I have said in recent posts featuring Zake that his work is getting ever more adventurous and zany, well this piece on the M32 roundabout pretty much supports my assertion. This is Zake pushing boundaries and having fun.
Zake, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2023
This piece was painted as part of a PWA crew paint jam, and combining with the crew has certainly nudged his work along, perhaps being inspired and encouraged by his friends. The face is huge and green and slightly unsettling, due to the absence of pupils. Zake’s mastery of light and shade conveys real depth and creates definition of features. This is an excellent character portrait from Zake – where to next for this artist? Whole bodies? Photorealism?
Looking at a single wall and how it changes over time.
3. Long hoarding at the top end of the M32 Spot
Logoe and Haka, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2019 Logoe and Haka, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2020 Smak, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020 Soap and Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2020 Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020 Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020 3Dom, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020 Smak and Mena, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2020 Smak and Mena, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2020 T-Rex, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021 Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2021 Conrico, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2021 Dott Rotten, M32 Spot, Bristol, April 2021 Pekoe and Bnie, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2021 Hemper, M32 Spot, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21 Logoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2021 Minto, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2022 Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2022 Logoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2022 Cuomo, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2022 Klashwhensober, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2022 Mudra and Saor, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2022 Dopes, Jaksta and Neddy Ned Ned, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2023 Saik0134, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2023 Werm, Pekoe and Fade, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2023 Noise, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2023 Bnie and Wispa, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2023
T-Rex and Rusk, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2023 Rusk, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2023 T-Rex, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2023 Evey, Pekoe and Bnie, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2024 Evey, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2024 Pekoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2024 Bnie, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2024 Zaenone and The Mole, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2024 Zaenone, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2024 The Mole, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2024 Slim Pickings (Tes) and Biers, M32 Spot, Bristol, August 2024 Krops, M32 Spot, Bristol, August 2024 Logoe and Nova, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2024 Nova, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2024 Logoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2024 ESKA, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2024 Logoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2024 Stivs and Mest, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2025 Stivs, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2025 Mest, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2025 Desi and Mr Two Gram, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2025 Desi, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2025 Mr Two Gram, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2025
I follow Wispa (Willo the Wisp) on Instagram, and it seems that not only is she talented and prolific with her art, but she seems to travel extensively to paint with friends wherever she pitches up. Fortunately, she appears to have some RBF friends in Bristol, and we are treated to her work every now and again.
Wispa, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2023
This piece under Brunel Way is a real cracker, with so much to enjoy. The first impression is how bright and colourful the piece is, but it is so much more than that. The fills in the letters are strong and the lines between colours straight and sharp. Of course, the character on the left tops the piece off beautifully, but it would be just as strong without it, demonstrating the quality of her writing. I hope she returns soon, although there is a little extra piece she painted on this visit.
One of the pure joys over the last year has been the emergence of Mr Underbite and his charismatic character, Mr Underbite. This rather glum fellow is endearing to say the least, and despite his miserable disposition, cheers me up every time I see him.
Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2023
Mr Underbite tends to use a basic template which he goes on to ‘pimp’ with different features and themes. This recent piece under Brunel Way is the basic form, although this is the first time I have seen the character with a neck. Looking forward to seeing a whole load more this year.
Instantly, my first thought when I look at this piece is that 3Dom has signed it @mike22inks, which is his Instagram handle. Is this in an effort to be more overt in gaining commissions? At the moment, with Bristol City Council (supposedly) clamping down on illegal walls, it might be that some of the more established artists are looking to continue their craft with commissions and permitted walls. Who knows?
3Dom, Elton Street, Bristol, February 2023
The piece itself, at the end of the Lost Horizons building, is a beautifully illustrated social commentary piece, possibly titled “It’s a Trap”. On his Instagram post, 3Dom included the hashtag #cashlesssociety. The TV/monitor character is animated with crustacean legs and is dangling an angler fish-like lure rather menacingly, enticing victims into the toothy mouth. Lots of things going on in this fabulous piece.
Another day and another monster character from Mote, although this one is a little different from his others. I am guessing that this is a representation of a jellyfish kind of creature, and the wobbly border line would probably confirm this.
Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023
Unusually, Mote has signed this piece and I can’t think of any other occasion when he has done this, so that comes as a bit of a surprise. If I am honest, I’m not sure that the wobbly line thing works too well, but it is great to see the artist experimenting and stretching himself. Another one for the menagerie.
I believe that this is a reasonably old piece from Mote on one of the columns under Brunel Way, but I have only recently photographed it – there are so many in this spot it is difficult to keep up.
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2023
Every time I have seen this piece, I instantly get images of the caped crusader and am not sure if this is deliberate or accidental on the part of Mote, who is not known for his characters drawn from popular culture, but rather from his imagination. Whatever the inspiration for this column piece, it is cheerful and fun and typically clean as you’d expect from Mote.
This wall is a little tiresome to photograph, especially as my camera doesn’t have a wide angle setting. The wall is in a narrow space opposite the wall of a ramp on the skate park, meaning that getting decent shots of anything painted here is a challenge. Biers, AKA WD40 has set me the challenge on this occasion.
Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2023
With his WD40 letters, Biers has incorporated a cartoon character, and I have to say I have drawn a blank on this one, so if you have any idea who he is, please feel free to drop his name in the comments. This is a particularly tidy piece from Biers, who can sometimes be a little rough around the edges, but not here, this is clean and on-point. A really lovely piece by Biers.
Here we have yet another fine piece from Mudra, in what seems to be a rapid-fire series of work from him. It is satisfying, as an onlooker, to watch as he develops and improves his style and to observe his creativity and imagination. To see his development, I have linked to his gallery, which is well worth a quick look.
Mudra, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2023
This piece, at the end of the tunnel, follows his template style of letters and character, mashed up into a single coherent work. The letters are connected through a common colour palette, but their shape, design and size are somewhat varied. The letters are quite concealed, although easy to find if you know what you are looking for. The little ‘d’ is probably the easiest. The character in the middle of the piece, on this occasion, is not a substitute letter, but instead just a bit of fun breaking up the piece. You’ve got to love the little floating had. There is a reference to recreational drugs and a bit of trippyness about the piece – but I am way too conventional to know about such things. More to come soon, I have no doubt.
I am guessing that Slakarts is busy these days in his non-street art life, because 2022 has been a very quiet year for him, and this is one of only a handful of pieces I have seen in a long time. This is how it goes for most street/graffiti artists, peaks and troughs of activity for a multitude of different reasons. It was fabulous, therefore, to come across this piece up at Purdown.
Slakarts, Purdown, Bristol, January 2023
Slakarts tends to maintain his central character, pimping it with ever more elaborate ideas. In this piece, the character is on the left, but the whole piece is a bit of a mash-up of randomly distributed elements of the character’s features, a nose, teeth, an ear and a tongue are thrown into the mix. Nicely designed and thought out. Let’s hope Slakarts can get out more in 2023.
Natural adventures 