The cream always rises to the top they say and this little collaboration from Inkie and Rowdy was put together for this year’s St Paul’s carnival is right up there. It is high-time this wall was repainted and these two have done a great job.
Inkie and Rowdy, Wilder Street, Bristol, July 2019
The crocodile across the top is the trademark emblem used by Rowdy and can be found all over the city, although a great number of them have sadly disappeared. The writing from Inkie is actually rather beautiful, and I am guessing needs to be read out with a bit of a West Indian lilt. Fine collaboration.
My hundredth post on Upfest 2018 and I have been saving this piece to mark the occasion. Sometimes in this game you get to see something very special, and when I heard that Odeith was coming to the festival I had high hopes. This piece not only met, but far exceeded my expectations, and it was a real privilege to see this master of anamorphic street art at work.
Odeith, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
I have seen a lot of Odeith’s work on social media, most of it of insects and spiders stretched across a corner, but this is the first time I have seen anything on three walls and under water. The effect is quite astonishing and how well it plays tricks with your eyes and mind. Even with the artist standing in the middle of the space, disrupting the effect, it still looks amazing.
Odeith, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
The water level is so brilliantly devised that it feels like the viewer is swimming about a foot or so under the surface, and the water distorts the back of the scene where the crocodile’s head breaks the surface.
Odeith, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
The walls of the tank are composed of large stone block letters, spelling out ODEITH. Not only is the concept of this piece extraordinary, but the skill and attention to details, light, shade texture and so on is second to none. I think that in most people’s eyes, this was the piece that stole the show. A technical masterpiece.
Hurrah – I just love it when paint jams are held on this wall. There is clearly some organising that goes on to buff the entire length of wall in a common colour and for all the artists to share a colour scheme. This is the first of several posts from this particular recent gathering and I chose to start with Rowdy, because it is a while since I posted any of his work.
Rowdy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
One of the godfathers of Bristol street art, Rowdy shows us the way with a stack of his trademark crocodiles that can be found scattered all over the City. A simple concept stylishly presented and emblematic of the Bristol scene. I love this piece, and just take a look at the detail in the eyes. What does it al mean?
Anyone reading this will know that I am a big fan of Kid Crayon. His bright and unusual pieces always contain an element of wit, charm or mischief and this pink crocodile demonstrates this sense of fun with a commmentary on the rain that fell throughout the Upfest festival.
Kid Crayon, Upfest, Bristol, October 2018
This shutter piece was the second that he did at the festival, both using this colour scheme, so I am guessing that he got a job lot of these colours especially for the weekend. There is something really endearing about this crocodile and there is a gentleness to the way he is holding the little umbrella. A lovely piece.
I’m getting to see quite a lot of work by Kool Hand dotted about the place, and what I see I like. His work is distinctive, using only a few strong colours to fill strong clean lines around his characters. There is a light-heartedness about his work which brings a smile to my face.
Kool Hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018
The writing part of this piece spells out KoolH and is rather nicely filled out with what looks like a bit of a jungle scene commensurate with his crocodile character. It looks like his dark green might have been running a little low. I love the way he always preps his walls with a whitewash background, another tell-tale sign that Kool Hand is about.
It has been a little while since I have seen a Sled One piece, but this one has been worth waiting for. A crocodile, or is it an alligator? with SLED written into the main part of the body.
Sled One, M32 roundabout Bristol, June 2017
There is a lot to like about this piece; the colours, the backdrop design, the writing and of course the reptile with its stylish purple glasses. This was my second attempt at photographing the work. The first time was on a very bright day, and there was a shadow cast across half of the wall…sometimes overcast days can be a blessing.
I am very excited about this piece. It is a crocodile by the fantastic Rowdy – one of Bristol’s original street artists. I am excited because since I have been blogging about street art, I haven’t come across any new works by him. One feels closer to the artist if you can still smell the paint on the wall.
Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
This croc is sprayed on the side of one of the staircases into The Bearpit and looks very much at home. It is the kind of piece that should become a bit of a landmark. I would be amazed and disappointed if it gets tagged, like so much of the work in The Bearpit.
Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
A big thank you from me to Rowdy. This is Bristol through and through.
I think that this street and its immediate surroundings are my favourite places for viewing great street art. It is a quiet backwater, and the walls are perfect to spray and easy to photograph.
Deamze, Midland Street, Bristol, March 2016
This new piece by Deamze is just so good. A wildstyle burner and so much more, just beautifully executed. Deamze manages to get fantastically clean lines and his choice of colours seems to be never ending.
Deamze, Midland Street, Bristol, March 2016
The crocodile and robot characters just add that little bit extra to this great piece. There is another wonderful burner right next to this one, and once I am certain I know who it is by, I will feature it too.
*Crocodile – an informal line of people, especially children, walking in pairs
**At primary school, decades ago, we had a trip to the London Natural History Museum. My teacher said ‘let’s see the crocodile’…I spent the rest of the day looking for this infernal reptile. I never found it.
Natural adventures 