502. Armada Place (7)

This is a stunning, collaboration between Sled One and Epok, two of the best wildstyle writers about. It is easy to see the Sled One element…if you look carefully you can make out the letters SLED. I had to look hard though for Epok – I knew it was a collaboration because he had signed the piece. I think his lettering is in the grey-green underlayer – certainly this part is more in his style.

Sled One and Epok, Armada Place, Bristol, June 2016
Sled One and Epok, Armada Place, Bristol, June 2016

What I love most abut this piece is that it is on a modest hoarding with low footfall. This piece was done for the love of it. The colour palettes are brilliant and the whole thing quite beautiful. These things are so easily overlooked or dismissed…it is a pity.

498. Bolton Road (2)

Bolton road is a small alleyway branching off the Gloucester Road in the St Andrews area of Bristol. This always seems an unlikely place to find street art, but this is Bristol, and you never seem to be too far away from something a bit special.

Epok, Bolton Road, Bristol, February 2016
Epok, Bolton Road, Bristol, February 2016
This is a nice piece by Epok with all the usual traits of his work, that is, the angular and distorted letters, highly designed look and wonderfully complementary colour scheme. I am puzzled though by the space lady in the picture, and I am not surre if there was a collaborator or whether this is Epok’s work too. There are no other obvious signatures and I have exhausted searches on the interweb.

Epok, Bolton Road, Bristol, February 2016
Epok, Bolton Road, Bristol, February 2016
The lane is very difficult to take decent pictures in because it is so narrow, and sometimes there are awkward shadows cast across the walls. I have had these images a while, and ought to venture back to see if the piece is still there.

Epok, Bolton Road, Bristol, February 2016
Epok, Bolton Road, Bristol, February 2016

476. M32 Roundabout, J3 (20)

Wildstyle writing is an acquired taste, and one which I have developed a hunger for, but it was not always that way. When I first started writing about street art, I was often left cold or baffled by writers (burners, throw-ups of wildstyle). I just didn’t get it.

Epok, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2016
Epok, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2016
One of the first writers who helped me develop an interest was Epok, one of the fantastic group of Bristol graffiti writers. His clean works usually feature large block letters spelling EPOK on a slant. His choice of colour palette really marks his work out as special too, and he finishes his pieces with bright stripes and flashes. I really admire his work.

395. M32 Roundabout J3 (16)

On the West side of the M32 roundabout there is a long concrete wall which runs next to a pathway and which reduces in height along its length. About midway along this wall is this magnificent Epok piece.

Epok, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, August 2016
Epok, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, August 2016

So typically Epok wildstyle writing, and a fabulous selection of colours. It really is outstanding in every sense of the word. It is in the part of the wall where the pathway narrows, so it is very difficult to photograph pieces here unless taken from the sides, or using fisheye lenses.

Epok - detail, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, August 2016
Epok – detail, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, August 2016

Epok’s works have lovely simple and clean lines and blends smooth curves with angular shapes to create the EPOK letters. Always pleasurable to see.

308. Upper York Street

This is a wonderful work by Epok, and it sits next to a lovely piece by Deamze that I featured recently. Like all of his works, this has beautifully clean edges and the letters EPOK are on a slant in a geometric style.

Epok, Upper York Street, Bristol, June 2016
Epok, Upper York Street, Bristol, June 2016

Particularly notable about this piece is the green and blue effect over the top of the lettering. Epok’s work is always a pleasure to look at and admire. Distinctive, clean and memorable.

Epok, Upper York Street, Bristol, June 2016
Epok, Upper York Street, Bristol, June 2016

294. Unity Street (2)

Epok has only featured in one of my posts to date (a collaboration with 3Dom and Voyder) which is shameful on my part. His work can be found all over the city and is remarkably distinctive. Nearly always he spells out his name in diagonally leaning wildstyle lettering that is highly cryptic and styalised. He creates large blocky geometric shapes on the slant and selects beautiful colour combinations. Epok ranks alongside Soker and Deamze in his mastery of the form.

Epok, Unity Street, Bristol, June 2016
Epok, Unity Street, Bristol, June 2016

I love his work, and can’t apologise enough for not presenting more of it. I will dig out more of his work and share it. This piece appeared on his Instagram feed on 9 May 2016.

142. Brookfield Avenue

In a sleepy side street just off the Gloucester Road by the Bristol Flyer pub is one of the most wonderful and colourful collaborations in Bristol. This triptych embraces the distinct styles of three local artists. Epok, 3Dom and Voyder.

Epok, Brookfield Avenue, Bristol, February 2016
Epok, Brookfield Avenue, Bristol, February 2016

Epok is renowned for his futuristic wildstyle burners. 3Dom introduces fantastical characters to his works and livens up walls all over this part of the City. Voyder is usually associated with faces as centre pieces surrounded by other works. In this instance though it would appear that the artist has also opted for a wildstyle burner.

3Dom,Brookfield Avenue, Bristol, February 2016
3Dom, Brookfield Avenue, Bristol, February 2016

The whole wall looks like it has been set on its side and would appear to have a continuous thread from left to right (or bottom to top). The clouds are on their sides in 3Dom’s and Voyder’s pieces. I have tried looking at it sideways, but am none the wiser about what it all means…not that it matters really. I love this wall and visit it quite regularly, just to look.

Voyder, Brookfield Avenue, Bristol, February 2016
Voyder, Brookfield Avenue, Bristol, February 2016

8.5/10

56. Jubilee Street (1)

This mural rather dates itself with its portrayal of the obsession of the selfie. I guess it is called ‘I’m taking a selfie’. It is one of several works in the immediate vicinity that have the ASK signature on it.

ASK collaboration, Jubilee Street, Bristol, October 2015
ASK collaboration, Jubilee Street, Bristol, October 2015

OK, so I am new to all of this, but it took me quite a while to find out who or what ASK is. It turns out that ASK is a Bristol crew, the acronym stands for After School Klub. As far as I can work out, there are four members of the ASK crew, and they are Epok, Sokem, 3Dom and Sepr. I am not sure which of them is behind this particular work, which is perplexing.

ASK collaboration, Jubilee Street, Bristol, October 2015
ASK collaboration, Jubilee Street, Bristol, October 2015

In addition to ASK, some of their individual or collaborative works are tagged with ASK KTF or ASKTF. The KTF is another TLA (Three Letter Acronym) which I understand to be ‘Keeping Things Fresh’. I will feature more of their works soon.

UPDATE June 2016 – There are at least 14 or so members of ASK, but I still don’t know which members are responsible for this piece.