6309. M32 roundabout J3 (618)

Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2024
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2024

Oof! This is an absolutely outstanding framed piece of writing by Smak, which stands out ‘poster-like’ from the long wall of the M32. Rather well concealed, the letters spell out SMAK, and there is an overwhelming sensation of a tropical island landscape conveyed by the palm trees and a possible reference to a bright sun.

Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2024
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2024

The way the piece is pulled together has a collage appearance, as if a youngster had cut up pictures from a holiday brochure (remember those?) and stuck them onto a rectangular piece of paper. This is a truly memorable piece by Smak and something a little special.

986. Upfest 2017 (39)

Tucked away in the garden of The Rising Sun was this rather provocative and surreal piece by EdF*ck. I can’t find out much about the artist, so I include his Upfest programme biography:

‘Hi my name is Edf*ck, my work mainly consists of spray paint and de-collage but extends to illustration and character design, often encapsulating dark imagery captioned with playful slogans and vicious characters.’

EdF*ck, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
EdF*ck, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
So my first impression of this artist and the style is that I rather like it. It reminds me of the kind of magazine cut-out collages I used to make as a kid, creating disturbing distortions of reality from pictures. One major difference…this is considered, cleverly worked and artistic. I’m glad I ventured into this corner of the pub garden, because I missed it on the Saturday of the festival.

948. Upfest 2017 (18)

Regular viewers of this blog will be familiar with the talents of Georgie, a Bristol artist who uses many different techniques for her street art work. This time she has selected a collage and spray piece with a nice big smiley face. She has incorporated other pieces of her work in the surrounding collage, including the ‘Citizen of Nowhere’ stencil.

Georgie, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Georgie, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
It was all pretty busy in North Street Green where she was working when I passed through, so I decided not to bother her, especially with the showery weather which made things tricky for artists and visitors alike. This was a wonderfully cheerful piece which really embodied the spirit of Upfest. Keep on Smiling.