More hot air and wind
than any amount produced
in old Westminster.
by Scooj
- The fine weather continues. This is the first proper summer I can remember since my youth.
Tag: Bristol
1572. Raleigh Road, Tobacco Factory (12)
Every year in May, Stephen Quick organises a live paint jam at the Tobacco Factory Sunday market and invites along a bunch of friends to paint with him. Somehow I managed to miss it this year, which is a pity, but I did manage to get down eventually to see the results.
This is a fabulous multi-layered stencil from Lemak who creates these incredible pop-culture pieces. This one is of the legendary Jean-Michel Basquiat whose place in street art history is hugely significant. The crowns around the piece honour the subject as the king. Crowns denote the respect in which a particular artist is held and tend to be reserved for the upper echelons of the street graffiti/art scene.
It is a while since I last saw a new piece from Lemak (I think he has been busy in his studio) so it was great to see this one. The quality of his work is really out of the top drawer.
1571. M32 roundabout J3 (88)
What a lovely collaboration between two artists that are highly regarded in Bristol, but whose work I don’t often get to see, Ulow and Hemper. The character on the left is by Ulow and is expertly painted. It is impossible not to marvel at the subtle shades he uses and the folds in the material – a sophisticated cartoon style character.
On the right is a wonderful piece of writing from the master Hemper. I wonder if he needed an extra foot of height on this wall. I have found it hard to find out too much about Hemper, but keep coming across his work from time to time. I have found the best way to find out more about the artists is through a serendipitous meeting while they are at work. This has not yet happened between me and Hemper, although it has with Ulow.
Cinnabar moth
.
Biohazard stripes
advertising toxic taste
on ragwort flowers.
.
by Scooj
1570. The Bearpit (150)
I have been looking forward to Nevla ‘going big’ and hitting The Bearpit … and with this joyful piece he has done both. The first time I saw this piece it was covered, rather unhelpfully, in posters. In an Instagram exchange Nevla informed me that the posters had been removed, so I went back again to get some ‘clean’ pictures of the piece.
The whole thing is a bit quirky, but I absolutely love it. An old man in a coat and top hat is not the sort of person you expect to be saying ‘I love you‘, it is strange and thought provoking. I love the other text boxes too ‘it’s unusual‘ and ‘smells nice innit‘ – what on earth is that all about?
Nevla’s whole piece in cartoon style is in his typical grayscale shades and nicely highlighted with a red surround. I really do like his work and hope that this piece is a gateway to more exposure and bigger and better walls.
1569. M32 roundabout J3 (87)
I love the sunny spell we have been enjoying in Bristol except for two things. The first is that there is a water supply leak on my allotment and the Council have turned off the mains supply. That means no water, which means no vegetables and I am pretty upset about it. The second thing is the shadows cast by trees and buildings, making street art photography really tiresome at some sites.
This side of the M32 is a case in point and on the day and time I visited, several of the excellent pieces were partially obscured by dappled shade from the trees. Cameras don’t like dappled shade. This burner by Soker was only affected at the far right hand edge.
Soker consistently turns out incredible work and this colourful writing continues the trend. There is a lot of detail and care that has gone into this piece. Even if you are not a fan of graffiti writing, it is possible to appreciate the technical quality of work like this.
Race for life
.
In a sea of pink
mother and daughter running
but can I find them?
.
by Scooj
1568. Raleigh Road, Tobacco Factory (11)
I first became aware of Stephen Quick’s work only a few metres from this spot with his fabulous kiss between Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford. To this day I am a big fan of his intricate stencils featuring contemporary stars and icons in familiar poses with a commentary twist.
This piece, a representation of the damage done to the reputation of Facebook in the light of recent scandals, brilliantly portrays the difficulties facing the company. I don’t know if it is intentional or not, but as if to rub salt into the wound, Quick has added his Twitter and Instagram account details at the bottom of the piece in the corporate colour of Facebook. Hah!
It is not only the witty content of his work that I am attracted to but it is the brilliant technical approach to his multi-layered pieces that amazes. He posts a lot of videos and pictures of his pieces in production on his website, Splintered Studios, and I thoroughly recommend a visit. All good.
1567. North Street
There is a small wall on North Street that Stewy seems to have made his own. Back in July 2016 he had a fabulous stencil of the great musician Robert Wyatt on this wall, which was a particular favourite of mine, because I like his music.
This beautiful stencil, sprayed around the time of last year’s Upfest is a reproduction of a Bristol Pounds five pound note (yes we have our own currency here in Bristol) which depicts a number of Bristol heroes including Isembard Kingdom Brunel, DJ Derek and Robert Wyatt. To get a decent look at it you need to look at it sideways.
1566. St Werburghs tunnel (25)
In a lovely sunny spot at the southern end of the tunnel in St Werburghs, this recent character by Silent Hobo has come to join one of his previous youths. Silent Hobo has been busy on the streets again and his work seems to come in fits and starts.
The contemporary young woman is dressed in ripped jeans and yellow sneakers and her vest sports the word ‘legendary’. In all his works, Silent Hobo conveys enormous warmth and empathy for young people, but I feel that there is an element of sadness in his characters – maybe it is their closed eyes and slightly downcast demeanour.
Looking forward to posting a recent commission by Silent Hobo in Hotwell road fairly soon.
Natural adventures 