Tag: Bristol

226. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (10)

Every now and then, life throws wonderful surprises at you. On such days it is hard to contain one’s joy and enthusiasm. I am having one of those ‘red letter days’ that my grandmother used to talk about.

Shalak Attack, Clandestinos Collective, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016
Shalak Attack, Clandestinos Collective, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016

My walk to work on a Monday via Stokes Croft always gives me a bit of a thrill, because the graffiti artists tend to spray over the weekend, especially when the weather is nice, and many walls in the area get a facelift. This morning I was greeted with a double surprise on the archways of the Carriageworks. Two spanking new, clean pieces by internationally famous artists.

Shalak Attack, Clandestinos Collective, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016
Shalak Attack, Clandestinos Collective, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016

This husband and wife team come under the combined name of the ‘Clandestinos Collective’ and are ‘Shalak Attack’ and ‘Bruno Smoky’. This stunning colourful portrait is by Shalak Attack and is one of the most beautiful pieces I have seen in Stokes Croft.

Shalak Attack, Clandestinos Collective, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016
Shalak Attack, Clandestinos Collective, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016

Shalak Attack is a Canadian-Chilean artist who has been spraying urban murals across the world for over a decade. She and her husband are currently in the UK (London) with an exhibition ‘In the Raw’ of their work. What I love about this piece is that of all the places in the UK that they might have gone for the weekend, they chose Bristol and Stokes Croft…getting in some recreational spraying. How cool is that? I will post the second half of this happy event very soon.

225. Stokes Croft, Snug Bar (1)

I am often left wondering how street artists manage to do pieces which can only be accessed from a roof. Do they have permission? Do they jump up a ladder? Do they find some other way to get up? I guess it depends. Anyhow, this appeared a month of two back (I think) above a bar in Stokes Croft.

Akarat and Hoax, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2016
Akarat and Hoax, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2016

The piece is by Akarat and Hoax. I think that the birds on the left are by Akarat and the stencil is by Hoax. This is a tribute piece to Buzz, and you will see all the little Buzz words all around the piece.

Akarat and Hoax, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2016
Akarat and Hoax, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2016

I think I can also see a bit of a Mr Klue mural to the left. This is strange as it can’t really be seen from the road, but I suppose a wall is a wall. As we have come to expect from Akarat and Hoax, this piece is full of symbolism, but what it means…?

Waking up

 

Spring temperatures

soar, stirring dormant slow worms

from languid slumber.

 

by Scooj

224. Dean Lane skate park (2)

Dean Lane skate park is situated between Dean Lane and the Eastern end of North Street, and is a major draw for street and graffiti artists. The skaters quite like it too. Just on the way out of the park I noticed this poster, which I kind of walked past without really registering it, and then went back to it, thinking it was rather unusual. It is in fact a pasteup piece by Copyright an artist who has graced the streets of Bristol previously, notably during Upfest. His website is here.

Copyright, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, April 2016
Copyright, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, April 2016

Since taking this picture at the end of April, I have since found another poster in North Bristol, equally striking.

This is beautiful. A simple stencil and a lovely portrait. His style is very recognisable…I say that now that I know who he is and have done some searches on his work. I really like this work and rather wish I could peel it off the wall and take it home. I think his works for sale are a little outside my price bracket.

Seed selection

 

Killing time, waiting

for the rain to stop, choosing

what seeds to plant next.

 

by Scooj

223. Devon Road (2)

I’m just so excited about Devon Road and the wealth of street art that it offers, that I am having to contain myself and even out my posts a bit. This is a lovely piece by Deamze of Ren and Stimpy – a cartoon show I rarely watched. Somehow it works really well on this alley wall, and even the door in the middle of the piece fails to disrupt it.

Deamze, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016
Deamze, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016

I am more used to seeing the wildstyle writing that I associate with Deamze, but occasionally he does these character pieces, and has an extraordinary talent for them.

Deamze, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016
Deamze, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016

I wish I lived on a street with lots of walls.

Football

 

The Bristol Rovers

roar carries on the light breeze

across the suburbs.

 

By Scooj

222. Armada Place (3)

One of Sled One’s incredible wildstyle pieces. He sprays these unimaginably quickly, and I consider him to be very talented. One of the best writers in Bristol who is both energetic and prolific. This can be found in Armada Place, parallel with Stokes Croft, and just around the corner from the Fois piece on Nine Tree Hill.

Sled One, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2016
Sled One, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2016

When you get your eye in with these wildstyle pieces, you can start to make out the letters and words. I saw some today however that were unfathomable.

221. Devon Road (1)

A new location for me. I found out about this incredible road in Easton through a friend of mine who wondered if I had heard about a community project, the purpose of which was to brighten up Devon Road. I looked up the community Facebook page, and was astonished that this was completely off my radar. I decided to check it out…what delights!

The main part of the road is a regular Bristol street, but at the Northern end it has a dogleg tracking West, which is actually a lane with two long terraces backing onto it. Each terraced house has a yard with walls and doors opening out into Devon Road. It is these walls and doors that are being sprayed. Everyone is happy. The street artists have walls to spray and there is little tagging here as it is a bit off the beaten track. The residents have the benefit of some beautiful works going up on their properties and the whole area looks vibrant, especially on a lovely sunny day.

Aspire, blue tit, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016
Aspire, blue tit, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016

My first post from Devon Road is a stunning piece by Aspire. This, in my view, is one of his finest. The birds are a blue tit on the left, and a coal tit (I think) on the right. Just fabulous. I am now on the hunt for a blue macaw that I know he has recently sprayed. I will find it.

Aspire, coal tit, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016
Aspire, coal tit, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016

220. Drummond Road (1)

On the edge of St Pauls at the Stokes Croft end of Ashley Road, this lovely work by Face F1st complements a PWA collaboration opposite it. Some may consider Face F1st to be a bit of a ‘one trick pony’, as the works are all very similar, with little variation. I, however do not subscribe to this idea. All the faces are beautifully crafted with clean lines and have a distinctive consistency, which is in a way rather comforting in a world of frenetic spraying.

Face F1st, Drummond Road, Bristol, March 2016
Face F1st, Drummond Road, Bristol, March 2016

This piece I photographed in March this year, but I also snapped a newer one today during my lunch walk. I always get a bit of a glowing feeling whenever I happen across any of Face F1st’s work.