Tag: Clifton Suspension Bridge

4852. Cumberland Basin

It has been a little while since I last saw a piece from Mr Underbite, so it was a pleasure to encounter this new piece, tucked away in Cumberland Basin. I love the way that Mr Underbite uses his basic character template and then ‘pimps it up’ to tell a different story.

Mr Underbite, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022
Mr Underbite, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022

The story in this piece is the Bristol story, and, as it the custom here, features the Clifton Suspension bridge designed and built by I. K. Brunel (although I believe he died before its completion). The suspension wires on the bridge have given Mr Underbite a smile, which isn’t something we are accustomed to with this character. Keep up the great work. (Note to self – do a gallery of Clifton Suspension bridge pieces).

4647. M32 Cycle path (183)

Kool Hand, M32 cycle path Bristol, August 2022
Kool Hand, M32 cycle path Bristol, August 2022

Good morning. Back to work for me today after a fabulous family break. I would be lying if I said I were looking forward to going back to work, and the next few days are going to be particularly tough, but I will get back into the swing of things and do the stuff I do well… and one day I will retire, when we can afford to.

Kool Hand, M32 cycle path Bristol, August 2022
Kool Hand, M32 cycle path Bristol, August 2022

This new piece from Kool Hand has been painted on a section of wall that has remained unchanged for about a year, so it was refreshing to see something new. Kool Hand has been super-busy lately and this is a rather nice piece in four tones (six if you include the background) featuring a crocodile with a roller and Posca pen, out to do his best. The piece is very nicely done, with clever use of shading with tones, and the Clifton suspension bridge in the background is something we all love in Bristol as it gives the work that local flavour. A very nice piece from Kool Hand.

4140. Cumberland Basin

Underneath the flyover complex in Cumberland Basin, in a spot favoured by the artist, is this magnificent recent piece by Acer. The stylised work depicts the Clifton Suspension Bridge that would be visible from this spot were it not for all the concrete.

Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2021
Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2021

Acer has many strings to his bow, and this geometric piece has a stained-glass window appearance. It is beautifully designed and very calming in a less than calming environment. Superb work in a spot that he has painted before.

AcerOne, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2019
AcerOne, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2019

4096. Alpine Road

I have always known that when looking for street art, it always pays off to walk round an extra corner or walk further than you were planning, because there are so many gems out there off the beaten track. I found this glorious mural by Gage Graphics on a trip to Greenbank. My dog wanted a longer walk, so I went on a bit of an exploration and was lucky enough to find this piece.

Gage Graphics, Alpine Road, Bristol, November 2021
Gage Graphics, Alpine Road, Bristol, November 2021

It was also interesting walking into Easton from a different direction and visualising how it all joins up. The mural takes up two sides of a corner building and seems to be a bit of an urban Bristol scene, identifiable by the Clifton suspension bridge, with some cartoon characters and fantasy shapes.

Gage Graphics, Alpine Road, Bristol, November 2021
Gage Graphics, Alpine Road, Bristol, November 2021

I do believe Top Cat makes an appearance as well as Jerry the mouse peering from a or, which all seems a little incongruous to me, but might have been a special request for the commission.

Gage Graphics, Alpine Road, Bristol, November 2021
Gage Graphics, Alpine Road, Bristol, November 2021

On the shorter side of the building there appear to be two little seating areas, with a dog playing a guitar and a small speaker system cleverly painted onto the gas meter box. A wonderful new and fantastical piece for Bristol by Gage Graphics.

3748. Upfest 2021 75×75 (3)

I have a feeling that this was the first of this year’s Upfest 75×75 pieces (75 walls painted in 75 days in lieu of a full blow street festival over a long weekend) and is by the magnificent artist Will Barras who is no stranger to Upfest.

Will Barras, St Francis Road, Bristol, May 2021, Upfest 21
Will Barras, St Francis Road, Bristol, May 2021, Upfest 21

There is a lot to love about this piece, in particular the local references to rock climbing, spray-painting and of course the moonlit Clifton suspension bridge. The night scene is painted very cleverly in muted colours to give it that dusk or nighttime feeling which works so well, and the mural seems to suck the light away from its surroundings.

Will Barras, St Francis Road, Bristol, May 2021, Upfest 21
Will Barras, St Francis Road, Bristol, May 2021, Upfest 21

The perspectives and energy of the cyclist seem to create a sense of energy and movement. There is a lot of dynamism in the piece, in spite of its dark tones. Replacing the Caro Pepe piece that existed here before was always going to be a big ask, but Will Barras has risen to the challenge and given us something unusual and rather special.

3124. Hammersmith Road

Well, here is something that you don’t see every day, a really old piece by Silent Hobo that if you saw it unsigned, could be difficult to identify as it looks not a lot like his current work.

Silent Hobo, Hammersmith Road, Bristol, August 2020
Silent Hobo, Hammersmith Road, Bristol, August 2020

Painted on a back gate, this piece, that would appear to have been here for some time, has a lot of Mario Brothers going on and the Clifton suspension bridge gives it a clear geographical reference. Finding old gems like this one is always incredibly rewarding, especially when not even looking for them.

3054. Cattle Market Road (5)

This is the fifth and final piece from the magnificent outdoor gallery in Cattle Market Road arranged by The Hass. it is by an artist I’ve not come across before, which should not come as too much as a surprise because he is a tattoo artist called Josh B.

Josh B, Cattle Market Road, Bristol, June 2020
Josh B, Cattle Market Road, Bristol, June 2020

It is immediately clear that this is the work of a tattoo artist, particularly looking at the bird, flowers and hand on the left. I can’t put my finger on why the tattoo style comes across so strongly, maybe the way the spray paint is used in the way that ink is, I don’t know. The piece is really beautifully painted and it is great to see the Bristol reference in the shape of the Bristol suspension bridge in one of the framed pictures. A lovely piece.

2579. Gloucester Road, CoLAB

I was on a mission to buy a couple of birthday presents a week or two back, and was running out of options (and time) so I took a stroll up Gloucester Road to see what I could find, as my usual ‘sure thing’ the Guild on Park Street had somewhat let me down. One of the shops I visited a couple of times was CoLAB, a shop that sells art from local artists. This particular shop also has strong links with the street art scene and stocks a range of books published by Tangent on the subject.

On my second trip into the shop, which sealed the deal on a rather nice print of the Carriageworks (with the Iconic Sweet Toof and Rawdy crocodile), I noticed this little alcove that looked a little bit like an ex-changing room (not an exchanging room, that might be something completely diffierent). Hurrah, the unmistakable work of Andy Council.

Andy Council, Gloucester Road CoLAB, Bristol, February
Andy Council, Gloucester Road CoLAB, Bristol, February

I don’t usually post indoor art in Natural Adventures, but just occassionally…

I suspect, looking at the wear and tear on this piece it might have been done some time ago. In true Andy Council style it features a bunch of dinosaurs that are constructed out of small houses and includes the Clifton Suspension Bridge, just for good measure. His work is inextricably linked with his home city and his identity can be found all over the place. A great find in a great shop that I will visit more frequently I’m sure.