1584. The Bearpit (151)

I am taking a bit of a punt here, because I want to start posting pieces by this artist (of which I have many) and guessing that from the signature their name is BTW…of course initials on street art can mean a plethora of things, including a crew name or respected fellow artist or tribute, for example. So for now and until I know better I will refer to the artist as BTW.

BTW? The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2018
BTW? The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2018

This is one of the larger pieces that I have seen from the artist and is consistent with the predominantly monotone style, although there is a dash of pink in this one. The character in the Nike hat is a half person which has been chomped below the waiste and I’m not too sure what the other little characters are, but it is a fun piece. I rather like this cartoon style and look forward to posting a few more pieces by BTW.

1579. Norfolk Place (3)

Oh, will this gorgeous weather never end? It is causing havoc with my photographs!

No prizes for guessing who this glorious piece is by, it is of course Deamze, the master of wildstyle writing accompanied by a cartoon character.

Deamze, Norfolk Place, Bristol, June 2018
Deamze, Norfolk Place, Bristol, June 2018

The Character in this piece is a rather worse-for-wear looking Batman with the obligatory spray can. Even though the work is on a textured surface, the piece is crisp and clean.

Deamze, Norfolk Place, Bristol, June 2018
Deamze, Norfolk Place, Bristol, June 2018

Deamze uses several writing styles in his work, and this one incorporates his zig-zaggy shapes that make up the letters D E A M Z. A lovely fresh piece for the summer.

1571. M32 roundabout J3 (88)

What a lovely collaboration between two artists that are highly regarded in Bristol, but whose work I don’t often get to see, Ulow and Hemper. The character on the left is by Ulow and is expertly painted. It is impossible not to marvel at the subtle shades he uses and the folds in the material – a sophisticated cartoon style character.

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2018
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2018

On the right is a wonderful piece of writing from the master Hemper. I wonder if he needed an extra foot of height on this wall. I have found it hard to find out too much about Hemper, but keep coming across his work from time to time. I have found the best way to find out more about the artists is through a serendipitous meeting while they are at work. This has not yet happened between me and Hemper, although it has with Ulow.

Ulow and Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2018
Ulow and Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2018

1570. The Bearpit (150)

I have been looking forward to Nevla ‘going big’ and hitting The Bearpit … and with this joyful piece he has done both. The first time I saw this piece it was covered, rather unhelpfully, in posters. In an Instagram exchange Nevla informed me that the posters had been removed, so I went back again to get some ‘clean’ pictures of the piece.

Nevla, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2018
Nevla, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2018

The whole thing is a bit quirky, but I absolutely love it. An old man in a coat and top hat is not the sort of person you expect to be saying ‘I love you‘, it is strange and thought provoking. I love the other text boxes too ‘it’s unusual‘ and ‘smells nice innit‘ – what on earth is that all about?

Nevla, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2018
Nevla, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2018

Nevla’s whole piece in cartoon style is in his typical grayscale shades and nicely highlighted with a red surround. I really do like his work and hope that this piece is a gateway to more exposure and bigger and better walls.

1558. M32 roundabout J3 (86)

This is an old one by Laic217 from my archives, and I think it demonstrates really well the progress he has made over the last couple of years. This was a format that he used a lot back then, his letters and a character. Somehow it all looks a little more crude than his current work. Always great to see an artist develop.

Laic217, M32 roiundabout, Bristol, October 2016
Laic217, M32 roiundabout, Bristol, October 2016

The lettering is the word LAIC, somewhat broken up, and the character is that of a young woman with her hair tied up. It is a curious looking portrait, but there is something rather compelling about it.

Laic217, M32 roiundabout, Bristol, October 2016
Laic217, M32 roiundabout, Bristol, October 2016

I can’t think why I never published this at the time…maybe Laic217 was going through one of his productive periods and I couldn’t write about them quickly enough. Anyhow, great to post it now.

1521. M32 roundabout J3 (83)

Right up there with my favourite Bristol artists is 3Dom. This dream-like piece was created during the recent ASK paint jam at the M32 roundabout and is just so typical of his weird and wonderful creative mind.

3Dom, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018
3Dom, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018

For those who know his work, there are several familiar themes going on here in this piece, including the purple striped trousers the character is wearing and the birdcage for a head. 3Dom often uses inanimate objects to create the face of his characters, bringing those inanimate objects to life and personality to the whole piece. I think a psychiatrist would probably have a field day with 3Dom’s work.

3Dom, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018
3Dom, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018

I love the little details like the fly, the lock on the birdcage and especially the upwards drips on the bicycle. I love this piece to bits.

1515. M32 roundabout J3 (82)

This is what Deamze specialises in, a fantastically intricate piece of writing accompanied by a cartoon character. In this piece, which was painted at the recent ASK crew paint jam, Deamze makes full use of bold primary colours – something not often seen in my experience of graffiti/street art.

 

I think this is a really sharp piece, beautifully executed, as if we should expect anything less. I don’t really know who the character is, he looks familiar but I can’t place him. Google searches failed me on this occasion.

 

This is a bright piece which looks amazing on this section of wall and the pictures with tree cover add that little something special. Fine work.

1488. M32 roundabout J3 (74)

Biers is fast becoming a favourite writer of mine. His designs are pleasing to the eye and pretty much always spell out BIERS. Looking at this great piece on the M32 wall though, I am reminded about how little I know about the street art scene and the cultural references.

Biers, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018
Biers, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018

The character in the middle of the piece is familiar to me, but I don’t know if that is just because I have looked at this picture a lot, or whether it is because it is ‘off of the telly’. Unfortunately the tags IMOK and MCF were added subsequently, taking the edge off the piece a little.

1487. M32 cycle path (13)

It feels like it has been a very long while since I saw anything new from Deamze, so this piece came as a long-awaited pleasure. In one of his favourite spots (I’m not sure anyone else sprays this wall) alongside the M32 he has created one of his most riotously colourful pieces to date.

Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018
Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018

On the left hand side we see a fabulously intricate and sophisticated piece of wildstyle writing, spelling out DEAM, and on the right a trademark cartoon from this brilliant artist.

Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018
Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018

Often the characters that Deamze recreates are from ’70s to ’90s TV shows, but I just can’t make out who this one is, and there isn’t a lot to go on to ‘Google it’ either. The whole thing is very refreshing and a reminder of just how good some of the Bristol street artists are.

1440. Wilder Street (23)

I photographed this piece by 2Keen a long while back, before I knew anything about the artist. To me, the piece looks unfinished, and I know from having met him a few times while he was doing his Redland collaboration that he can take a while to complete a piece.

2Keen, Wilder Street, Bristol, September 2016
2Keen, Wilder Street, Bristol, September 2016

This wild smiling character is similar to others that I have seen, and he seems to create them with exaggerated features and a little bit of edge to them. One that I took in passing and have had archived for a long while. I should go back to see if it is still there.

2Keen, City Road, Bristol, May 2017
2Keen, City Road, Bristol, May 2017