It would seem that after a rather dormant spell over the summer, Daz Cat is becoming a little more active again, and his pieces are definitely moving more in the direction of narratives than straightforward portraits of cats and dogs.
Daz Cat, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2022
In this column piece, under the M32, a cat, with a fox curled up on its head is holding a little dog and is standing next to a chicken with a frog on its head. Don’t ask what the story here is, I wouldn’t know where to begin. I prefer to enjoy the spectacle and the elements that make it up. Another fabulous us piece from Daz Cat.
This is definitely one for the cat lovers. Last year, the walls and shutter of ‘For the Pets’ pet shop on East street were adorned with some ultra-cute animals painted by Roo – a difficult act to follow, but Taker One has taken up the baton and excelled.
Taker One, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
There are three cats painted on the sides of the corner shop in a photorealistic style and using mono colour tints, creating a fabulous effect. The cats are absolutely gorgeous and full of character.
Taker One, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Each cat is painted in a different colour tone, but my brain doesn’t interpret this as in any way strange, they simply look like cats. These cats definitely deserved a permanent wall, and it is reassuring to know that they will be here, most likely, until the next Upfest.
Taker One, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Taker One is a mural artist from Hungary, and these cats add to his spectacular negative/positive portrait piece from Upfest 2016, which was a real hit. I sincerely hope that this extremely talented artist is able to return again to Bristol and wow us with his incredible art.
This is a fine collaborative wall from Mr Klue, and The Cat Came Back (who has possibly one of the best street art names in Bristol, although it is a competitive field). Mr Klue has been painting these walls more regularly of late, but it is a long while since I last saw much from The Cat Came Back.
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2022
To the left, and well within Mr Klue’s ‘safety zone’ is another fine abstract piece from the artist, in which it is possible to decipher the letters KLUE, if you look carefully. The whispy elements, and organic shapes are so unique to Mr Klue, and unlike anything else we see in Bristol.
The Cat Came Back, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2022
To the right, is a beautifully executed and proportioned set of letters, I think spelling out MEAT, with a cat face for the ‘A’. The fill patterns, on alternate letters are well done, and the white accent lines are very effective in lifting the letters out of the wall, a trick used by writers to create a 3D effect. Great to see these two painting together.
Another prolific artist in Porto is Costah. What is really enjoyable about Costah’s art is that he has embraced the whole edgy culture of street art and seems to combine legal with non-legal walls and is equally at home with paste ups as he is with spray paints.
Costah, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
This cat, painted on a derelict building on a steep hill just north of the river is a really classy piece. Just by looking at it, you can see straight away that it is painted by someone who knows and understands street art. The stylised cartoon cat is a real charmer and seems to fit in so well with the sun-baked wall it is painted on. More too from Costah to come.
It feels like an age since I last saw a collaborative piece by Daz Cat and CDTC, probably because it has been an age. Neither artist has been out and about much this year, certainly nowhere near as much as during the lock down periods.
CDTC and Daz Cat, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2022
This is rather a nice piece, working to both artist’s strengths. To the left is an exploding head with a comic book orange ‘KAPOW’ burst across the character’s eyes by CDTC, painted with nice clean lines and interesting feature shading in the face. To the right, a rather sullen-looking cat wearing a fetching blue hoodie looks to be prepping a wall with a long roller. Again, care and attention have gone into this piece which is very nicely finished. This was a pleasant surprise to stumble across in the tunnel.
I went in search of a Mudra piece and instead found this cat painted over the top of it, and my disappointment and pleasure were present in equal measure. It would have been nice to see the Mudra piece in all its glory, but it is a jungle out there. It would also be nice to have some clue about the artist who painted the cat… answers on a postcard.
Unknown, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022
I rarely post pieces from unknown artists, but I couldn’t resist this one. The artist has captured the cat’s expression really well, and the use of colours and overlapping lines works really well. This looks like a practice piece by an artist who knows what they are doing. A great find.
Although Daz Cat has been a little quiet of late, apart from a smattering of quickie cat faces, when he does have time he creates something magnificent, like this recent cat down by the river under Brunel Way.
Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2022
This piece is a dreamy look forward to the summer and days of warmth, shorts and ice lollies. The cat is one of Daz Cat’s full length versions and tells a story, rather than just a static piece. I’m not too sure what the pink lines on the shorts are, but some idiot has ‘augmented’ the piece, which is a pity. All in all rather wonderful stuff.
Natural adventures 