In the South subway tunnel of The Bearpit there are framed areas which graffiti/street artists use to place their works. I think they were originally introduced to keep a little decorum and ‘usher’ artists to use the specified wall areas. To a certain extent it has worked, and they tend to use them to frame their works. Some of the other subway tunnels have the frames and some don’t.
Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
In this example, Decay has taken up two of the frames to create ‘bookend’ pieces that work really well together. It is unfortunate that although I took this picture not long after it was sprayed, it had already been tagged.
This incredibly productive spot threw up some wonderful pieces recently and this magnificent portrait by Georgie was just one of them. Those that follow these posts might recall a piece by Georgie I posted here back in November 2016.
Georgie, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017
This is a really classy piece and instantly recognisable as Michael Cain. How she managed to produce this fine work in the dim light of The Bearpit subway is a real feat. Hats off to Georgie for this great addition to these walls. Her craft is amplified by the detailing of the background that helps the portrait stand out. I love this piece.
Such is the prolific nature of Laic217, I am having real difficulty keeping up with his work that just keeps popping up all over Bristol. It seems to be about one a week at the moment, which is kind of crazy.
Laic217, King Square Avenue, Bristol, February 2017
This piece is in a quiet side road off Stokes Croft, a site frequented by Epok and Deamze, but this sits comfortably in their company. Laic217 gathers several of his regular themes into one with this piece, the acid house influence, the toking smilie, the bucket hat, the skull and the brick wall.
Laic217, King Square Avenue, Bristol, February 2017
He posted his black book draft of this piece on his Instagram feed, and the only variation from the draft is the colour of the LCD display, which was lilac in the draft. Much better as green. More to come form the busy Laic217. I forgot to say how much I like this piece…there I’ve said it now.
This is my 100th post about the amazing Upfest 2016 which happened during July in Bedminster, Bristol. At a guess I would say that I am only about half way through reporting on the pieces I photographed. Some of the remaining images probably won’t make the cut and anyway I only have a few months left to go before Upfest 2017 will be upon us.
Eins92, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
This is a really interesting stencil piece by Eins92 who specialises in micro stencils and who has already appeared in this blog for another piece he did at the festival. In this work he has created five micro stencils of the same subject but with different densities of paint and different layers. It is an interesting piece, but one that needed studying a little.
Eins92, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
The fine detail in these tiny pictures is remarkable. I would hate to guess how long each of the stencils takes to cut. He must have the patience of angels.
It seems that everywhere I looked during Upfest, I was being stalked by this brilliant little creature, called Jake the dog, created by LostHills. In each of the paste ups, Jake the dog is striking a different pose with something different happening. I love this kind of themed approach to street art.
Losthills, Jake, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Although I don’t believe that Losthills was an official artist at Upfest, his wheatpastes brightened up every corner of Bedminster, and several still remain six months on.
Losthills, Jake, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Together with C3, 23 Magpies, Phoebe New York, Face the Strange, What have I done Now and D7606, paste up artists were very well represented at Upfest 2016, and I rather hope there will be more this year.
One of the most charming pieces of Upfest 2016 must surely have been this cat and mouse mural by Boe and Irony.
Boe and Irony, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Unfortunately during the festival, I don’t think this piece got as much notice as perhaps it should have done for two reasons. Firstly, the scaffolding remained up until after the festival, and secondly it was tucked away in an area that was slightly off the beaten track. In a way this makes it almost more attractive and exclusive for Bristol street art fans.
Boe and Irony, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
I don’t know too much about either of the artists, there wasn’t even a biography in the programme for Boe. I have seen some of Irony’s work on social media before, but this is the first of his works I have seen ‘in the flesh’.
Boe and Irony, Upfest, Bristol, January 2017
Irony describes himself on his Facebook page as a ‘painter, street artist, vandal’. That’s the spirit. Looking at his other works, it is difficult to believe that this London-based artist is self-taught.
Boe and Irony, Upfest, Bristol, January 2017
This piece is so beautifully sprayed, the fur on both the cat and the mouse is amazing, and the electric-blue outline really makes the piece stand out.
Boe and Irony, Upfest, Bristol, January 2017
Who wouldn’t want something like this on the side of their house?
Natural adventures 