Tag: Brunel Way

3491. Brunel Way bridge (91)

This is the third component of an extraordinary collaboration by Smak, who painted this writing on a shared pink background along with Ments and Sled One. What made this super-extraordinary was that on the same day this was sprayed, the other side of the wall was being painted by 3Dom, Feek, Piro, Epok and Sepr. For followers of street/graffiti art, this was a truly momentous occasion.

Smak, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021
Smak, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021

As we are accustomed to seeing from Smak, this is a highly accomplished piece of work. The blend of angular letters combined with spheres and a fluid metallic look to some elements makes for a fascinating and creative piece. There is so much skill, experience and patience in this piece, a triumph.

3489. Brunel Way bridge (90)

My heart always beats a little faster when I find a new Sepr piece, and this one, part of a full wall collaboration, is pure Sepr at his creative best. As with so many of the great Bristol character painters, it is often very difficult to know what is going on, but art I guess is partly the intention of the artist and partly the interpretation of the viewer.

Sepr, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021
Sepr, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021

The rather concerned character seems to be holding a mask with a happy face on it, so maybe this piece is about hiding our true feelings and emotions behind a happy facade. The soft touch and expert spray work from Sepr is epitomised by the shades of orange on the character’s shirt giving the material depth and texture. This is a tour de force from one of the very best in Bristol.

3486. Brunel Way bridge (89)

Although not a frequent painter, Ments is quite regular, so one’s year is nicely sprinkled with these fine organic pieces. This one was painted as part of a three-way collaboration, including Sled One and Smak from a couple of weeks ago.

Ments, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021
Ments, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021

Ments has adapted his style a fair bit over the past year and although still organic and irregular in structure he has moved to a more fluid and metallic look and feel. His pieces are a thing of abstract beauty, and still spell out MENTS. The white triangle reminds me a little of a Voyder piece in London from a few years back. All good.

3483. Brunel Way bridge (91)

I mentioned recently that the turnover on certain walls in Bristol is accelerating and that there is a bit of a squeeze on available wall space largely due to gentrification. As a result, wonderful pieces like this one, part of a larger collaboration, by 3Dom and Feek just don’t last as long as they deserve to. I was lucky to have photographed this when I did, because it got over painted within a few days.

3Dom and Feek, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021
3Dom and Feek, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021

The split face, part monster part smiley, bearing a devilish halo is by 3Dom and is a seriously classy piece. The artwork is fantastic and the incredible details expertly painted. I particularly like the sparkling tooth.

Feek, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021
Feek, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021

On the monster’s outstretched hand is a Humpty Dumpty character with an axe and wearing a Mad Hatter’s tea party hat and with what I presume is an Alice character eating cake. Could the whole thing be a Lewis Carroll-inspired crazy surreal Alice and Jabberwocky scene? No matter what it is, the artwork and skill displayed by both artists is a real treat to behold.

3479. Brunel Way bridge (90)

There are times when you have to just sit down and absorb a piece, to enjoy it to the maximum, and marvel at its splendour. This amazing piece by Sled One is one of those, and I don’t think that anything I write will actually add anything to the majesty of this work.

Sled One, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021
Sled One, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021

The regal character, part of a wider collaboration set on a pink background, is as unsettling as it is crazy. A lizard-like queen with a full set of pearls (is it Queen Victoria?) is holding a sceptre which looks like it has a fly on the end.

Sled One, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021
Sled One, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021

The surreal piece might be political commentary, or it might not, with Sled One it is customary to not really know what is going on. Accepting that there is a great story there somewhere is probably enough and we all have to let our imaginations run wild. I love this a lot.

3461. Brunel Way bridge (88)

Of all the ‘masters’ of Bristol graffiti writing, I think that Hemper is probably the least represented on Natural Adventures. I am not entirely sure why that might be. Perhaps it is the modest approach he takes to his highly technical freestyle work, or to the fact that he normally paints with other artists, which might take the attention away. I don’t know. Anyhow, I really ought to address this imbalance – perhaps with a gallery.

Hemper, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2021
Hemper, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2021

In this piece under Brunel Way, Hemper spells out HEMS with some glorious curvy letters filled with a couple of shade of purple and embellished in a way that gives it a shiny 3D effect – how does he achieve that shiny thing? Some very clever white additions that give it a reflective quality. This is a real technical banger.

3452. Brunel Way bridge (87)

My last post featured a piece by Pura Decadensia and in researching that piece I was able to hunt down the artist who painted this mysterious portrait under Brunel Way from a few months back. It is by Moño (she quite rightly stresses the ñ) and it was the first piece painted in Bristol by the Fuerteventurian artist.

Moño, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2020
Moño, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2020

I am staggered by how many Spanish artists we have in Bristol now and I’m not quite sure what we’d do without them. Moño swells their ranks and on the evidence of this piece is a superb addition to our city. I believe Moño is a tattoo artist, but this portrait has some lovely features, in particular the hair which is very nicely done indeed. This is an unusual piece, but really ticks all my boxes. I can’t wait to see more of her work.

3449. Brunel Way bridge (87)

At last a piece by Benjimagnetic that I can actually read. It quite clearly spells out BEN, much like many of his other pieces, but this one more legibly. It is interesting to note that Benjimagnetic is painting a few of these less cryptic pieces at the moment demonstrating that he is clearly not a one trick pony.

Benjimagnetic, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2021
Benjimagnetic, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2021

I hadn’t particularly been looking for this, and when I first saw it, wasn’t too clear who it was by until the penny dropped with the BEN and the little hollow highlights (that look like ‘V’s) that are such a trademark of the artist. Silver and Gold work well in this piece and which again are quite unusual colour selections that I wouldn’t normally associate with Benjimagnetic. A nice modest piece.

3443. Brunel Way bridge (85)

One of the most dramatic turnarounds on the Bristol graffiti art scene has to be the return of Turoe since his absence midway through last year which I think was due to ill health. He has been prolific since, most notably for his ‘Shyte Year’ series, condensing into two, or sometimes one word, 2020. This is a return to his Turoe writing.

Turoe, Brunel Way, Bristol, Jauary 2021
Turoe, Brunel Way, Bristol, Jauary 2021

Painted alongside some No Frills colleagues, this one is a real beauty in gold and red. It is a reasonably straightforward piece with a nice solid gold fill and striking red 3D shadows. There is a subtle white border, barely noticeable that lifts the whole thing. A very nice piece indeed.

3412. Brunel Way bridge (84)

When I first saw this piece I thought it might have been by Mudra, mainly because of the bright colours and capped character, but I couldn’t find his recognisable signature anywhere, so I had to think again. It is in fact by Dit Oner, whose range of styles is to be admired.

Dit Oner, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2020
Dit Oner, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2020

This is a writing-character piece with the character being incorporated as one of the letters. The letters are beautifully designed and filled and the little white highlights help with the 3D effect. The character too is very nicely done and integrated into the writing. I have my doubts however about the yellow background. it simply doesn’t work for me, just a bit yucky and insipid. perhaps a darker colour might have worked better. Nonetheless a fine piece of writing from the Spaniard.