It is a remarkable thing, but I continue to ‘find’ graffiti writers and street artists, only to discover that they have been around for years and that they just haven’t been on my radar at all. One such artist is Still, who I met about a week ago, and since meeting him I have found two of his recent pieces. How does that work? And how many do I have in my archive?
Still, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2023
Still is obviously an accomplished writer, and when I met him, he was coaching Maes, another artist I haven’t yet featured on Natural Adventures. This is a very busy piece, spelling out STILL, with a great overall shape and dynamic fills, finished off nicely with a clean red border. Watch this space for more from Still.
Tack Jucker, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, April 2023
Tack Jucker has been a little bit quiet over the winter, so this early spring piece was a nice surprise. The piece resembles a study more than a complete piece, and perhaps gives us a little glimpse of the design ideas of Tack Jucker, and maybe something he is working on.
Tack Jucker, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, April 2023
He has slapped this giant eye over the top of a Face 1st piece when perhaps the polite thing might have been to buff the wall out completely before starting. The eye itself is nicely done, and the reflections work really well – an aspiring My Dog Sighs perhaps?
This is a rather unusual piece by Stivs, and I have to say I’m really not very sure what it all means, so I decided to do a bit of a Google Interweb search. I think that the piece splits into two. On the left is a reference to an Australian film called Chopper and a character called Mark ‘Chopper’ Read who I assume says at some point in the film “Neville Fuck’n Bartos”. One for a quiet evening maybe. The other half is some stunning calligraffiti spelling out Jules.
Stivs, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2023
Stivs has been pushing the boundaries recently with character pieces and portraits, mostly linked to films, and his portfolio is about so much more than just his outstanding calligraffiti. The writing looks like it might be a tribute to Jules – I don’t know much more than that about it. My only reservation about this piece is the background, I can only guess that it has some significance.
Soker is an artist who has definitely slowed down a little bit in terms of his graffiti writing over the last couple of years, but he has certainly made up for things with this immense piece in Norfolk Place, replacing one of his own pieces there.
Soker, Norfolk Place, Bristol, April 2023
This is a top-notch piece of classic wildstyle graffiti writing, spelling SOKEM. The colour selection and progressions are superb, as is the 3D drop shadow in purple and lilac with its central vanishing point. The whole thing oozes class, and one can be pretty sure that the piece will remain untagged and intact until such time as Soker chooses to repaint it (probably years).
Mudra and Saor, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2023
This narrow section of the M32 Cycle path wall that is difficult to photograph, even with a wide angle capability, which is exacerbated when there is a collaboration from two writers who like to spread themselves out a bit. To add to the difficulties, the light conditions are particularly challenging in this section – I think I did ok though.
Mudra, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2023
To the left of this NTS rhapsody in blue is a classy collection of letters by Mudra, spelling MUDRA, as you would expect. Mudra specialises in using a different design for each letter in his work, and then bringing them all together through clever colour selection and some style element that is unique to the artist.
Saor, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2023
The right-hand side of the collaborative wall is by Saor, whose work is always as tight as it is creative. His goofy monster character is the centrepiece to the letters SAOR, which is typically rather cryptic. This is a wonderful piece and part of a really great collaboration.
Lee Roy, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, September 2023Lee Roy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023Lee Roy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023Lee Roy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2023Lee Roy, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2023Lee Roy and Waste, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2023Lee Roy, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2023Lee Roy, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2023Lee Roy, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023Lee Roy, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2023Lee Roy, Moon Street, Bristol, February 2023Lee Roy, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023
This extraordinary piece by Zase is one of the most beautiful pieces in the city right now, if not the most beautiful. It is the third consecutive piece by the artist on this wall that I can remember, and like its predecessors has already become something of a landmark adjacent to the Eastville roundabout.
Zase, Cottrell Road, Bristol, April 2023
Continuing on today’s insect theme from Sled One’s Burberry bumblebee piece in the previous post, this piece is all about the honey bees. To the left, dandelions in flower and seed dominate the woodland (hinted) scene, while two bees navigate their way through the floating ‘parachute’ seeds.
Zase, Cottrell Road, Bristol, April 2023
The dandelion is, on its own, a work of art and I find myself utterly confounded as to how Zase painted this with spray paint.The finest detail has been incorporated, and his observational skills are outstanding, with the little marks left on the seed head by departed seeds.
Zase, Cottrell Road, Bristol, April 2023
The yellow and orange honeycomb letters spell out ZASE in some of the best anamorphic graffiti writing you’ll be lucky enough to see, and a bee has settled on the comb to the right.
Zase, Cottrell Road, Bristol, April 2023
The whole thing is a masterpiece and a fabulous advert for the artist who paints commissions. If I could afford it…
Zase and Dekor, Cottrell Road, Bristol, September 2017
Zase and Dekor, Cottrell Street, Bristol, August 2015
The Burberry check paint jam in Sparke Evans Park consisted mostly of graffiti writing, but Sled One did what only Sled One can do and created this extraordinary surreal character piece with his own unique take on the theme.
Sled One, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, April 2023
It is difficult to say too much about the artwork, because I would too quickly run out of superlatives. I can however have a go at describing what is going on in the scene. A bumblebee is riding a bicycle – so far so good – He has two feet peddling and four arms, two of which are on the handlebars of the bicycle, a further hand is holding a phone, and the last hand is delicately letting out some gas from a NOX balloon (Nitrous Oxide, laughing gas – a high of choice for teenagers). The bumblebee is, of course, wearing a Burberry hat and scarf. Simply outstanding work from Sled One.
There were so many exceptional pieces painted for the ‘Burberry check’ themed paint jam down at Sparke Evans Park, and in the main they were of the highest quality. I might be pushing the boat out here a bit, but this might be one of the best pieces I have seen by Bnie altogether.
Bnie, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, April 2023
Her distinctive letters have been given the Burberry treatment, but it is not only the familiar check patterns that are stunningly presented, but the 3D drop shadow and border are so neat and tidy too. The whole thing is set on a dark blue wall with some cloudy wisps around the edges which help the writing to pop out a bit from the wall. Absolutely stunning work from Bnie.
I was lucky enough to run into Hire and Cort when they were painting alongside each other on a rather lovely afternoon a week or two back. You don’t often get to see Hire’s work on this roundabout wall, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him painting there.
Hire, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
As I would always expect, his piece oozes quality and class. Set on a wonderful blue background, Hire has spelled out HIRE and added a wonderful angry bunny accompaniment. Just in passing, this photograph illustrates the weight of decades of paint that has been plastered on this wall and which ripples and bubbles – at some point large chunks of paint will tumble off the wall under its own weight.
Hire, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
The letters are outstanding, and their uniformity of design is touching on calligraffiti. Little puffy clouds are intertwined with the letters. Of course, Hire has given us the extra light of a bunny, that is like a mega-tag for the artist.
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