Nothing lasts long in Bristol these days, and even ‘high end’ pieces can have shorter lifespans than they deserve. A case in point is this wonderful collaborative wall under Brunel Way from Dibz and Acer. Rather more tragically, these two painted together again in the same spot last Friday/Saturday, and by Saturday afternoon it had been overpainted.
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2022
To the left is the Dibz contribution, but to add a little fun, each of the artists wrote the other’s name. So in this outstanding piece of wildstyle writing, Dibz has written ACER. I cannot put into words how good this writing is, so you can just judge for yourselves.
Acer One, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2022
To the right, it is Acer One’s turn to play the game and adopting his favoured style of writing (at least recently) he has written DIBZ with care and precision, adding a little bit of interest behind the letters. The whole thing is a beautifully executed bit of fun from Dibz v Acer One.
One of the most recognisable styles in Bristol is from Taboo, and the interesting thing about that is that although he usually writes ‘Taboo’, no two pieces look the same, unlike some writers who like to recreate their letters in a similar format from piece to piece.
Taboo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
In this one, Taboo’s unruly letters, once again seem to defy convention, for example, he uses two different border colours halfway through the word. The letters are imaginative and creative, and don’t really follow a font style, although one can tell that they are all by the same artist. No character in this piece, which is a bit of a pity, because they add a further dimension to the overall work. This is yet another wonderful piece of writing from an artist who likes to plough his own furrow.
Oof! Mest can really dial it up when he feels like it, and with this birthday celebration piece for Stivs, he has absolutely smashed it. I am guessing that during this birthday paint jam, Mest took his time to create this really tight piece.
Mest, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2022
The first thing to note is the unusual colour combination of cream pink and blue, which might not be an obvious alliance, but somehow he has carried it off. His letter shapes are a little more dynamic than usual and all the additional little details pick our different aspects of the writing. A very nice piece indeed, lifting Mest up into the next level. Also a fabulous tribute to Stivs on his birthday.
I would say that Emily Joy Rich is a fabulous designer and sign writing artist, and although she isn’t a regular painter of ‘non-legal’ walls, she does create som wonderful works on legal walls, blending ‘corporate’ art with street art.
Emily Joy Rich, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2022
In this piece in the Elton Street gallery, Emily Joy Rich has created some gorgeous script writing, so clean and crisp, on a moody cloud background. As is often the case with wordy street art, I am left with an ear worm that I simply can’t shake off and will be with me for the rest of the day. Rhythm is a Dancer by Snap! Is one of those tunes with a strong beat that stays with you. This is a fine piece from Emily Joy Rich.
To reach this wonderful piece by Mr Underbite, you need to trample through some dense spring vegetation, but it is utterly worth the effort. I find it impossible not to love this character, and the way he is presented. The shared name of the artist and character is a clever piece of branding/presentation, but might also become a constraint if the artist decides to develop or create new characters or styles. For the moment though, that doesn’t matter, because the concept is a good one, and it is lovingly created.
Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2022
Mr Underbite definitely operates in this area, I haven’t seen anything further afield yet, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be too long before he spreads his wings. In green tones with yellow borders, Mr Underbite is looking as forlorn as ever, but his ‘Yo!’ exclamation would seem to indicate that all is well. Another fine and touching piece from Mr Underbite.
What a lovely thing to find on the long wall in Dean Lane skate park. Fresh, clean and definitely a collaboration to bring a smile to your face. The RBF crew have been particularly busy of late in various spots around the city, but you don’t often see their work in Dean Lane.
Evey, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
It looks to me like Evey has been having some coaching from Bnie with her 3D shadow, as I’ve never seen her paint these patterns before. This is what I love about street art; all the artists seem to be continuously developing and improving their work, moving from idea to idea and pushing themselves. The fills in her letters are rather fun too, and the colours definitely complement each other.
Bnie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
The other half of the collaborative wall is by Bnie in which she has absolutely smashed it in my opinion. The piece has everything you would expect from Bnie but elevated to the next level. This might even be her finest piece yet. The letter fills are beautifully blended and the white highlights lift them out a bit. The 3D fill is to die for, with a clever and rather unique patterning, which is a sure trademark of hers. The double border is nice and neat and provides the distinction between the letters and background. I love this piece, and I am enjoying these recent RBF collaborations.
At the edge of the tunnel at L Dub, we can see from this tidy piece, just what an accomplished artist DJ Perks is becoming. DJ Perks is never one to shy away from pushing the envelope and in this piece he has created a superb writing/character combination that is unlike other pieces he has created. He really is a talent.
DJ Perks, L Dub, Bristol, April 2022
I have a feeling that this piece was painted alongside artists from the LRS crew during a bit of a paint jam in April. The letters ‘L Dub’ are beautifully designed and have a strength about them, as well as being superbly filled. The character is something of a classic, but more than that it is painted with wonderful shades and shadows, offering some depth to the character. This is great work from an artist on the up.
I think that I have photographed this column piece by John D’oh pretty much every time I have visited this spot, always with the intention of posting it, but somehow it hasn’t made it onto Natural Adventures. Well it has now, and is a great record of the crazy world we have been living in over the last two years. Capturing pieces like this is to record history as portrayed through the work of some amazing street artists.
John D’oh, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
John D’oh has sprayed this witty stencil, reminding us to keep our social distancing to 2 metres which roughly translates to Bristol croc’s length. This references many local stories about a Bristol crocodile, thanks in no small part to another fine street artist, Rowdy. The Bristol crocodile story dates back to at least 2014, and relies on repeated sightings of crocodiles in various watercourses. Some are fakes and some are recently ‘dumped’ pet crocodiles that get released irresponsibly. The Bristol crocodile has become quite a thing though.
This is a rather unexpected collaboration for a number of reasons, but is as welcome as it is unexpected. Chill and Smut combining to give us this beautiful piece of writing bookended with cartoon characters.
Smut, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this collaboration is the change in style from Smut. His customary script writing has given way to something entirely different. The anamorphic letters are beautifully crafted and as you would expect from Smut painted with precision and a near-perfect orange border, which bleeds across into the two Chill characters.
Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
To the left, the cartoon character is wearing a floppy hat and looking and pointing towards Smut’s letters. The black and white figure contrasting perfectly with the orange border.
Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
To the right-hand side, and concluding the collaborative wall, is an almost mirror image of the opposite character, although this one is wearing a hoodie and baseball cap. The whole thing is a rather unlikely collaboration that comes together really nicely. Watch this space for some more experimental styles from Smut.
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