Tag: Environment

259. North Street, Workout (2)

It recently occurred to me that I am going to have to work through my backlog of Upfest 2015 pieces, because it will not be too long before they get replaced during the 2016 extravaganza and appear a little out of date. July 23-25 will see an influx of 300 artists showing off their talent, and I have to say I can’t wait. Among them will be Louis Masai, a London based artist who is renowned for his beautiful animal works.

Louis Masai, North Street, Bristol, January 2016
Louis Masai, North Street, Bristol, January 2016

Louis Masai gained an art degree from Falmouth in Cornwall, and has been living in London since 2010. More about him from his own website. This is a beautiful picture of two macaws (I seem to have posted a lot of these lately) and a clear and simple message that they belong in the wild and not in cages. I can go with that. His work is outstanding and his presence in Bristol this year will be a real bonus.

 

Plastic sheep

 

In pebble dash fields

Spring lambs frolic unaware

of the urban sprawl.

 

by Scooj

Swift

 

With my eyes closed I

can hear the shrill cries of swifts

signalling Summer.

 

by Scooj

252. No fixed abode (1)

I caught sight of this caravan across the M32 while out for a walk last week. It had all the hallmarks of a work by Aspire, but it wasn’t until I downloaded the pictures onto my PC that I was able to see the signature.

Aspire, Caravan M32, Bristol, May 2016
Aspire, Caravan M32, Bristol, May 2016

When I see a piece like this, which I might add is another beauty, I am left with so many questions. Who lives in the caravan? How does Aspire know them? Was it a commission? and so on. This is an unusual and distinctive piece.

Aspire, Caravan M32, Bristol, May 2016
Aspire, Caravan M32, Bristol, May 2016

Swan

 

Resting in Spring sun

natural soft down pillow;

no synthetics here.

 

by Scooj

Japanese Knotweed

 

Hostile alien

ornamental, unwelcome

in the native lands.

 

by Scooj

 

  • Edited because I can’t count. The word ‘hostile’ replaces ‘invasive’. Sorry fellow counters.

229. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (11)

This is the second part of my marvelous Monday discovery. This is a piece by Bruno Smoky who is the husband of Shalak Attack and member of the Clandestinos Crew. I understand from his Instagram feed that Inkie was their host/guide over the weekend in Bristol, and who better to show them the best walls. I love the way the graffiti world hangs together.

Bruno Smoky, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016
Bruno Smoky, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016

This house on fire is a really breathtaking piece, and with the Shalak Attack work in the adjacent archway, the pair have really set the bar very high for the Carriageworks space. I hope the taggers stay clear and respect our visitors’ work. I like his nod to Buzz in the top left corner – respecting a little of our local thing.

Bruno Smoky, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016
Bruno Smoky, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016

Bruno Smoky grew up in Brasilandia, a neighbourhood in Sao Paolo, Brazil. He is now internationally recognised and has created works all over the world. I love this quote, lifted from his website:

“I do not neglect my roots, my greatest pleasure is to paint in communities, bringing art and culture to otherwise forgotten and precarious neighborhoods. I use Graffiti in the context of creating a space to exhibit my art to society, my themes are full of colors and forms of protest … ”

Bruno Smoky, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016
Bruno Smoky, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016

I feel genuinely privileged that they visited and painted in Bristol outside of any kind of art festival, such as Upfest.

Bruno Smoky, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016
Bruno Smoky, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 9 May 2016

Mackerel feathering

 

The sun touched sea slaps

the boat and our lines tighten

and cut on the rise.

 

by Scooj

Allotment fox

 

Silent approaches,

nonchalant glances exchanged;

mutual respect.

206. Stokes Croft, Canteen (2)

No self-respecting Bristol street art blogger can ignore what is probably regarded as the most Bristol Banksy of them all. The Mild Mild West still sits proudly on the wall outside the Canteen, and opposite Cosmo Sarson’s Breakdancing Jesus, in spite of attempts to vandalise it (layered irony there).

Banksy, Stokes Croft, Bristol, July 2015
Banksy, Stokes Croft, Bristol, July 2015

This iconic Banksy (and which ones aren’t) tells so many Bristol stories, which are really nicely captured in this 2008 article from the The Telegraph. I see this wall pretty much every day and it is special, really special. The area in which it stands is an area which has played host to several riots, the most recent of which was the ‘boycott Tesco’ riot.

Banksy, Stokes Croft, Bristol, August 2015
Banksy, Stokes Croft, Bristol, August 2015

So established is this piece, that it makes it into the ‘Visit Bristol’ website as a must see attraction. How things have changed from the days of rounding up and arresting Bristol street artists.

This work simply has to be one of my all time favourite pieces in my adopted city.