Tag: Dean Lane

5082. Dean Lane skate park (574)

Raid, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023
Raid, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023

It is possible, in fact it is absolutely the case, that in documenting street art and graffiti, one can have a blind spot, and believe me I have had many over the years. This particular blind spot relates to the work of Raid, whose work I simply hadn’t registered until I met the artist while he was painting this piece in Dean Lane a little while back.

Raid, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023
Raid, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023

Of course, I have since found two more of his pieces, and I suspect there are plenty in my archives – something else to look out for next time I go archive-surfing. What makes my omission even more crazy is that this is the work of a superb writer. His letters are beautifully presented, and have a good proportionality about them. The lines are nice and sharp and fills solid, and his wispy decorations add a touch of flair. Watch this space for more from Raid.

5079. Dean Lane skate park (573)

Stiff, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020
Stiff, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020

Trawling through the archives is actually immensely enjoyable, but also very distracting. Another piece I rescued from incarceration is this rather fun scene, painted by Stiff.

Stiff, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020
Stiff, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020

As with some other artists in Bristol, aliens feature very strongly in Stiff’s work, and here we have an alien and a human interacting with some electricity generating equipment. There is a story here being told, but I’m not sure that I quite get it. Time machine perhaps? Anyhow, Stiff has a great knack for creating interesting and absorbing scenes like this one.

5076. Dean Lane skate park (572)

Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020
Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020

Another piece from the archive, this one is from December 2020, which, although it feels like a long, long time ago, isn’t really, it is just that so much has happened since then. This piece, on the flakiest wall in Bristol, is by Trafficity.

Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020
Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020

His striking style and unwavering loyalty to his letter shapes makes Trafficity’s work some of the most recognisable in Bristol. The letters spell ZIOM, which is Polish means ‘dude’, ‘man’, ‘mate’ and so on – a nice inoffensive thing to write. As I always mention with Trafficity’s letters, it looks like there is a top and bottom half, each with smaller words, but I would need to ask the artist if this is the case. It is nice to release this one from the archive.

5071. Dean Lane skate park (571)

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

Somehow, I always feel comfortable when I see pieces by Hire. Hire was one of the first artists I spoke to, and I have bumped into him several times over the years. He is a mild-mannered, quiet and modest man whose particular style of graffiti writing is always on-point.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

In this small piece, beautifully presented on a dark green buffed wall, Hire has written the letters BF, which I think relate to a crew – possibly a Polish crew. The jagged letters are superbly picked out by the cream border, and the whole thing is given a lift with the black shading surrounding the writing. A class act.

5063. Dean Lane skate park (570)

Dibz and Turoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Dibz and Turoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

Two outstanding writers, Dibz and Turoe, have recently combined to create this wonderful tribute piece for Shimmer. I suspect that the piece may remain for quite some time due to both its quality and also that it is a tribute. This is a collaboration in which both artists have adopted a similar writing style and both are using the exact same colour scheme seamlessly.

Dibz and Turoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Dibz and Turoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

To the left is the Dibz half of the collaboration, spelling out SHIMZ and to the right is Turoe’s contribution spelling TUROE. The green and yellow writing is as clean as a whistle and the whole thing set on a bubbly purple background – most eye-catching. In the middle of the piece is a Vaughn Bode lizard character, so much favoured by street artists in honour of the great man’s creations. This is a very, very fine tribute.

5056. Dean Lane skate park (569)

Klashwhensober, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Klashwhensober, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

If I posted all of Klashwhensober’s graffiti writing, then there would be precious little else on Natural Adventures. I believe that he might be slowing down a little, as when I last met him he told me he has recently managed to get a new job, and I wish him the very best with that.

Klashwhensober, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Klashwhensober, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

I decided to pick this one out for posting because it is typical of his work and has repeated some colours that worked so effectively before in a December 2022 piece in the tunnel, although the colours are divided horizontally instead of vertically. What you will always get with Klashwhensober is creativity with his writing. There is always something going on, together with the form of his letters. There is lots of dripping happening in this one, for example.

Klashwhensober, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2022
Klashwhensober, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2022

5047. Dean Lane skate park (568)

Corupt, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Corupt, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

I was lucky with my timing when I found this piece. The paint was still wet, and there was a lovely smell of spray paint hanging in the air. It is always good to capture fresh work in skate parks, because the wear and tear from skaters kicks in very quickly.

Corupt, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Corupt, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

It just so happens that Corupt was sitting on the other side of the wall, watching Stivs, with Mozzarella, painting another wall. I stopped for a nice chat with both of them. As always with Corupt, this piece is perfectly finished, with very clean lines and fills. It seems that he prefers to write STICK rather than CORUPT these days, which works equally well. So much about photographing and chronicling street/graffiti art is about timing, and I got it just right on this particular day.

5033. Dean Lane skate park (567)

Dibz, Rusk and Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Dibz, Rusk and Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

Three of Bristol’s best artists have come together to paint this outstanding collaboration in Dean Lane. Dibz, Rusk and Shade One are not strangers to this wall, but they have absolutely smashed it on this occasion, in a touching tribute to Shimmer (Shimz).

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

On the left is a gorgeously perfect chrome piece by Dibz, which could equally well spell DIBZ or SHIMZ (I wonder if the ambiguity was deliberate). Everything about this is on-point, and there is a rather nice little SHIMZ shout-out in the top left.

Rusk, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Rusk, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

Rusk and Shade One have been busy in this spot lately, and I think this is the third collaboration they have enjoyed this year. I don’t really need to tell you how much I admire Rusk’s work. He is one of the most meticulous artists in Bristol, and will always strive to ensure his work is flawless. There is a lovely yellow pattern in this piece that flow seamlessly across the letters.

Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

Finally, the portrait piece on the right by Shade One is, I assume, depicting Shimmer, as the Shimz RIP in the top corner would suggest. The greyscale photorealistic portrait is one of Shade One’s best to date, and the bar is pretty high. The collaboration is a fabulous one, and it will be a brave person indeed who is the first to paint over it.

Dibz, Rusk and Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Dibz, Rusk and Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

5030. Dean Lane skate park (566)

Evey, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Evey, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

Evey turned up late to this RBF mini-paint jam, so I didn’t get to meet her on this occasion, but I did chat for a while with Desi and Lupa who had buffed the wall and were well into their pieces.

Evey, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Evey, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

I seem to say it every time I post a new piece by Evey, but her progress is steady, and each new piece shows improvements both in design and finishing. This EVEN is a classic with nice curvy letters, three horizontal shaeds of blue/lilac and a topping of white with sprinkles – a wonderful pudding served up – delicious. It must surely be time for an Evey gallery.

5020. Dean Lane skate park (565)

Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

I just happened to be in Dean Lane skate park as Acer One was starting this piece. It was quite busy down there at the time, with Silver (thank you, Paul H for reminding me) painting opposite, DJ Perks who had just finished a piece on the pool wall (I think) and Peggy was on the sloping wall near the raised skate park, painting a floral piece. I do like it when there are lots of people to chat with.

Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

The wonderful piece, by Acer One, is a tribute to Shimmer, another artist taken away from us far too early in life. It is clear that Shimmer was a popular character, and there are tribute pieces all over the city dedicated to him. There is a lovely sense of order and geometry in this piece, but of course there is, it is by Acer One after all. Acer One uses a long ruler with a handle to achieve his straight lines, but you can see that he has also used the brick course to keep everything flush. A fine tribute.