Tag: Bristol

3014. Frome side (1)

At last, with the help of Paul H, I have been able to access a spot where great treasures are painted. I guess that it is fitting that the first piece (of many, many I hope) from this spot is by Ryder, who has been tireless in keeping our walls fresh for as long as I have been writing about street/graffiti art, and indeed quite a while longer than that.

Ryder, Frome side, Bristol, June 2020
Ryder, Frome side, Bristol, June 2020

This is a very nice piece indeed from the RAW man with his customary tidy writing and faces lurking within the letters being reflected in a ‘watery’ medium beneath a thin layer of mist. Great colours and great execution and an all round winning piece.

3013. St Werburghs tunnel (173)

One of the great pleasures for a street art photographer is when a particular artist wakes up from a long slumber. Having seen very little from Angry Face over the last couple of years, we have seen two new pieces of late, of which this one in St Werburghs tunnel is the most recent.

Angry Face, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2020
Angry Face, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2020

Not only has Angry Face returned, but his work seems altogether a bit more colourful and considered and although the basic angry face motif is largely unchanged, the patterns and fills are intricate and nicely done. I am really enjoying this reawakening and look forward to more appearances.

Moth ball

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Tired out from dancing

resting up in the spinach

waiting for nightfall

.

by Scooj

3012. Dean Lane skate park (325)

It feels like the lock down has energised and inspired Soge in a significant way. Firstly, the sheer number of pieces he has sprayed over the last three weeks or so is mind-boggling and secondly he seems to have raised his game in terms of creativity and quality. He has a new lease of life.

Soge, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020
Soge, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020

This is a magnificent piece, which is lucky because it is a brave artist who would paint over the Epok and Piro collaboration masterpiece that occupied this wall and half of which sits above Soge’s work. The writing is first class and he has again used the crosshatch inside the O of SOGE which is a lovely touch. It looks like the beaver is becoming a thing, which I am really pleased about. I am a big fan of writing/character combinations. I love this piece.

3011. New Stadium Road (25)

From time to time you get to see a quite breath-taking piece and have absolutely no idea who painted it. That was how I felt when I found this extraordinary feat of graffiti writing in the underpass on New Stadium Road. I have since found out it is by Todoaciem, one of the several Spanish artists currently working in Bristol.

Todoaciem, New Stadium Road, Bristol, June 2020
Todoaciem, New Stadium Road, Bristol, June 2020

I am not yet accustomed to his Gothic influenced style and have struggled to read what the lettering says. I think the green bits form the core letters and everything else is extraordinary decoration and 3D shading. It looks like this piece might have taken a long time to paint, but these guys seem to be able to work at incredible speed. A nice introduction to his work.

Cider with Rosie

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Short childhood stories

from a village existence

that’s lost forever

.

by Scooj

3010. L Dub (18)

L Dub (Lawrence Weston) is a funny old spot. Only a few of the Bristol artists venture out to paint there and some of the artists that paint there such as Dun Sum rarely paint in central Bristol. It is secluded and out of the way and so is favoured by artists practising in the gloom of the tunnels.

Ryder, L Dub, Bristol, June 2020
Ryder, L Dub, Bristol, June 2020

This is a wonderful piece of writing from RAW’s Ryder and really demonstrates why he is such a hightly regarded writer on the Bristol scene. The letters are beautifully proportioned  and consistent and the pink and red fill almost magical, but it is the yellow 3D shading that really makes the piece stand out. Very nice work indeed.

3009. M32 roundabout J3 (221)

Whilst trying to report back on the big Poland v Spain paint jam on the M32 at the end of May, I am desperately trying to play catch up, because this entire wall has since been re-painted. I am now itching to post the new pieces, but must be patient and diligent. This piece is by Cort (Pad) and was painted next to friend and compatriot Laic217.

Cort, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020
Cort, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020

Cort is one of the more unusual writers in Bristol, with a very distinctive style. I would say that the closest in style is probably Corupt in that their letter shapes are unconventional. I rather like the spray cap on the right squirting out the letters, this is a common theme used in graffiti writing, often with a little character doing the spraying.

Poland 3 Spain 3

Stormtroopers

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‘You are warriors’

the language of a despot

rallying his troops
.

by Scooj

 

* Over the last two weeks, my wife, daughter and I have watched all 11 of the Star Wars movies at my daughter’s request. It has been a real pleasure and a great way to spend our evenings.

The basic plot is good versus evil. What stands out are the parallels with our current times. The Empire presided over by ruthless self-interest in the shape of Trump, Johnson, Bolsonaro, Putin, Assad, Kim and others, against the rebellion in the shape of Black Lives Matter, Greta Thunberg, science, medicine, law, faith and humanity. I wonder how the despots would cast themselves in the Star Wars analogy.

 

3008. Jamaica Street (21)

It is weird how easy it can be to completely miss things, I think the expression is something like ‘you can’t see for the looking’. I must have walked past this qWeRT piece dozens of times, but only noticed it recently.

qWeRT, Jamaica Street, Bristol, June 2020
qWeRT, Jamaica Street, Bristol, June 2020

The placement of the googly-eyed pasteup is absolutely perfect, blending in with a larger mural on the wall from Cheba. It all works so well together. I have always said that half the skill of wheatpasters is their ability to find just the right spot. Get that wrong and the impact can be diluted, get it right and it is amplified. Love this one.