Ideology
of self-interest and pride
divides a nation
no mention of compassion
no mention of partnership.
by Scooj
Tag: Bristol
1747. Dean Lane skate park (169)
Ok, so I have been doing a little bit of a trawl through my archives to let a few overlooked pieces see the light of day. This one by Hire I managed to photograph moments before it was buffed over, I forget who by (I think it was Dibz), but you can see the paint can at the ready in the bottom left of the picture.
Hire is one of several Polish artists in Bristol, adding an international feel to the work we see here. His writing tends to be very cryptic and his lettering angular and sharp, looking like shards of metal. Normally his writing spells out his name, but I’m not so sure that it does in this piece. It is quite a ‘dark’ piece, which is often the case with his work, even his bunnies are touched with menace or melancholy.
1746. Moon Street (54)
Absolutely no prizes for guessing the artist…besides which his signature is strikingly obvious in this piece. Laic217 favours this wall, and I must have six or seven of his works from here over the past three years or so. Incidentally, Moon Street is one of my favourite haunts too, but there seems to be less and less turnover here than there used to be.
In this piece, we have many of the things you can expect from Laic217 Including the bucket hat and brick wall motif. But what I particularly like about this character is his eyes which are actually spray can caps – a great idea. You have got to like the rather manic ‘Joker’ mouth too, which adds a touch of menace to the piece.
Laic217’s pieces are often highly colourful and this one is no exception to that. The turquoise background acting as a perfect foil to the red brick shirt and purple face. I’ve always been a fan and likely will always continue to be one.
1745. Brunel Way Bridge (9)
It has been a long while since I last posted a piece by the extraordinarily talented Sled One, so it was great to come across this piece in the Cumberland Basin a week or so back. The wall itself is always tricky to photograph because there is a lot of glare that streams across it – this may be an artifact of the time of day I usually visit this wall.
I will not pretend that I have anything other than utmost admiration for the work of Sled One – his fantastical creations are the stuff of cartoons and surrealism combined. Add to that potent mix a technical gift and you have some of the best artwork being produced in Bristol at this moment in time.
Earlier in the year I met Sled One a couple of times, and it turns out he lives on my road (although I think he travels around a lot too, originally coming from York (I think)). On his Instagram account he labels this piece as a self-portrait. I guess he is fond of Nike shoes! He says it started as an ASK (the crew he belongs to) piece, but that it ended up elsewhere. I can’t read ASK concealed anywhere in the illustration. Fabulous work.
1744. M32 roundabout J3 (96)
This piece has been around for a little while on the M32 roundabout, tucked in between a couple of bushes. I don’t know the artist – presumably Skot, and my efforts to try and track him/her down have led me to several Skots, the most likely being Skot One who I think is from London.
I rather like this piece, both the writing which is beautifully executed and the character. It is a long time since I last saw Andy Capp, but it seems the cartoon strip is still running. A nice touch and nostalgic reference.
1743. Dean Lane skate park (168)
The first thing that grabs your attention about this work is probably the bright pink colour, characteristic of the artist Stupid Stupid Meathole. Next is the faintly grotesque character/monster of the piece, but equally memorable is the fantastic name that the artist has chosen. Always distinct and always eye-catching.
I haven’t posted too much of Stupid Stupid Meathole’s work, because it only appears on the streets occasionally. If I see it I will always snap it and post it because I am rather strangely drawn to it. SSM never disappoints, but may shock a little and might not be to everyone’s taste. I however am a bit of a fan as it is always great to see something a bit different…a bit imaginative.
1742. M32 roundabout J3 (95)
From just a little while back, this is a wonderful example of wildstyle writing from the Bristol-based graffiti writer Soge. Like his Polish counterparts, his writing has a hint of the Gothic about it, although not quite as much as Hire. In my view there is certainly a difference in influence and derivation between the Polish and British writers – but you would expect that.
Soge’s colour palette in this piece is very easy on the eye and there is something about the overall shape and design that reminds me a little of Inkie’s work. The letters quite clearly spell out SOGE. Great work.
Platform passenger
.
A man eating grapes
barely pausing for breath
finishes the lot.
.
by Scooj
1741. Dean Lane skate park (167)
Wow, wow, wow. I am head over heels in love with this stunning work by Muckrock (Jules Muck). Shortly after I photographed this fabulous piece I dived into the Upfest shop and had a chat with Paul Monsters and Steve and Emma who run Upfest. I mentioned this exceptional work in Dean Lane skate park to them and although they didn’t know about this one, they had met her recently and offered her a wall to paint at the other end of North Street. She must have done this one as a bit of an extra while she was visiting.
I can honestly say it is my top five pieces for 2018 and has come as a complete surprise which makes it extra special. I believe Jules Muck began her graffiti ‘career’ in England and Europe, but lives and paints mostly in the United States, living in Venice Beach. You can find out all about her on her extensive website, well worth a gander
I love the green monotone and the mischief in the portrait is to die for. I can’t really say too much more about this piece without utterly embarrassing myself. So you, like me, will just have to sit and gaze at it…sigh…
1740. Frogmore Street (8)
I was moved to dig out this old wheatpaste from my archives when I saw the wonderful Upfest 10th anniversary balloons that had been pasted up all over Bedminster by D7606. It can happen a lot when you have so many unpublished photographs, and I regularly scour my files to see if there are anty gems that I may have overlooked…well this was one of them.
This blue balloon with the face of Elizabeth Taylor was pasted up over my absolute favourite piece of street art in Bristol and one that inspired me to write this blog, by JPS. Such a great wall and a clever place for D7606 to position his balloon. I am pleased to bring the pictures out of archive.
Natural adventures 