On my way out of The Bearpit earlier this week, I came across this wonderful recent tribute to David Bowie by Cheba, an established Bristol street artist.
This portrait (the first and last by Cheba, according to his twitter feed) takes up a wall in the side of the Premier Inn which overlooks The Bearpit.
Cheba has work all over Bristol, notably the recent piece adorning the whole front facade of the Full Moon pub in Stokes Croft which I will try to feature here soon.
7/10
A little while ago I puzzled over a rather surreal piece that had been painted at the Carriageworks in Stokes Croft. After some internet searches I found out it was by Tom Miller, a young graduate from the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol.
He now has two new works in The Bearpit. This one is called ‘Portin‘. Common to all his works, this piece adheres to his style of ‘imaginite’, a word coined by Miller to describe what metaphysical imagination would look like in solid form.
I look forward to seeing more of his work in Bristol, and will look out for his art exhibited in local galleries.
8/10
Long since forgotten,
neglected and unloved; your
ship will not come in.
by Scooj
Variously called The Bearpit, Bearpit, Bear Pit or Bear-pit…I will stick with the first.
This space has recently undergone something of a transformation, thanks largely to The Bearpit Improvement Group, and provides some excellent permitted gallery space to upcoming and established street artists in Bristol. Once something of a ‘no-go’ area it is fast becoming a ‘somewhere to go’ place, especially for me…expect lots of blogs from here.
I’ll start with a piece by one of my favourite Bristol artists – Kid Crayon. I saw this vibrant piece earlier this week walking in to work and was chuffed to bits to see it. It was not so long ago one of his wheatpastes, that I have featured before, was cleared away and I have missed it, but this new work more than makes up for it.
I’ll be looking out for more of KCs work, but more often than not it finds me.
8/10
This seasonal piece by Cheo is quite a contrast from its political predecessor that adorned this wall during Upfest 2015. I am constantly excited by the range of subjects and styles that the street art scene is capable of producing in Bristol.
This is a cheerful and fun cartoonesque piece so typical of Cheo who must be one of Bristol’s most prolific artists. I will try to dig out the piece that was on this same wall before. Watch this space.
7/10
I love Dean Lane. It is a road that joins Coronation Road, which runs alongside the New Cut, with North Street, and at its southern end plays host to some of the most creative street art in the area. There is a public swimming pool and skate park on Dean Lane, and both are plastered with graffiti and street art.
This piece by Beastie is curious. It is a wheatpaste of an Ordnance Survey map that has a sketchy drawing and some spray work on it. Just to add to its quirkiness, somebody has subsequently added a pink sticker.
I make no secret of the fact that I am particularly fond of wheatpastes, and this one is a beauty.
8/10
Sheer cathedral walls
plunge deep underground, forcing
daffodils skywards.
by Scooj
Back down with a bump;
mountains of emails replace
the snow covered peaks.
by Scooj
Airport musak calms
the nerves while children bicker
and slide on the floors.
by Scooj
I am going to be clear about this. I want to find more pieces by Face F1st. I love the simplicity of the lines. The sentiment of the faces. The cool colours.
I have not been able to find out much about the artist other than that they belong to the PWA (Pirate Wall Art) crew.
This little side street in Stokes Croft is bursting with street art with a very high turnover. There is a lot more to come from here.
8/10
Natural adventures 