5858. Peel Street Green (28)

Haka, Peel Street Green, Bristol, February 2024
Haka, Peel Street Green, Bristol, February 2024

This piece from Haka is simply perfect in every way.

Our country is in a mess, largely thanks to the appalling Government that have been in power for the last 14 years, and their lurch to the right. Their latest culture war that they are waging on the good people of the UK, is that anyone protesting for peace in Gaza and an immediate ceasefire is branded an Islamist, which when you look at it, is absurd. Calls for an end to the war, and indeed countless other wars, are treated as a threat or anti-government, rather than being a cry to stop the needless killing and suffering. What else can citizens do to express their concerns other than protest. I would think that the vast majority of British people are against the war in Gaza, after all what kind of person would want the killing to continue? Only those who stand to gain financially or politically.

In this piece Haka peacefully makes his own statement ‘Free Palestine’, accompanied by a small peace flag. Does this make him a fundamentalist or an Islamist? I don’t think so. Nor does it make any of the other street artists who have painted commentary pieces about the war in Gaza some kind of threat to our British values. On the contrary, British values are based on compassion, fairness, decency, honesty and truth. It is politicians and political leaders who bend these values to suit their own narratives, and in this respect the right wingers have excelled themselves in recent years. Decent people have had enough. We need a change of government, but alongside that we need to return to a united society, because we have some far greater challenges ahead of us which we must face together. There is no room for selfishness any more, that way leads to our mutually assured doom.

Sermon over.

Haka, Peel Street Green, Bristol, February 2024
Haka, Peel Street Green, Bristol, February 2024

This piece is beautifully recreated in the style of Dr Seuss and perfectly captures the moment. The innocence of the camel adding to the pathos of the message. Haka has created something both beautiful and powerful and I salute him. This is not a ‘hate’ piece, it is a cry for peace piece.

2427. St Werburghs tunnel (97)

Just when you thought the Rezwonk/Decay partnership couldn’t possibly get any better, they pull this one out of the hat (see what I did there?). This is a remarkable and thoroughly enjoyable collaboration painted brilliantly in the style of Dr Seuss’ Cat in the Hat.

Rezwonk, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019
Rezwonk, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019

The left hand side of the collaboration is by Rezwonk where the writing almost takes second place to The Cat, Thing 1, the kite and flower pot and the general setting of the piece. I believe this piece to be utterly outstanding and is right up there with my favourite pieces of the year.

Rezwonk, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019
Rezwonk, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019

The Cat in particular is so well painted, like he has stepped straight off the page of a book, Thing 1 also is incredibly faithful to the book. Surely this can’t have been painted with spray cans alone?

Decay and Rezwonk, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019
Decay and Rezwonk, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019

The right hand side of the collaboration is by Decay who has introduced the character Sam I am from the book Green Eggs and Ham. He also included the goldfish in his bowl from Cat in the Hat.

Decay and Rezwonk, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019
Decay and Rezwonk, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019

Decay has gone for a simple piece of writing in his usual (2019) style which acts as a fabulous backdrop to everything else that is going on with the piece. Fortunately the colour schemes used are not polluted by the horrible light conditions in the tunnel, and the photographs of the piece have come out OK.

Thoroughly brilliant by this pairing – Bravo! Bravo!

2327. Devon Road (11)

This is the second piece I have found from relative newcomer, Conrico. In fact I found this one before I came across the diver piece that I posted yesterday. Any artist who recreates Dr Seuss art in any form gets a big (Seuss-like) thumbs up from me.

Conrico, Devon Road, Bristol, July 2019
Conrico, Devon Road, Bristol, July 2019

This writing, bookended by the Lorax and some trufula trees, is nicely done, and the whole piece has an air of calm about it. His style, and I can’t quite pin it down just yet, is a little rough at the edges, and I mean that simply in the sense that it is not crisp and clean like the work of Cheo, for example.

Conrico, Devon Road, Bristol, July 2019
Conrico, Devon Road, Bristol, July 2019

I am really looking forward to seeing what Conrico can do, and like very much what I have seen so far.