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

1404. Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies, Barcelona (1)

This is the first of my posts from an Easter trip to Barcelona with my daughter. Although it was not a street art hunting break, I managed to come across some great spots thanks entirely to the great advice and help from Lewis Duncan, author of the excellent ‘No Grey Walls‘ WordPress site, to whom I am indebted.

I do not pretend to know anything about the artists in this collaboration and Lewis writes much more authoritatively about this piece in his own recent post about it, so I will direct you there for more detailed information. Instead I will leave you with some pretty pictures to look at. If I knew this spot better, I would know to come at a different time of day, as the sun was behind the wall making photography a little challenging.

Christian Blanxer, Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies, Barcelona, March 2018
Christian Blanxer, Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies, Barcelona, March 2018

The left hand side of the collaboration is by Christian Blanxer.

Saturno, Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies, Barcelona, March 2018
Saturno, Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies, Barcelona, March 2018

The middle section is by Saturno

Erase, Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies, Barcelona, March 2018
Erase, Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies, Barcelona, March 2018

The right hand section by Erase.

The collaboration really is a treat, and one of the best pieces I saw in Barcelona – I’m just so glad that I timed my visit to perfection.

Christian Blanxer, Saturno and Erase, Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies, Barcelona, March 2018
Christian Blanxer, Saturno and Erase, Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies, Barcelona, March 2018

1241. Dean Lane skate park (100)

It is a rare thing for me to come across an Andy Council piece that is not a composite of buildings to create a beast of some kind. Equally rare is to see an Andy Council collaboration, but here is a piece that he sprayed just before Christmas with Hemper in the far corner of Dean Lane, and it is a real humdinger.

Andy Council and Hemp, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2017
Andy Council and Hemp, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2017

I don’t know much about Hemper other than that he is a well established and highly regarded writer in Bristol and I have only come across his work a couple of times. This collaboration feels like a bit of fun between two friends. Andy Council has made a character out of his ammonite signature, which has turned out really well. This was a nice piece to find, even though I got to it too late to see it untagged.

1206. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (29)

This is an extraordinary three piece collaboration by Face F1st and Soap from the PWA crew (Pirate Wall Art). I have featured Face F1st many, many times on this blog, and recently Soap has made a reappearance. Now the two have combined to create these three masterful pieces.

Face F1st and Soap, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017
Face F1st and Soap, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017

From left to right, the first has a Face F1st face resting atop a soap pair of mouths, which when viewed differently also make the eyes of a skull face. The top face in this piece is very large and the whole thing is clean and has little in the way of detailed work.

Face F1st and Soap, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017
Face F1st and Soap, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017

The middle piece is more colourful and offers more embelishments and detail. This time the Face F1st part sits beneath the Soap.

Face F1st and Soap, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017
Face F1st and Soap, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017

The third part of the collaboration is more similar to the middle piece, showing more in the way of detail and decoration. I particularly like the bubbles and patterns in the hair of the Face F1st piece. Another interesting feature is the way that Face F1st has sprayed three circles in the centre of the eyes, those large eyes, which seems to add complexity to the emotion of the face. A lovely collaboration.

863. Dean Lane skate park (62)

I am absolutely loving this  EAT crew partnership of Kid Crayon and SPZero76. As street artists go, their styles are quite different, KC tending to have softer lines and whose characters have a kind of lumpy quality to them…I’m not sure I have used the right term there, but I know what I mean. SPZero76 tends to use sharper lines and his characters are altogether more angular and prickly (another dodgy art term).

Kid Crayon and SPZero, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
Kid Crayon and SPZero, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017

I mention their styles, because, of all the works they have done together that I have seen, this is the one where their art is starting to merge or rub-off on one another. The left hand side id by Kid Crayon and the right hand side by SPZero76.

Kid Crayon and SPZero, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
Kid Crayon and SPZero, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017

I have absolutely no idea what is going on in this piece, but love the sort of Summer watery feel to it all. A purple giant, some little ‘ginger bread man’ type figures and a pretty lady bathing with a rubber duck. KC is clearly bonkers.

Kid Crayon and SPZero, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
Kid Crayon and SPZero, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017

On the other side of things, SPZero76 gives us a couple of snorkelers a flamingo rubber ring and a pirate ship. The couple are in love. SPZero too is completely bonkers.

Kid Crayon and SPZero, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
Kid Crayon and SPZero, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017

I absolutely love this collaboration and even more enjoy the way that these two just seem to love to paint all the time, about anything. This is one of my favourite pieces so far this year. Bravo.

734. Dean Lane skate park (42)

This collaboration was in Dean Lane for quite a while before eventually being painted over by Inkie. I have held back on writing about it, because I wasn’t at all familiar with its creators. Of course, good things come to those who wait, and I eventually tracked down the artists thanks to the miracles of the Interweb.

Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017
Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017

The collaboration is by Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, who must have been passing through, as they aren’t local Bristol artists. It is a curious piece and quite different from much of the stuff we see around here. Even the colours used are quite unusual.

Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017
Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017

The left third is by Paris, the middle section by Haka and the right hand side, a rather psychedelic piece, is by Mustard Tiger. I rather like each of the individual pieces in isolation, but I am not sure the collaboration works as a whole. It might just be a familiarity thing, but I don’t really see the thread between the pieces (colours, story, style)…I might be missing something. There is also a small tribute to CK One.

Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017
Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017

553. Hawley Mews, Camden Town (2)

This is a wonderful collaboration that I saw in Hawley Mews, Camden Town during last summer. There is a great post about the piece from the  London calling blog, which perhaps more articulately describes the works than I might be able to do.

Alice Pasquini, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016
Alice Pasquini, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016

The girl and cheetah are by Alice Pasquini, an Italian artist from Rome, who has worked in many great cities all over the world. Her work, which often features portraits and uses light pastel shades, reminds me a lot of Hannah Adamasek’s work. There is a serenity and calmness in this piece.

Alice Pasquini, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016
Alice Pasquini, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016

The desert foxes by Himbad and Marina Zumi add a little humour to the collaboration. There is not a lot of information about Himbad, although lots of his work is posted on various websites. It would appear that he is based in London. His fox looks rather mischievous, which is pretty much in keeping with the other faces he sprays on the streets of London.

Himbad, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016
Himbad, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016

Marina Zumi presents us with an altogether softer and kinder looking desert fox. Marina Zumi lives and works in Sao Paolo and is perhaps more used to working large walls. She paints fairy tail animals, often at dusk or nightfall when the magic comes. You can read more about her work here.

Himbad and Marina Zumi, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016
Himbad and Marina Zumi, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016

It was a real pleasure to see this collaboration. Just one of the rewards for wandering around without any plan or map…psychogeography at its best.