Tag: Graffiti

4359. Dean Lane skate park (478)

Photographing street art and graffiti isn’t just about the big pieces, the obvious ‘in your face’ high end work. It is about capturing the full spectrum of work and the full spectrum of styles, content, ability and so on. Finding a couple of little gems, like these from Zake, exemplifies the joys of finding and cataloging street art.

Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022

Zake is normally known for his bright and expressive stylised faces, full of light and shade to exaggerate the contours of the features. In these two small pieces in Dean Lane, Zake gives us something more like a study, or something you might find in a black book rather than on a wall. It is not only the beauty of these works, but their rarity that is part of their attraction.

Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022
Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022

I guess that they were both painted in the same session judging from the colour palette. A male and female portrait in subtle tones. Two fine pieces adding to the rich portfolio that the artist has to offer, and something a little different for the viewer.

4358. Purdown AA Battery (43)

John D’oh delights us with his stencils. Sometimes they are highly political and a commentary on events and happenings of our time and at other times they are packed with fun and humour, and this Captain Caveman falls into the latter category.

John D'oh, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
John D’oh, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022

I am a little too old to have watched much Captain Caveman, but I was certainly aware of the cartoon series. In this piece, the mischievous character is looking thrilled to be let loose with a spray can. This is a fabulous small piece from John D’oh.

4357. Brunel Way (150)

Although Daz Cat has been a little quiet of late, apart from a smattering of quickie cat faces, when he does have time he creates something magnificent, like this recent cat down by the river under Brunel Way.

Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2022
Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2022

This piece is a dreamy look forward to the summer and days of warmth, shorts and ice lollies. The cat is one of Daz Cat’s full length versions and tells a story, rather than just a static piece. I’m not too sure what the pink lines on the shorts are, but some idiot has ‘augmented’ the piece, which is a pity. All in all rather wonderful stuff.

4356. M32 Cycle path (172)

I am always slightly surprised that anyone would paint this particular spot; the wall is uneven and on a bit of a corner, but it is popular and has quite a high turnover. Maybe it is accepted that nothing here will last too long, whereas some adjacent walls are more sought after, and therefore inclined to have more longevity, especially with some of the more respected artists in Bristol painting them.

Bogat, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2022
Bogat, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2022

Bogat and Asre (who goes by the name @runaway_joey on Instagram) paint alongside each other quite often, and judging from the shout-outs are obviously good friends. On the left is an unusual octopus piece spelling out BOG from Bogat, which is a little different from the long faces he normally paints.

Asre, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2022
Asre, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2022

Asre on the other hand gives us exactly what you’d expect, with one of his trademark faces wearing a hat, and in this one also smoking a joint. The two artists have used the space well and are becoming part of the furniture after bursting onto the scene earlier this year.

Bogat and Asre, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2022
Bogat and Asre, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2022

4355. M32 roundabout J3 (403)

I was fortunate enough to meet Corupt, just as he was finishing off this wonderful Stick piece. What I didn’t know until I returned a day or two later was that he still had quite a lot more work to do on it, and you can see what he added if you compare the two pictures below.

Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022

One thing I have noticed from watching Corupt while at work a couple of times now is that he is very diligent and careful, taking plenty of time to get things just right. In this piece he has absolutely nailed it, with a perfect background, outstanding letter shapes (so Corupt), fabulous 3D shading in black and grey stripes, sensational fills and a wonderful white highlight to help the letters pop.

Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022

The final touches included a yellow border and some shout-outs. The piece was a birthday tribute to his friend Rapa.

4354. M32 roundabout J3 (402)

Over the last month or so, Laic217 has produced four wonderful pieces, three of them linked to support for Ukraine and this one, reverting slightly back to the territory we are used to seeing from the artist.

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Brisol, March 2022
Laic217, M32 roundabout, Brisol, March 2022

The backdrop of multiple colours layered horizontally, almost looks like paint brush work, and is quite crude. There is nothing crude about his greyscale skeleton character, however, picked out with a fine white border. There is threat and misery in this piece, all part of Laic217’s narrative and fascination with decay and distortion.

4353. Purdown AA Battery (42)

There are some artists that paint so much, that the only way to showcase them here on Natural Adventures is to save up several and post them all at the same time. When I went up to Purdown a week or two back, I was confronted with several pieces by VZA (Veeez) on the concrete walls, and here they are.

VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022

VZA has three or four strong forms that he likes to paint, one of which is a simple character with big white eyes. The saying ‘less is more’ is probably appropriate with his work, like the famous London street artist Stik. I would like to think that the colour selection in this piece is in support of Ukraine

VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022

Another piece in a similar form, and again sporting the colours of the Ukranian flag, is this time presented in a landscape format.

VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022

Sticking with the two large eyes, the introduction of an arrow and an exclamation mark in red and white, is as good as any signature. Although the form is again simple, there is a lot of texture and character in the piece.

VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022

A similar piece only a matter of yards away indicates, through the similar colours used, that it was most likely painted during the same session, along with the final piece posted below.

VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022

By placing all these VZA pieces together in one post, you can get a real sense of his style and his work rate. I have another whole pile of his work to share and will soon do another of these compilations.

4352. M32 Cycle path (171)

More from Desi, who is really making her mark, literally and figuratively, on the Bristol graffiti scene. Her letters are easy on the eye, and it is her creativity with fills that is fast becoming.no her USP.

Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2022
Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2022

The colour schemes she uses are carefully thought out and always turn out well. This piece has horizontal fades from dark pink at the top to white at the bottom. Each of the letters is emphasised with a highlight line within the letters which makes the piece so much better. Desi continues to grow.

4351. M32 roundabout J3 (401)

There was a period last year when we were spoilt with an avalanche of Hemper pieces, of course, keeping that level of productivity going was always going to be difficult, and the artist has now settled into a more occasional routine.

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022

This is a lovely piece, painted alongside Andy Council, from a couple of weeks back. This is wildstyle writing at its cryptic best. Letters made up of three dimensional slabs, which I must confess that I have difficulty reading. Hemper usually writes HEMS, but I can’t make it out here. This is a beautifully executed, highly complex piece that demonstrates just what an accomplished writer Hemper is.

4350. Cumberland Basin

You can be pretty certain that when Paul Monsters and Andy Council team up, you are going to get something rather special, and this collaboration in Cumberland Basin is definitely special. The two have combined their unique styles into a bit of a mash up piece, rather than painting side by side in what I would call a true collaboration.

Andy Council and Paul Monsters, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022
Andy Council and Paul Monsters, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022

The colourful geometric shapes are by Paul Monsters and set the framework for  a stunning Andy Council nautilus or ammonite, a large version of the icon he uses for his signature. Set on a black buffed wall the collaboration is truly outstanding, and all for free! So good to see these two collaborating, and I hope they plan to work together again some time.