A colourful party is happening here. Over a backdrop of a rather splendid Face F1st piece Guts has sprayed one of his characteristic doodles. The colours he uses really bring things to life, and when I use the word doodle, it is not in a derogatory way, but more a descriptive term for the aggregation of characters and forms. In some ways it shares a resemblance with Loch Ness.
Guts, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
This spot is on a wall which is squeezed into a narrow stretch by the back of a skate ramp, and is therefore rather difficult to photograph. The more I see of Guts’ work, the more I like it. I haven’t seen too much of it around and will have to work harder to find it.
When you see a really strong piece of writing like this and it says ASK, you can be pretty sure it is by Sled One, which indeed it is. This is a great work that the photograph fails to capture, there is some flaring on the lens, which is a bit annoying.
Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2017
Although Sled One has been a little less active on the streets than he was, say a year ago, he is still capable of dazzling us with the quality of his pieces. He makes great choices with his colour selections and takes care with his shadings. I particularly like the eye sitting within the ‘A’, and the accent stars.
Sled One, Dean Lane, Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2017Bristol, July 2017
This is a really interesting piece by the Dutch street artist Pronk-Stukken, not only for its unusual and captivating subject, but also because it was sprayed at Dean Lane skate park, which is not an official site for Upfest artists, and one that gets sprayed numerous times over during Upfest. My guess is that he had another piece somewhere at the frstival, which I don’t appear to have photographed.
Pronk-Stukken, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
This piece reminds me of a camel, but that is just what I see. I loved this piece the first time I saw it, and still like it now. One of my favourites of the festival. Regrettably it looks like Pronk-Stukken will not be returning this year.
I have just been reading Skor85’s biography on the Upfest 2017 website and found out that she is of Polish origination, adding to the vibrant Polish street art community that appears to be growing in Bristol.
Skor85, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2016
This is an interesting piece, from one of her favourite spots at Deaners, from July last year, around the time of Upfest. Some philosophy to go with the solemn figure drowning his/her sorrows. I love her use of colour and highlight lines on the head, arms and legs. Subtle and modest, her work always interests me.
Skor85 is an artist I know precious little about, but I have been finding pieces by her all over Bristol. She is not the most prolific of artists, but her work is out there and some of it I have recently discovered in my archives. Her work is usually a little understated, and frequently accompanied with some message or other.
Skor85, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
This piece is tucked away on the back of a skate ramp, and opposite one of the main graff walls. The more I look at it the more I like it. At first is appears to be a bit crude, but actually the layering is really good, and the fine lines creating the detail are nicely done. More to come from this artist, and best of all she will be at Upfest, so I hope to get a chance to meet her.
I am absolutely loving this EAT crew partnership of Kid Crayon and SPZero76. As street artists go, their styles are quite different, KC tending to have softer lines and whose characters have a kind of lumpy quality to them…I’m not sure I have used the right term there, but I know what I mean. SPZero76 tends to use sharper lines and his characters are altogether more angular and prickly (another dodgy art term).
Kid Crayon and SPZero, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
I mention their styles, because, of all the works they have done together that I have seen, this is the one where their art is starting to merge or rub-off on one another. The left hand side id by Kid Crayon and the right hand side by SPZero76.
Kid Crayon and SPZero, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
I have absolutely no idea what is going on in this piece, but love the sort of Summer watery feel to it all. A purple giant, some little ‘ginger bread man’ type figures and a pretty lady bathing with a rubber duck. KC is clearly bonkers.
Kid Crayon and SPZero, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
On the other side of things, SPZero76 gives us a couple of snorkelers a flamingo rubber ring and a pirate ship. The couple are in love. SPZero too is completely bonkers.
Kid Crayon and SPZero, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
I absolutely love this collaboration and even more enjoy the way that these two just seem to love to paint all the time, about anything. This is one of my favourite pieces so far this year. Bravo.
This is an absolutely wonderful piece by Dibz, featuring a character from the animated television series ‘Pinky and the Brain’. This is actually ‘the Brain’ as Pinky is somewhat skinnier and more stupid looking. Lots more from the excellent Wikipedia page on this cartoon.
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
What I like about this work is just how fantastically sharp and clear all Dibz’s lines are, it is a really strong technical piece. He spends a lot of time perfecting his designs before committing them to a wall, and his black book is well worth looking at on his Instagram feed.
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
Care has been taken, even providing a neutral grey background to help the lime green and pink stand out on this piece. One of the best on this wall for a while. Incidentally, and quite by accident, it is on the exact same space as the previous post from Inkie.
Sometimes you get lucky and see pieces by great artists that come and go in the twinkling of an eye. This was a quick one sprayed by Inkie to celebrate the opening of the ‘Graffiti Nation’ exhibition at Upfest back on 28 April 2017.
Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017
Inkie told me that he had sprayed it quickly that day and had also worked on his contribution for the exhibition an the day as well. A busy man. This is a wonderful work, simple in its colour selection but with such beautiful writing and lines.
Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017
When I look at something like this, it appears to have an effortlessness about it, the work of someone completely in command of his craft. It was painted over fairly swiftly.
This is a fun little piece in Dean Lane by Guts, another artist new to these pages. I met him on the same occasion as I met Jimmer Wilson and Lumagro. I have absolutely no idea what the in joke is about, but it made me laugh anyway…”Joe Habgood Rides Scooters”.
Guts, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
This is the type of childish speech bubble that absolutely encapsulates graffiti, I think. A public space sprayed and a cheeky message. Harmless but subversive. It works for me, probably because I have a tendency to be a bit childish too – just ask Mrs Scooj or the Scoojlings. Great colours and great monster face. I like this…and it is still there some weeks on.
If you want to read more about Guts or several other Bristol artists, then I cannot recommend highly enough Auntie G’s fabulous blog post on a recent Bristol exhibition ‘3 is the Magic Number’ – A superb insight into the Bristol art scene and interesting commentary on the crossover between fine art and street art.
This is a wonderful small piece – stylised and anarchic by Lumagro at the far side of one of the Dean Lane walls. I love his line drawings and the humour he brings to this piece. The colours too are fantastic.
Lumagro, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017
This is only the second piece I have seen by this magnificent artist, and it was sprayed on the same occasion as his first. These are so different and really add something to the Bristol scene. More please Lumagro.
Natural adventures 