Lucky Luke, a series I never read as a kid, but rather wish that I had now, (I was more of an Asterix and Tintin fan), the piece, by Alain Welter is beautifully proportioned and structured, with a strong sense of depth.

Alain Welter, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Alain Welter, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

The board is quite long, and Alain Welter has used the space cleverly by putting in the text on the left and reducing the width enough for the proportions of the piece to work. Alain Welter is an accomplished street artist from Luxembourg (a first for Upfest) whose website is definitely worth a visit. He even has a blog post about this piece, so he likes to keep things up to date.

Alain Welter, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Alain Welter, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

When producing graffiti writing, it seems that Alain Welter uses the the letters MOPE, hence Lucky Mope instead of Luke. There is so much to like about this piece, it is very easy on the eye, witty, and the artwork is superb, just take a look at the writing on a curtain. Clever stuff. I do hope that Alain Welter makes it back to Bristol for next year’s Upfest.

4540. Upfest 2022 (22)

It is always great to see street art that deviates from the norm that we are used to seeing, namely spray can art, and every year at Upfest, Angus, a local Bristol artist, treats us to a mosaic or two, although he is also an accomplished spray artist too, he seems to have preferred his mosaics in recent years.

Angus, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Angus, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

This rather fun piece on one of the walls of the Hen and Chicken, a key venue for Upfest art, features a dog enjoying a pint of beer. I took the picture on a bright day, with shadows cast across the piece, but being an inherently lazy person, I haven’t been back to get the ‘perfect’ picture, but then I suppose who is to say what a perfect picture actually is. Enough covid-induced philosophising. Great work from Angus, and more to come.

Covid positive

.

Finally got me

after years of holding out

a late adopter

.

by Scooj