Tag: Face

500. Raleigh Road (3)

Opposite the Tobacco Factory car park, you (used to) come face to face with this building and a wonderful Thierry Noir pair. When I took the photographs, I hadn’t seen any of his work before, but on my escapades to London I have become more familiar with his very distinctive work.

Thierry Noir, Raleigh Road, Bristol, June 2016
Thierry Noir, Raleigh Road, Bristol, June 2016

These pieces were sprayed for Upfest 2015 and have since been over painted with a large Brexit commentary piece which was part of Upfest 2016 – I will post this newer piece soon.

Thierry Noir reminds me a lot of artists like Matisse, or the Stravinsky fountains outside the Pompidou centre in Paris, whose work contained bold and contrasting colours on simple figures and forms. Great stuff.

490. Upfest 2016 (64)

This is one of the slightly more bonkers pieces from Upfest this year. Surreal and vivid, it absolutely makes me smile every time I look at it. Unfortunately I never got to see the finished work, but I was pleased to get some pictures of the artist at work.

Jimmy Duggan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Jimmy Duggan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Jimmy Duggan is from the Isle of Man, and is the only Manx artist I have come across so far. He has an interesting Facebook page for his art work, which gives you a real feel for his expressive and creative work. I would dearly like to see more of his stuff in Bristol, but I think it unlikely. Maybe next Upfest?

Jimmy Duggan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Jimmy Duggan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

484. Upfest 2016 (58)

It was impossible not to notice this bright and arresting piece by Kier (Chiara Frei) at Upfest this year. The three panels spelled out the phrase ‘Be the one you want to be‘ showing three green and purple portraits with interchangeable face parts.

Kier, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Kier, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

From her website, Chiara describes herself as a graphic designer who loves her job and is happy to learn new things. Beyond that she prefers not to say too much about herself.

Kier, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Kier, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Her choice of colours and subject for Upfest meant that her piece really caught the eye. I went back to it two or three times, just to take another look. There was something about it.

Kier, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Kier, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

462. Wilder Street (10)

Well Feoflip really is the man of the moment. Before Upfest 2016 I hadn’t seen any of his work, or if I had, it had passed me by. Now it seems I can’t go anywhere in Bristol without stumbling upon one of his incredible pieces.

Feoflip, Wilder Street, Bristol, September 2016
Feoflip, Wilder Street, Bristol, September 2016
This face has something of the Easter Island statues about it, maybe given the Picasso treatment. I think it is a stunning piece, but the colours and shades he uses lends his work to blending in with its surroundings. Rarely do his pieces jump out and grab you by the collar, and many folk will just walk on by oblivious. But if you do happen to stop and take a look, you are in for a real treat. These are beautifully detailed and creatively styalised pieces that would look comfortable in many contemporary art galleries.

Feoflip, Wilder Street, Bristol, September 2016
Feoflip, Wilder Street, Bristol, September 2016
Beautiful work…and more of his to come.

450. Cowper Street, Shoreditch, London (1)

When I first started my two days a week working in London this Summer, I stayed in a hotel on City Road and ventured out towards Shoreditch without really knowing what I would find. One of the first encounters with street art I had was this bold signature piece by Thierry Noir.

Thierry Noir, Cowper Street, London, August 2016
Thierry Noir, Cowper Street, London, August 2016

Thierry Noir is a significant French street artist and has a Wikipedia page just to emphasise the fact. He claims to have been the first street artist to paint the Berlin Wall…more in the link. I love his simple style and bold colours. He hardly needs to sign his works, but this one said to me ‘welcome to Shoreditch’.

 

 

445. Dean Lane skate park (21)

Since I’m on a run of posting about artists that I know little about I thought I’d include this understated work by Jee See on one of the ramps at Dean Lane skate park. There are other works by Jee See scattered around the city in the bearpit, in St Werberghs tunnel and in Montpelier, but he remains elusive on the Interweb.

