2920. Dean Lane skate park (308)

Anyone who reads Natural Adventures regularly will know that I have a soft spot for Polish artist Hire, whose Gothic writing and spiky rabbits regularly adorn the walls of Dean Lane skate park. This piece from July last year treats us to both central elements of his work.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2019

The writing part of the piece is expertly done and I particularly like the way that two tones of orange are used and blended to great effect. The 3D shading is very distinct, but I fear slightly dominates the brittle nature of the letters.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2019

The rabbit, although menacing, is perhaps a little kinder than some of his spikier cousins… it looks like it has had a bit of a shampoo and set. How on earth I allowed this one to sit in my archive until now, I’ll never know.

2918. Leonard Lane (26)

Just in case anyone is suffering from withdrawal symptoms from a regular dose of Nevergiveup’s (#followmyrabbits) rabbits, I thought I’d throw in one of dozens still unpublished on Natural Adventures.

Nevergiveup, Leonard Lane, Bristol, July 2019
Nevergiveup, Leonard Lane, Bristol, July 2019

This beauty was sprayed on one of the doors at the eastern end of Leonard Lane, and I think I must have photographed it fairly soon after it had been painted because it is very crisp and clean without any tags. This one is notable for the use of lots of colours, maybe he was using up dregs. Lovely rabbit this one, and a great location.

2900. Dean Lane skate park (305)

The great thing about looking back is that you get to see what artist’s work looked like some time ago and how they might have developed over time. This fabulous pair of rabbits from Nevergiveup (#followmyrabbits) is from April 2018 and is notably different from more recent incarnations of the characters in two respects: the amount of decoration on the torso is much more limited, and the ears much smaller than on the 2020 versions.

Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018

We have to remember that the artist has only been in Bristol for about three years, it feels much longer because of the abundance and spread of rabbits, but in street art terms it is a relatively short time. The image below is a more recent incarnation pf a Nevergiveup rabbit, can you see the differences?

Nevergiveup, Lucky Lane, Bristol, February 2020
Nevergiveup, Lucky Lane, Bristol, February 2020

2892. Dean Lane skate park (304)

I think that regular readers of Natural Adventures will be more used to seeing rabbits from Nevergiveup (#followmyrabbits) than from Hire, but it was the latter who painted them in Bristol first, especially in The Bearpit and Dean Lane.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2017

This old one is on the famous curved wall at Dean Lane skate park and is beautifully finished. Set on a dark red and rather moody background, this menacing rabbit (with Gothic styling) is painted in a grey-green that contrasts brilliantly with it. One that escaped my clutches from way back in February 2017. Nice to free it.

Hire

A gallery of extraordinary writing and menacing rabbits from Bristol-based artist Hire.

Instagram: @hireonebf

All photographs taken by Scooj.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Hire, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Hire, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Hire, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Hire, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 222
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 222
Hire, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022
Hire, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022
Hire, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2022
Hire, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020
Hire, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2020
Hire, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2020
Hire, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020
Hire, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2019
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018
Hire, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2018
Hire, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2017
Soge and Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2017
Soge and Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2017
Hire, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016
Hire, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2017
Hire, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, June 2016
Hire, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, June 2016
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017
Hire, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017
Hire, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017
Laic217 and Hire, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2017
Laic217 and Hire, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2017

2810. Dean Lane skate park (290)

The original Bristol bunny has woken up after a winter slumber. Hire has been painting these rabbits for a while and before his compatriot Nevergiveup (@followmyrabbits) turned up in Bristol. Who’d have thought we’d get one, let alone two bunny specialists in the city?

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020

Hire’s rabbits are edgy and have an element of menace about them… I suspect I’d cross the road if I saw one approaching on a dark night. I think the first one I ever saw was in The Bearpit, but at that time I didn’t know who had painted it.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020

On this occasion we are fortunate enough to get a double helping of rabbits, a green spiky one and a white smooth one, both based on the same basic formula. I guess this is what you call a glorified tag that has been perfected after many years of use. Great to see Hire back on the streets – now to look out for some more.

2795. Lucky Lane (2)

I often talk about how lazy I am in these posts, and I am not proud of it at all, and a fine demonstration of my condition is that I took these pictures from my car without even bothering to get out. Shame on me.

Nevergiveup, Lucky Lane, Bristol, February 2020
Nevergiveup, Lucky Lane, Bristol, February 2020

It is another fabulous rabbit from Nevergiveup or NGU or #followmyrabbits or whatever else you want to call him. Now resident in Bath, the artist still pops over to Bristol from time to time, so there is still a constant flow of new material to hunt down. The fine designs on these rabbits is getting ever more intricate, which will be a great mechanism for dating them in the future.

2767. Dean Lane skate park (283)

Here he is again, this time half way up a fire escape on the recently disused building at Dean Lane. I speak of yet another rabbit from Nevergiveup (@followmyrabbits), this particular one is painted as a balloon drifting up into the sky.

Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020
Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020

I think that the artist’s name is a self-fulfilling prophesy. I just wonder if he will ever tire of painting these things. When he first came to Bristol, he used to paint monsters but he seems to have given up on them now. Naturally, many more to come from my archives.

2737. Dean Lane skate park (279)

I don’t need to write too much about this – regular readers will know the form. It is a rabbit by Nevergiveup or #followmyrabbits. This one is on the roof of the Bedminster swimming baths which is on Dean Lane, a popular graffiti spot but it has to be said that this rabbit stands out from all the graffiti writing around it.

Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2019
Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2019

I’m not too sure how old this rabbit is – it looks quite fresh, and I have a feeling that there might have been a different one here before it, but then again I might be imagining things. So, so many more rabbits to share…

2726. River Avon (4)

Those of you who read my Thursday Doors post this week will have already seen this wonderfully colourful rabbit accompanied by a whole bunch (is that a collective term for rabbits?) of his mates lurking in various doorways around Bristol.

Nevergiveup, River Avon, Bristol, January 2020
Nevergiveup, River Avon, Bristol, January 2020

Nevergiveup or Followmyrabbits, the artist is relentless in his persuit to paint every square inch of Bristol (and Bath) with these cute creatures. I have completely given up trying to capture all of them, and I imagine Bristol City Council and others feel much the same. It is becomig a bit of a thing as people are becoming rabbit hunters – there is a father and son in Bristol who have photographs of well in excess of 100 of these creatures. And still they breed.