Fire

 

And I in hades

must gaze in awe at the flames

that will consume me.

 

by Scooj

576. St Werburghs Tunnel (5)

It has been a very long time since I last saw a wheatpaste by Kid Crayon, but thank goodness he has continued his work, albeit concentrating on his wall spraying. This is a reasonably recent piece from St Werberghs Tunnel, in collaboration with a writer I don’t know and can’t decipher.

Kid Crayon, St Werberghs Tunnel, Bristol, December 2016
Kid Crayon, St Werburghs Tunnel, Bristol, December 2016

Kid Crayon is developing and refining his work all the time, but he keeps the bold colours and curious postures/gestures in his characters. The crayon is still there hovering near the character’s mouth, cigarette-like.

Kid Crayon, St Werberghs Tunnel, Bristol, December 2016
Kid Crayon, St Werburghs Tunnel, Bristol, December 2016

Kid Crayon was one of the first street artists in Bristol I became interested in, and I love seeing new works and how he is growing in confidence.

575. St Andrews Road (1)

Recently I posted the iconic Bristol work by Rowdy and Sweet Toof on the top levels of the Carriageworks in Stokes Croft. Sweet Toof, although his early history is not clear, either came from, or spent some time in Bristol. There is quite a lot of work dotted around the city, all of it bearing the hallmark pink gums and teeth.

Sweet Toof, St Andrews Road, Bristol, January 2017
Sweet Toof, St Andrews Road, Bristol, January 2017

This piece is a small one on a garage door tucked away in Montpelier. His work is so unique, and slightly weird if I am honest. I thoroughly recommend a look at his Instagram account to see how versatile he is in the way he applies his themed approach. I will hunt down some more of his work. All good fun stuff.

Unfettered

 

Child oblivious,

zig-zagging and jump-jumping,

happy and carefree.

 

by Scooj

574. The Bearpit (33)

Very close to the Mr Klue/Decay collaboration, John D’oh has been busy with his 2016 stencil. A great many of John D’oh’s pieces are edgy or political, but this one I think captures the feelings of a majority of Bristolians, that for many reasons 2016 was not a good year, and the Grim Reaper is welcome to it.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

I love John D’oh’s stencils as they are usually contemporary with uncomplicated messages and often replicated in several sites. Both of these were in the same area of the Bearpit, and there was at least another one too.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

I very much hope that 2017 brings more hope and joy to the city, but I suspect it won’t. I sense a rebellious undercurrent will oppose injustice in all it forms and be expressed in a typically Bristolian way. Graffiti art will play its part, and John D’oh will most likely be at the heart of it.

Impatient

.

Come Spring and banish

these long nights and impotent 

days. Bring me succour. 

.

by Scooj

573. The Bearpit (32)

At the end of the south tunnel of The Bearpit is this fabulous festive collaboration between Mr Klue on the left and Decay on the right. This is a colourful coming together of two of Bristol’s best abstract graffiti artists, whose styles are markedly different  but which somehow works really well.

Mr Klue and Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
Mr Klue and Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

The colour schemes aren’t matching, and the angular shapes of Mr Klue  seem to be at odds with the curvy concentric rings typical of Decay, but as a whole it works, probably because the very fact that it is a collaboration offers a relationship between the pieces and even more so the artists.

Mr Klue and Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
Mr Klue and Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

An outpouring of Christmas cheer from two of my favourites. Perfect.

Funeral talk

 

Uncomfortable

conversations about death.

Inevitable.

 

by Scooj

572. North Street Green (4)

This is a special wall just off North Street, opposite the Upfest shop. The wall is a bit like the PRSC outdoor gallery, in that it is a place where street artists can show off their great works in the near certainty that it will not get tagged. The wall is respected.

Jody, North Street Green, Bristol, January 2017
Jody, North Street Green, Bristol, January 2017
Jody created this free hand piece of the Virgin Mary just before Christmas and had to battle with the elements whilst doing it, according to his Instagram feed. I think it was well worth the effort

The colours used are reminiscent of those he used to paint the hands and moth, further along North Street last year. There is something about this colour combination that is difficult to photograph, there is quite a lot of reflection, which you don’t get with the naked eye. The point being that the photographs don’t do it justice. It is a beautiful and spiritual piece, like much of his work. All good. 

 

571. Moon Street (18)

It would appear the Mr Klue has been really busy this winter. I have started to find a whole load of wonderful pieces by him recently, and this one is a real peach. His abstract style is unmistakable, and this one works well with vanishing points and perspective.

Mr Klue, Moon Street, Bristol, January 2017
Mr Klue, Moon Street, Bristol, January 2017
This is one of my favourite walls in Bristol, something about the proportions and the isolation. I am hoping to get together with Mr Klue some time soon and get more insight into his work and that of other local artists. Meanwhile I will simply enjoy this piece. Lots to look at, and rather mesmerising.

Mr Klue, Moon Street, Bristol, January 2017
Mr Klue, Moon Street, Bristol, January 2017