In Dean Lane on the edge of the curved wall, Daz Cat has painted one of his trademark cats, but how his artwork has come on. In recent years, he has worked on and improved, immeasurably, his depth and features, which in his earlier work were rather flat. I guess I am saying that his work has become much more sophisticated. If you look at the image below, you will see what I mean.
Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2024
This cheeky cat, sporting a bit of a quiff, is licking his face, something that cats seem to delight in being able to do. While this is a bit of a quick ‘stamp’ it is nonetheless really rather good.
It feels like Daz Cat is pushing all sorts of boundaries at the moment and painting with a freedom in both style and content that is a pleasure to witness. There is a lot going on in this free-flowing story-telling piece in Greenbank.
Daz Cat, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2024
I can see a lady surrounded by purple/lilac cats, but the intriguing part of this piece is the two ‘robot’ arms that rather randomly seem to have landed in amongst them and are smoking from the arm sockets. There is a story which is skilfully illustrated, but it is a story belonging very much to the artist – as viewers we can only concoct our own stories. Great work from Daz Cat.
Something happened to Daz Cat while he was travelling in Southeast Asia over the winter. It is almost as if he had an epiphany after which his art has moved on to a new level. A glance at this gallery of his work shows how much he has developed over the years, but this transformation is a bit of a step change.
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024
Daz Cats work was already becoming more sophisticated, but since returning to the UK there is more fluidity in his work, which is more three dimensional, and he is trying out new things, such as the profile portrait of the girl in this piece. This is an exceptional and original piece of street art, and I think it might be my new favourite by Daz Cat. Whilst I was photographing it, a passer-by who was walking his dog, singled out this piece and said how much he admired it. Keep it up Daz Cat, this is special.
From what I can gather, Daz Cat has been away for a little while travelling in Southeast Asia, and has recently returned to Bristol not only with some vigour but also with a newfound inspiration that is coming across very clearly in his new pieces, like this one in Cumberland Basin.
Daz Cat, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
I can’t say I have really seen anything like this from Daz Cat before, it is like his work has taken a significant step change. There is more sophistication and depth to his character portrait, who appears to be a hybrid between a human and a cat. There are some great colours used in this piece, and the hair is just something else. Daz Cat has come a long way, and his journey is getting really interesting.
I always like finding pieces by Daz Cat, as there is something comforting and very ‘Bristol’ about them. I do miss his rather larger storytelling pieces, which seem to be few and far between these days, but I expect that is because he is otherwise occupied and only has time for his smaller cat characters.
Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, December 2023
This one up at Purdown is a classic piece of Daz Cat artwork. The cat character is looking straight out from the wall with long whiskers and flattened ears (to fit the limited space). The trademark shape on the Cat’s forehead marks this as a Daz Cat piece… no signature necessary. More please in 2024.
Daz Cat, Peel Street Green, Bristol, November 2023
I have to say that I am missing the large ‘storytelling’ pieces that Daz Cat has produced over the last couple of years, and can only think that he is busy with other things to have time to put into his more complex pieces. I will have to make do with enjoying his quicker pieces that he is continuing to turn out reasonably regularly.
Daz Cat, Peel Street Green, Bristol, November 2023
This is a wonderful blue cat in three-quarter profile, full of detail and character, which demonstrates just how far Daz Cat has developed over the last few years. There is a confidence and self-assuredness about his work now, as if he has nothing to prove, that comes across as relaxed and easy to look at. I hope he gets some time soon to pull together one of his storytelling pieces before too long.
Werm and Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Oooh. This is a lovely collaboration by Werm and Daz Cat in one of my favourite spots, the curved wall at Dean Lane. The writing/character combination utilises the slightly awkward space on the wall really well. It feels like a while since a good piece appeared here. Back in the day this wall was a bit of a premium wall, but recently it has been occupied by rather too many throw ups and frankly a lot of rubbish, so it was refreshing to come across this piece.
Werm, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
To the left on the lower bit of wall, Werm continues with his transition towards a different presentation of his letters which have been nicely thought out, offering a little bit of bilateral symmetry. With Werm, I feel like he experiments and then settles on a particular form before transitioning to the next until he feels he needs to change. A stop-start method that seems to work for him. Some other artists won’t change at all, while others make subtle or wholesale changes with each new piece they paint. This is the joy of the vast spectrum of artists in Bristol.
Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
For me the star of the show is the Daz Cat cat and friends toasting marshmallows. I love these storytelling pieces by Daz Cat, he seems to capture something really special that you need to look at, interpret and enjoy. Quite what creatures the companions are I am not sure, but one looks most contented, the other a little concerned. The main character has an air of compassion and love. A brilliant piece, and it is always good to see Daz Cat painting these expansive scenes.
Daz Cat painted this wonderful piece during a paint jam some while ago, which was themed along the lines of a dystopian future. I ought really to have written up the whole collaboration in one post, but felt that each element was worthy of its own write-up.
Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2023
I am not quite sure what the creature in the piece is meant to be, but I think that is in part the point. A goat? A cat? Whatever it is, it is well armed with some kind of futuristic ray gun. The background scene is suitably gloomy, and the ground appears to be composed of toes, eyes and teeth. All a bit weird. Something a little different from Daz Cat.
Daz Cat and CD.TC, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023
It is always a great pleasure to see these two collaborate, it is a pity that it just doesn’t seem to happen all that often. I imagine that the limitation probably stems from CD.TC’s availability, as Daz Cat is a constant presence on our streets.
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023
There would appear to be a bit of an Italian theme going on with Daz Cat’s cat holding a little white pendant with the words ‘Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella…’. There is also a shout out to ‘Caroline’ on the cat’s pink shirt – maybe she is the bella. This cat feels very much like ‘old school’ Daz Cat, reminding us where he came from.
CD.TC, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023
CD.TC continues the theme, with his rather cheerful monster character calling out ‘Ciao, ciao, ciao’. There are some nice touches going on with this piece, for example the sun visor glasses and the cross of sticky plasters at the base of the piece. As one might expect, the character has a disproportionately large mouth and gleaming teeth. Always great to see these two painting together.
When I first encountered Daz Cat’s pieces, they were pretty much always portraits of cats, sometimes dogs, and reasonably basic, but with that Daz Cat style. Over time his work has become more sophisticated, and about 18 months ago reached a new level, each piece telling stories, rather than just a portrait.
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2023
This one on the St Werburghs entrance to the roundabout, is a piece that uses the square space supremely well, and the illustrative rabbit (or cat with very long ears) curled up in a tight ball appears to be spinning. There is lots of movement here and even though it is painted in greyscale, it makes a strong impression. Who’d have thought he’d be producing stuff like this a few years ago. Great to see.
Natural adventures 