Jee See, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2016
Jee See, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2016

Many of his pieces feature a girl’s face, sometimes in revolutionary garb, and there is something very compelling about the artwork. I can’t put my finger on it, but it feels edgy and interesting. More from this local artist to come.

441. City Road (3)

I have spent a little while trying to find out more about Feoflip. I don’t tend to spend too much time doing this kind of thing, because before you know it, an hour or two can pass. All I want to know is where he is from, but I have a big fail on that one. Feoflip is an artist whose work I love, and fortunately he left his mark in Bristol in a big way after Upfest this year. His Facebook page provides a little bit of information on this, but you might need to use the translate button.

https://cosmictravellerblog.com/2016/08/29/cosmo-loves-feoflip/
https://cosmictravellerblog.com/2016/08/29/cosmo-loves-feoflip/

This subtle piece blends in so well with the frame, it almost feels like it was always there. It appears that I am not the only Bristol street art blogger who has a thing for Feoflip, Cosmo recently posted this excellent review of some of his works…in fact she has beaten me to it with most of them.

https://cosmictravellerblog.com/2016/08/29/cosmo-loves-feoflip/
https://cosmictravellerblog.com/2016/08/29/cosmo-loves-feoflip/

I have a whole load more of his pieces to share and will try to post them as soon as I can, but I’m afraid the backlog doesn’t get any smaller…aaaaargh.

405. Upfest 2016 (38)

During Upfest 2016 there was agreat deal of activity in Luckwell Road. The hoardings, which the seem to have been there forever, were getting a makeover with a series of portraits, the southern-most of which was this beautiful work by Philth.

Philth, Luckwell Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Philth, Luckwell Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Philth, Luckwell Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I was lucky enough to see Philth at work on both the Saturday and the Sunday and to photograph the completed piece on the Monday.

Philth, Luckwell Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Philth, Luckwell Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Philth, Luckwell Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Philth, Luckwell Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Philth, Philip Blake, is a graphic designer and illustrator who favours painting ‘hot chicks’, using spray paints or paste ups. I recall a lovely work by him from last year’s Upfest that I will post about some time. That location now has a beautiful Caro Pepe work in its place.

Philth, Luckwell Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Philth, Luckwell Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I love these two tone works with splashes of colour – Karl Read produced the same effect although with completely different techniques. Really great work.

355. Upfest 2016 (14)

This is an extraordinary and eye catching piece by yet another female artist at Upfest this year. I love this piece very much. The more you look at it, the more it can unsettle. The out-of-proportion eye, and absence of the other eye ‘obscured’ by hair looks a little strange. What emotions are being expressed? Other works by the artist share similar features.

Caro Pepe, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Caro Pepe, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I saw this piece in various stages of its development, and the final result is really stunning. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to speak with the artist Caro Pepe, from Argentina…she had enough trouble on the pavement with people squeezed between her and the parked car. It must have been very difficult to concentrate.

Caro Pepe, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Caro Pepe, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

The previous incumbent at this address, number 74 North Street, was the wonderful N4T4 piece from last year’s festival. Two portraits, two very different styles, both excellent.

Caro Pepe, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Caro Pepe, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I will definitely be looking out for more of Pepe’s work, although I expect to see it on the world stage rather than the local Bristol one. Thank you Upfest! There is a fine interview with Caro Pepe on the Street Art Bio website which is well worth a read.

340. Ashley Road (8)

Regular readers of this blog will know that I have a real soft spot for Face F1st. I will always try to post his works as soon as I can after I have spotted them, although it is not always possible with such a huge backlog of street art.

Face F1st, Ashley Road, Bristol, July 2016
Face F1st, Ashley Road, Bristol, July 2016

This is a slightly unusual Face F1st piece. Sure, the soft colours are there and the FACE letters and the swirling hair, but the expression on the girl’s face is something new altogether. I’m not sure if I like it as much as the softer faces, but it is certainly striking. Good to see more work from the Face.