2469. M32 roundabout J3 (169)

I have been very taken with these delightfully colourful and ephemeral pieces by Eden that appeared on the M32 roundabout a month or so ago. The works appear to be simple in composition, but there is a complexity to them that probably goes unnoticed by most people.

Eden, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2019
Eden, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2019

Take a closer look at these streaks of paint and you can see a large crowd of people milling round and going about their daily business. Take a closer look still and two of the figures near the bottom have struck up a relationship as indicated by the little lines above their head. Is it a conversation? Are they in love? are they Arguing? Take a look around the piece and you start to see other interactions happening. A lovely and interesting piece from Eden.

2371. St Werburghs tunnel (90)

This was a quick one from Mr Klue in St Werburghs, and on his Instagram feed he said he was using up old paints… certainly this piece is much more explosively colourful than many of his pieces which tend to be colour-themed.

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2019
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2019

Already the piece has gone, painted over by a viting artist from Liverpool (to follow), and was only on view for a week or so. I haven’t seen much of his work for a month or more, so it was nice to see this one, and I missed photographing his other recent piece at Turbo Island before it got horribly tagged.

2149. Brick Lane (3)

I knew about this beautiful Dan Kitchener piece, because I’d seen it a couple of times on Instagram, so it was ‘front of mind’ when I eventually made it to Brick Lane. The piece, on a perfect wall was towards the southern end of Brick Lane, and although it has been there since mid-March was in remarkably good nick.

Dan Kitchener, Brick Lane, London, April 2019
Dan Kitchener, Brick Lane, London, April 2019

It is impossible not to admire Dan Kitchener’s work and his geisha pictures really are sublime. The piece is awash with colour and the hair decorations are so beautifully crafted, the street lights behind creating movement. Probably a ‘quick one’ from Dan Kitchener, but a real gem nonetheless.

2145. Dean Lane skate park (205)

I haven’t seen a whole lot of Mr Draws’ work lately – I think he has been out and about, but by the time I get to find his pieces they have been over-painted, so it was most gratifying to come across this one in Dean Lane last week.

Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2019
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2019

His ideas are simple and his execution very much in the style of high-class bombers, but in my mind what really sets him apart from others is his willingness to try new concepts and colour patterns. This piece really works for me, it is easy on the eye and I just can’t stop myself following the purple spiral from the centre outwards and back again. The multicoloured fill is a joy. All good from Mr Draws.

1992. Upfest 2018 (128)

On yet another completely new wall for Upfest 2018 was this slightly unusual abstract piece from Rob Wass. You had to keep your eyes peeled for this one due to its location down a side street on the main drag between North Street and Ashton Gate.

Rob Wass, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Rob Wass, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

As yet my mind isn’t fully made up on this one and I really can’t put my finger on my reservation. I think it might have more to do with the aspect of the wall and the pebble dash finish (which must be a nightmare for painters), than it does to do with the piece itself.

Rob Wass, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Rob Wass, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Over the years, Rob Wass has produced some lovely pieces for Upfest and he has become a firm favourite. I imagine that this one will remain in place for a while because of its accessibility.

Rob Wass, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Rob Wass, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

1932. Shoreditch, London (12)

I have seen so much of his work on the Interweb, but I think this is the first piece by C215 that I have seen in the flesh. I don’t think it is a particularly new piece, but being only an occasional visitor to Shoreditch, it is new to me.

C215, Shoreditch, London, November, 2018
C215, Shoreditch, London, November, 2018

There is so much to like about his work, with the simple lines and scatter of colours combining to give an astonishingly clear portrait. The style has some similarities with the work of Dzia, where the constituent elements combine magnificently to create a perfect whole. Love this piece.

Treasure

.

Shedding leaves of gold

a silver birch undresses

Autumnal treasure.

.

by Scooj

1794. Upfest 2018 (70)

I know that I am not alone when I say that at Upfest there are some pieces simply don’t remember seeing and yet here they are in full colour in my photographs. This is in no way to discredit any of the artists, but rather an acknowledgment of visual overload. It happens. This incredible piece by Darry Perier has been a wonderful surprise and gift when trawling through my photographs. It is such a striking piece it seems a bit weird that I don’t remember it.

Darry Perier, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Darry Perier, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

This piece is where cubism meets street art and I love it. It is the kind of piece that would sit equally comfortably on a street wall or in a gallery, a fantastic crossover piece. There is a lot going on to tease the eye and the use of colours in those tight stripes creates a wonderful effect. I wish I had spent more time admiring it in the flesh.

1569. M32 roundabout J3 (87)

I love the sunny spell we have been enjoying in Bristol except for two things. The first is that there is a water supply leak on my allotment and the Council have turned off the mains supply. That means no water, which means no vegetables and I am pretty upset about it. The second thing is the shadows cast by trees and buildings, making street art photography really tiresome at some sites.

This side of the M32 is a case in point and on the day and time I visited, several of the excellent pieces were partially obscured by dappled shade from the trees. Cameras don’t like dappled shade. This burner by Soker was only affected at the far right hand edge.

 

Soker consistently turns out incredible work and this colourful writing continues the trend. There is a lot of detail and care that has gone into this piece. Even if you are not a fan of graffiti writing, it is possible to appreciate the technical quality of work like this.

 

1554. Dean Lane skate park (136)

It is simply not, not possible (thank you Manja Mexi Movie) to admire the bravery and talent in the work of Tom Miller. This transformation of a container that is more used to hosting quick burners is quite remarkable. Sadly, it has since reverted, but for a few fleeting moments class had arrived in this Dean Lane spot.

Tom Miller, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018
Tom Miller, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018

Unfortunately I arrived a little too early to see this piece completed – there is a little footnote in the bottom right saying ‘Back 2moro’. I think it was almost completed, but when I returned only a few days later it had been over-sprayed. It is part of the game, and all artists know the score, but there is something disrespectfully self-destructive about writing over good art I feel.

Tom Miller, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018
Tom Miller, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018

Tom Miller confounds with his surreal explosiveness, connecting a dream world with a tangible one. The colours he has used and the overall effect is like nothing else I have ever seen in Dean Lane. I do like it when highly competent and trained artists take to the streets, it adds to the incredible diversity of free art. Bravo! Tom Miller.