Tag: Bristol

2123. Stokes Croft

A new Mexican cantina has opened up in Stokes Croft called Masa and Mezcal where the old MEATliquor use to be. The cantina looks rather nice and has a fresher feel than its predecessor. Because this is Stokes Croft, it wouldn’t quite feel complete without some street art about the place, and this building has always had art and tags.

Jody, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2019
Jody, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2019

Who better to adorn this new outlet than Bristol’s Jody. Here he gives one of his beautiful portrait pieces which blends into the graffiti that pre-existed on the wall in a thoughtful and sensitive way, giving the whole thing an air of credibility rather than whitewashing and starting afresh.

Jody, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2019
Jody, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2019

This is a piece that will be missed by many, because although it is new, it looks like it has been here for ever. Very beautiful, very clever.

2122. The Nova Scotia

Anyone who can tell me what is going on here (other than the artist himself) deserves a medal, because it is wild and complex. Tom Miller has an exquisite touch and fertile imagination, a potent combination for creating vibrant and sometimes provocative street art.

Tom Miller, The Nova Scotia, Bristol, February 2019
Tom Miller, The Nova Scotia, Bristol, February 2019

Tom Miller left this piece unfinished for quite some time with a little note in the bottom right hand corner saying ‘work in progress’, but I have to say that the only difference I can make out between the unfinished and finished version is his signature.

Tom Miller, The Nova Scotia, Bristol, March 2019
Tom Miller, The Nova Scotia, Bristol, March 2019

The piece is in two very distinct and contrasting halves. On the left are several faces looking a bit like masks and typically distorted in a surreal way that Tom Miller does so well.

Tom Miller, The Nova Scotia, Bristol, March 2019
Tom Miller, The Nova Scotia, Bristol, March 2019

On the right hand side are two large intertwined and rather frightening dog heads and just above them a series of smaller ones. There is real threat and menace here which seems to be at odds with the unsuspecting mask faces to the left. A truly dream-like or even nightmarish piece from Tom Miller, executed with enormous skill.

2121. M32 roundabout J3 (134)

It is always great fun to see how street artists can play with each other’s work. For example, this piece is not a collaboration, it is an add-on. The original work was a RAW collaboration the centrepiece of which was this fabulous character by Jaksta.

Jaksta, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2019
Jaksta, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2019

Turnover on this wall has been unusually high this spring and when ‘the monday club’ a group of artists including Nevergiveup, Tasha Bee, Soap, Run Z and Zake set about painting here, Nevergiveup worked around Jaksta’s piece almost like a respect thing, his bunnies leaning in towards the character, together with a carefully, thoughtfully resprayed background.

Jaksta, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2019
Jaksta, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2019

Often Jaksta’s characters are well known film stars or personalities, but I’m not sure I know who this is. What we have here is two pieces for the price of one… and some more bunnies for the collection.

Jaksta and Nevergiveup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2019
Jaksta and Nevergiveup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2019

Signal failure

 

Delayed at Didcot

nothing much to see or do

tracks are tracks are tracks.

 

by Scooj

Killing time

 

Bloody massacre

slow hours, minutes and seconds

writhe in agony.

 

by Scooj

2120. Lawrence Hill roundabout (7)

Although I haven’t posted much from Oner for a while, it doesn’t in any mean he hasn’t been productive. On the contrary his work seems to be ubiquitous, and a day barely passes by without seeing something by him.

Oner, Lawrence Hill, Bristol, February 2019
Oner, Lawrence Hill, Bristol, February 2019

This is a rather good piece in one of the tunnels of Lawrence Hill roundabout. Real care has been taken with this to create nice clean lines, excellent shadows and clever accents that give the letters a rounded 3D appearance. Oner is an interesting artist who seems to enjoy bombing and quick throw-ups, but when he takes his time he can create works of high class, like this one. Very nice.

2119. North Street

I just don’t get to see enough of Lemak’s wonderful and complex stencils. Much of his work is studio work, but occasionally we get lucky and he takes to the streets. This outstanding piece is painted on the double doors that played host to Dr Love at Upfest 2018, and more recently to the gorgeous lips of Muckrock.

Lemak, North Street, Bristol, February 2019
Lemak, North Street, Bristol, February 2019

This work features a space scene in which two astronauts, dressed in pink and blue respectively are sharing a rather awkward space hug, in which their helmets kind of get in the way. The rest of the wall is decorated with fabulous starscapes and neon oriental letters.

Lemak, North Street, Bristol, February 2019
Lemak, North Street, Bristol, February 2019

Zoom in a little closer to the astronauts and you get a sense of just how outstandingly good this stencil is, in which the fabric of the space suits has extraordinary texture.

perhaps this is a projection of our future where the air can no longer sustain us and we’ll all be wearing such suits.

This is a beautiful, beautiful piece.

Muckrock, North Street, Bristol, December 2018
Muckrock, North Street, Bristol, December 2018
Dr. Love, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Dr. Love, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

2118. M32 roundabout J3 (135)

Yet another remarkable Sled One piece that almost got away. This end of the M32 wall is near a tree, and for most of the day, on sunny days, the wall is dappled with sunlight and Shad, which renders it almost impossible to photograph successfully. I had to return a couple of times to catch it on a rather more overcast day to capture it in all its glory.

Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2018
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2018

Sled One appears to churn out these extraordinary pieces with such ease, although I expect that is not the case at all… perhaps the mark of an artist at the top of his game. In Bristol right now, Sled One is probably the greatest story teller through his art, every piece containing a strong visual narrative (is that a thing?). I’m not too sure what the story is here, but the man in the ‘D’ of SLED appears to be running away from something. Always great to find pieces by this gifted artist.

2117. The Arches

As the crow flies, this might just be the nearest mural to my home, although there are one or two others not too far away. For years, this wall has had a rather sad looking old mural on it, which had faded somewhat, so to see this fabulous refresh from local artist Bex Glover was a wonderful surprise.

Bex Glover, The Arches, Bristol, March 2019
Bex Glover, The Arches, Bristol, March 2019

I have only seen her work at Upfest before, so it is brilliant to come across this commission right in my manor. Her work has this wonderful illustrative style with line drawings of wildlife scenes in her preferred characteristic colours.

Bex Glover, The Arches, Bristol, March 2019
Bex Glover, The Arches, Bristol, March 2019

In this piece she gives us a Bristol fox which will always go down well with the locals. I will be keeping my eyes peeled for any further commissions she might get on the back of this one as it is in a prominent corner with a whole ton of road and pedestrian traffic passing it daily.