Tag: Bristol

380. Armada Place (6)

The fencing in Armada Place is a hotspot that is slightly off the beaten track, and can easily be missed. I make a point of taking the short diversion away from Stokes Croft on my way to work, to be able to capture gems like this one by Fois (Kleiner Shames).

Kleiner Shames, Armada Place, Bristol, August 2016
Kleiner Shames, Armada Place, Bristol, August 2016

It feels like Fois has become a little more active recently, or maybe I am just finding more of his wildstyle pieces. I don’t know, but I always feel good when I come across one for the first time. I like the way that he disguises the name Fois just enough to make it hard for the ‘untrained’ eye to read. This is really a wonderful piece that he calls ‘a quick one’.

Kleiner Shames, Armada Place, Bristol, August 2016
Kleiner Shames, Armada Place, Bristol, August 2016

Only recently I found out that Fois is actually Kleiner Shames – a rather respectable looking designer. It irks me that by calling him Fois all this time I look like a bit of an idiot. I suppose it is all part of being on the outside looking in.

379. Moon Street (16)

One of the great things about Upfest is all the ‘extras’ that get left behind by artists who come over to Bristol for a few days. Hunting these down is all part of the fun for street rats. This is a wonderful set of three wheatpastes left by Din Din, whose ‘official’ stencil was utterly fantastic.

Din Din, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2016
Din Din, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2016

Here on the North side of town it is great to see some of Din Din’s work. Although it is already looking a bit scruffy, it is still a pleasure to see it. I am not too sure who the pictures are of other than they are heavily tattooed men, but I like them regardless. More of these ‘naughties’ to come.

378. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (16)

I do love the Carriageworks. The pieces here tend to be quite large because of the framing of the arches, and so we are often treated to ‘special’ work. The turnover for any work here is about a month or so, so this piece is approaching its ‘sell by’ date. It has been a while since I posted about Mr Sle7en, which is a pity, because I love his work. It would seem that he is not as prolific as some of our other artists, but he is no less talented.

Mr Sle7en, Stokes Croft, Bristol, August 2016
Mr Sle7en, Stokes Croft, Bristol, August 2016

In this mysterious piece, we have the ‘signature’ single eye that is common to Mr Sle7en’s work.There is always something about his work that I like. I can’t put my finger on it, but it is unusual, sometimes unsettling but always beautifully executed.

375. M32 roundabout J3 (15)

I am enjoying posting about Upfest, but equally, like taking a break to post some of the more ‘earthy’ or visceral graffiti art that Bristol plays host to. Upfest comes and goes…this stuff is the beating heart of the Bristol scene, without which Upfest would possibly have less meaning or context.

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2016
Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2016

This is a typical piece by Laic217 which I photographed a couple of months ago. The characteristic letters of his name and character piece. There appears to be a bit of symbolism going on here as well, an impenetrable wall, behind which lies a heart. There is a story.

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2016
Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2016

I like Laic217’s work but would say that I prefer his full size faces to his burners, but that is only my personal preference. Nice to write about some local artists again.

374. Upfest 2016 (25)

Anyone who reads this blog regularly will know that I am particularly fond of wheatpastes. First it was Kid Crayon that got me interested and then 23 Magpies. More recently I have discovered the magic of Phoebe New York. Always there though, has been the work of D7606 a recent convert to the world of street art. Take time to read this excellent interview with D7606 by London Graffiti Interviews, in which he explains his name and describes his transition into wheatpasting.

D7606, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July2016
D7606, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July2016

When D7606 first pasted up this “Twiggy” post box, there was nothing else there, just a clean red box and his Twiggys. By the time I came to photograph it a day later, it was accompanied by no end of stickers…it would seem that a great many sticker enthusiasts enjoy the freedom that Upfest affords. You will spot also that some horns and glasses have been added to the left hand Twiggy.

D7606, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July2016
D7606, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July2016

I really like D7606’s work, and have spotted it all over the place so look out for more posts about him coming soon.

373. Upfest 2016 (24)

Tucked away in the garden of St Francis Church on North Street were a collection of artists who had prepared their works on boards 1.2m x 1.2m. Lurking here in one of the festival ‘backwaters’ were some wonderful treasures.

Swilfa, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Swilfa, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

This magnificent piece by Swilfa, a London artist, captures Bob Marley really beautifully. What is different about his pieces is that they are created using a combination of acrylic paints and old pieces of vinyl records. If you look carefully you will see that the hair is styled from some 40 vinyl records (according to Swilfa’s Facebook page).

372. Upfest 2016 (23)

Dan Doodies is a street artist, designer, illustrator and painter form the Slough/London area. His piece at Upfest 2016 was one of the most memorable of the whole event. There is a rush of colour in this psychadelic piece that has a whiff of the Beatles and in my mind ELO about it.

Dan Doodies, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Dan Doodies, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I love this bold and striking piece and somehow it seems to represent all that is best about Upfest bringing artists together from all over the country/world to show off their works. I still feel with every passing day, what a privilege it is to live in Bristol and to have such a vibrant street art culture.

Tiger fur

 

Holiday haircut

“number two please”; my daughter

calls it tiger fur.

 

by Scooj

371. Upfest 2016 (22)

There was so much street art on offer at Upfest, that if you blinked you could miss something. I am so glad I had my camera with me, although on the day I took this photograph, my camera ran out of battery (aaaaargh what an idiot!) so I had to use my phone camera, and the results don’t really do the art justice. This was one of those pieces that was better ‘in the flesh’ but still looks pretty good in this photograph.

Mutiny, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Mutiny, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

The artist is Mutiny (Jane Laurie), a British, London-based,  wildlife illustrator, fine art painter and street artist. Clearly very talented and driven with a desire to raise awareness about endangered wildlife; she uses the hashtag #lovewildlife and signature anatomical heart on all her street art work. Oh! so much great stuff at Upfest.

Never work from home!

 

Bloody damnation!

household power cut ; PCs

down and no WiFi.

 

by grumpy Scooj