Having only recently started posting pieces by Slakarts on Natural Adventures, it seems that more of his work is emerging, both on the streets recently and from my rummages in my archives.
Slakarts, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2019
This is a magnificent piece in St Werburghs tunnel, full of character and humour, and something of a departure from his usual stylised faces that can be a bit on the sombre side. This is a simply executed cartoon style piece that really stands out. It is a pity that it is so yellow/gold, because those colours seem to get exggerated by the orange lighting in the tunnel. More fun pieces please!
Face 1st is really switching it up these days. His faces are becoming much more expressive and his writing more dynamic and I have to say it is all good from where I look at it. This is a really nice piece of writing with great colour selection and beautiful fills. The white outline could be a little tighter, but otherwise an outstanding piece.
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2019
I bought a T-shirt from Face 1st last week – it is a lovely design that he advertised on Instagram. He is such a kind bloke and delivered it personally. I felt terribly rude not to have invited him and his son in, but I was working from home and in the middle of some difficult stuff. I would like to sit with him for longer and chew the fat and get to know what is inspiring his expanding repertoire. So much more to come from Face 1st, he has been quite busy lately.
Another interesting piece from Lobe, who really seems to have picked up the pace during the second half of 2019. Her stylised portraits are becoming more dynamic and expressive, but the same basic ingredients of strong lines and bold colours remains.
Lobe, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2019
I am really struggling with the light quality in St Werburghs tunnel at the moment with most of my images lokig rather washed out and yellow. This washed out look is somewhat exacerbated when artists paint in yellow colours, because there is little I can do by way of adjusting the colours to make them more representative of what they actually look like. What I am really saying is sorry about the poor colour quality of these images.
Finding this wheatpaste by Kid Crayon was like finding an old friend. I was on a slight detour from my usual route to work, and just caught a glimpse of it in my peripheral vision. How could I have never found this until now.
Kid Crayon, Dove Street, Bristol, December 2019
I think that this was probably pasted up around five years ago when Kid Crayon was doing a lot of this kind of work. Considering it’s age, it has survived remarkably well and I guess the fact that it is in a little recess in the wall has protected it a little from the elements. The find of the month, and it made me really happy.
On one of the ramps of the M32 DIY skatepark is this rather sombre looking face, unmistakably the work of Slakarts. This picture was taken way back in January, before I knew who the artist was, and it has been languishing in my archive ever since. This is liberation day. It is also election day and the results will map out our national journey for the next five years… I fear the worst.
Slakarts, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2019
Slakarts paints using broad black outlines with solid fills to create his trademark faces which are often coloured with muted tones. The works are modest, both in creation and design and there is often a sadness or strangeness in the faces – this piece in particular feels peculiar without an iris or pupil in the eye. More to come from Slakarts.
Within a matter of days of Fiva painting his blockbuster piece in St Werburghs tunnel, Zake gave us this fabulous piece contained within the F. Fiva’s large letters were just too good to resist, and his invitation to ‘paint over me’ was readily taken up by Zake.
Zake, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2019
I am really taken with this curious piece by Zake which reminds me a lot of the incredible work in Winser McCay’s ‘Little Nemo’ cartoon strips. There is something a little creepy and fascinating about this moon character, an I’d like to see more like this.
I like treasure hunting, especially when each time you find a treasure, like this one by Mutatee, it comes as a wonderful and fulfilling surprise. I think that hunting for and photographing street art is a wholesome substitute for trying to generate likes on Twitter or Facebook or getting that micro-buzz of endorphine every time you receive a message on your mobile phone.
Personally, few things irritate me more than people’s phones buzzing, ringing, twittering, ding-a-linging upon which they’ll abruptly end a conversation, leave the room (metaphorically), check the offensive communicator (Star Trek reference) and only then return to the conversation saying ‘where were we?’ (we?… I’ve been here all the time you idiot). You know the kind of thing. Grrrr. Ranty bit over, I’m not too sure where it came from but it felt great to get it off my chest.
Mutatee, Moon Street, Bristol, November 2019
Back to Mutatee – she is the bringer of my little endorphine snacks and this little charmer high up on a wall in Moon Street is one of a bunch dotted about the City – I recently spotted another one that I’ll have to photograph next time I pass by on foot – so many more to come from this creative and imaginative installation artist.
What an amazing portrait at Upfest 2018 by artist Michel Velt, which was one of two he painted over the course of the festival. His style is really interesting and it almost looks like a felt tip drawing rather than spray paint.
Michel Velt, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Looking at the piece I wonder if it was quite finished, because the orange decoration on the right hand side is missing a little bit of black edging. The whole event was so disrupted by the changeable weather that a number of pieces were abandoned or incompete. It doesn’t matter at all wih this, because it is so beautifully presented. A wonderful piece.
What a magnificent chrome beast this is on the M32 cycle path by Slakarts. The light coloured accents on the nose and cheeks and on the eyebrows and hair help to bring much more depth to the piece.
Slakarts, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2019
This is probably my favourite Slakarts piece thus far, and it is typical of his stylised faces, and that it is cut off at the top and bottom matters not. I am pretty certain that I have more of his work slopping around somewhere in my archives, so I will try to dig it out. Nice piece.
This lovely sprite-like face by Face 1st has been at the entrance to St Werburghs tunnel for a little while now, but remained completely untouched, which is as it should be. There is a seasonal feel to the piece with bronze-coloured leaves for hair.
Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2019
All of Face 1st’s work is really good at the moment, in fact it has been for a few years now and the artist is showing his versatility by adapting his style iteratively from piece to piece. For its simplicity and beauty this is opne of my recent favourites.
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