Rezwonk likes this doorway, and is enjoying getting to grips with his letters – R E Z W O N K – which he has been using recently, with particular great effect in his collaboration with Subtle a few weeks back. This work looks particularly time-consuming, but is worth it. This kind of work reminds me a little of the work of LA, a New York graffiti artist, in his collaboration with Stik.
Rezwonk, Moon Street, Bristol, October 2018
I have seen more of this work by Rezwonk scattered about the place and will post it in due course. I think he should use it in collaboration with one or two more artists in Bristol as I think this particular approach really lends itself to it.
Back to Barcelona again (a rich source of doorage) and a little look at a couple of the enormous appartment doors that can be found in the more affluent commercial areas of the city. This door was sandwiched between two rather exclusive shops, and was typical of the rather imposing entrances in the area. I particularly liked it because of its Tolkeinesque design – elves live here.
However, this door is not the main event of this post. Much of the attraction I have for doors is imagining what lies on the other side – does the door provide any insight or is it a barrier to discovery?
One of these large doors happened to be open when my daughter and I strolled past, and oh my! what an incredible lobby area lay on the other side. I was utterly overwhelmed by the decoration and detail to this entry way.
Beyond the Barcelona door, Thursday doors
So we stepped closer to get a better look…
Beyond the Barcelona door, Thursday doors
From the ceiling to the floor, this lobby oozes class. Stunning ornate plasterwork on the ceiling draws you in past the beautiful tiled walls and marble steps. and on either side of the steps metalwork rails (which appear to have no purpose other than decoration) lead you a second interior set of doors.
Doors beyond the Barcelona door, Thursday doors
The beautiful inner set of doors are worthy of a Thursday doors post in their own right, and the crazy lampshade seems to be utterly at home in this visual feast. Now I don’t know if this is typical of Barcelona appartments, but I think it is amazing that so much effort has gone into something that will be seen by so few people. This is a city that seems to be proud of putting on displays, and for the visitor it is awe inspiring.
I usually like to present one door at a time in my Thursday doors posts to allow for a thorough examination of the door, without the distractions of others. However, sometimes it is appropriate to look at several at once – besides which, how else will I be able to clear out my archive of doors?
On a recent trip to Barcelona with my daughter, I noticed that in the old city many of the doors to apartments above shops were extraordinarily thin and tall. Some were so slender that you wonder how larger people might manage. Were they designed this way to maximise the space for the shop front? or was there some other reason for this architectural design? Answers on a postcard…
Here are a few of the many doors we saw:
Barcelona door, March 2018Barcelona door, March 2018
Barcelona door, March 2018
This door was open, and what I saw inside was not at all what I expected. This is not a place for those afraid of confined spaces. Immediately behind the door, there was a stone spiral stairtcase, tighter than any I have ever seen before. By the look of it on the doorbell, there are eight apartments through this door. The mind boggles at the logistics of meeting people travelling in opposite directions, and looking at this through the lens of the British pre-occupation of health and safety – isn’t this something of a horrific fire escape risk? Interesting as it is, I fret every time I look at this picture.
The boards at North Street Green are mostly set out in pairs and in portrait orientation. This means that when writing about them, one has to take them in pairs. Sometimes the pairing is wholly complementary, almost like a collaboration. In other cases the pairings are in marked contrast, and this is one of those. On the left is a feline (tiger?) face by Bristol’s J. West and on the right is a simple portrait of a girl and overwritten with colourful squiggles by Everything’s Oh-Kay.
J. West, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
J.West is no stranger to this blog, and I most recently featured his street savvy panda complete with ghetto blaster from The Bearpit. This blue cat, composed of geometric shapes and contrasting colours is probably the best of his work I have seen to date. I really like it.
Everything’s Oh-Kay, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I have not seen any of Everything’s Oh-Kay’s work before, and my first impression is that it feels very graphic designery. In fact, a great many street artists are designers and illustrators by day, taking to the walls to liberate their asrtistic talents away from a commission or customer brief. I am a little on the fence with this particular piece, and would like to see more.
On my walks to Leonard Lane in the city centre, the walks I really enjoy, I usually come face to face with this hairdresser’s shop as I get spat out of the lane and into Small Street. Every time I go there I forget to take a picture, but not this time.
Mr Penfold, Small Street, Bristol, January 2018
The shop front is by Bristol designer Mr Penfold, who does quite a few design commissions in and around the city. Every now and again he also does a street art piece, but that seems to be a bit of a rarity these days. This is typical of his modern, fresh design work and certainly brings some colour to this rather unexceptional frontage.
This is another stunner from Tristan Eaton entitled Big City of Dreams which rises high above a car park, you know, one of those funny little ones in New York that must charge the most extortionate fees, and stack cars in a way we are not accustomed to seeing in the UK.
Tristan Eaton, Broome Street, New York, October 2017
Tristan Eaton reminds me of an amalgamation of different styles that has elements of PichiAvo and Louis Masai about it, which is of course a great compliment. I think that his work is exceptional and love the piece I posted before of his Audrey Hepburn in SoHo.
Tristan Eaton, Broome Street, New York, October 2017
Another picture long-lost in my archives and by an artist I have not come across before or since. This striking skull down in The Bearpit is by Wires, whose Instagram profile reads – ‘designer | artist | illustrator | flash painter | skateboarder | Bristol’. I don’t think he takes to the walls too often, which is a pity, as his style is rather unique and interesting.
Wires, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2016
The piece has a Tattoo design quality about it, even the colours are reminiscent of the shades of the inks used. It would be great to see more of his work in Bristol, but I think I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled.
It is always rather gratifying when a new artist appears on the scene; there is something new to write about and to look out for. NEVERGIVEUP is new to Bristol, and another member of the Polish contingent, so I am led to believe, which includes Hire and Laic217.
NEVERGIVEUP, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2017
NEVERGIVEUP seems to specialise in these highly stylised and designed goofy rabbits. The more observant of you might wonder what it is about graffiti artists drawing goofy bunnies (Hire also sprays them) – maybe it is a Bugs Bunny thing. Who knows?
NEVERGIVEUP, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2017
This is one of several bunnies that has appeared in The Bearpit over the last few weeks, and although he hasn’t been here long, NEVERGIVEUP is making an impression already.
In a car park just off Raleigh Road, a double decker bus was given ‘the treatment’ at last year’s Upfest. This side of the bus was given over to Snub23, and he made a beautiful job.
Snub23, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Snub23 Uses his geometric patterning and shading to great effect, and then looming down from the left is one of his characters that seem to be inspired by the comic genre. Powerful stuff.
Snub23, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016Snub23, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Mr Penfold is first and foremost a designer, whose work is largely abstract and uses colours and shapes that remind me of a cross between the 1980s and art deco. Clean crisp lines and floating objects.
Mr Penfold, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2017
His graffiti/street art work is very different to anything else found in Bristol and instantly recognisable. Whilst I like to see his pieces appearing around the city, his style does not pull me in as much as some of the other artists in Bristol.
Natural adventures 