Tag: Graffiti

4006. St Werburghs tunnel (262)

Although rather small and modest in scope, this little collaboration is very significant in the history of street art in Bristol. Veee, an artist from Weston-super-Mare and Stinkfish joined forces to bomb a couple of walls at the tail end of a trip that Stinkfish had made to the city. A crowd-funded project had brought the artist back to Bristol to tidy up a couple of iconic pieces he painted here some years ago.

Veee and Stinkfish, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2021
Veee and Stinkfish, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2021

I had actually met the artists very briefly as they sprayed a wall in Dean Lane – unfortunately, when I returned a day later their work had been over-painted, so I only have this WIP shot. It was great to meet Stinkfish, in particular, because of his global reputation – he is a street art rock star, no doubt about it.

Stinkfish, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2021
Stinkfish, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2021

The St Werburghs piece by Stinkfish is similar to the Dean Lane one, and it is like a mega tag. I wonder how many people know who it is by. It is interesting that Stinkfish would want to spray these little anonymous pieces about the place, but then again, I guess that is all part of the fun of spray-painting. There is another one of these that I will share soon, and of course I have to go and photograph the two renovations too.

Veee seems to be making quite a big noise at the moment, and I know that there will be plenty more pieces from him in Natural Adventures before long.

Vee and Stinkfish, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2021
Vee and Stinkfish, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2021

4005. Sparke Evans Park (14)

Although this piece would appear to have been painted at the same time as the paint jam organised for Nightwayss’ birthday, it had actually been painted a day or two before. The other artists liked it so much that they kept it and painted around it, which is high praise. The artist Tack Jucker told me this story himself, and I think that he was a bit chuffed.

Tack Jucker, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, October 2021
Tack Jucker, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, October 2021

There is something going on with Monkeys in Bristol at the moment, and I wonder if it is the influence of Nightwayss, the monkey master. This looks a little bit like a baboon with a rather threatening gesture and bared teeth. It looks like Soap, or one of the others have embellished the piece with some gems, but it has been done sensitively rather than mindless tags. Although this might be the first piece from Tack Jucker on Natural Adventures, I can guarantee it will not be the last.

4004. Greenbank (17)

Barely a week goes by when I don’t have something to post by Laic217. This piece on the long wall at Greenbank is an absolute gem and is painted in a rather cheerful assemblage of colours, although the subject is inevitably skeleton related.

Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, September 2021
Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, September 2021

There are lots of things we expect to see from Laic217, including the bucket hat, fabulously painted folds in the clothing, and the reappearance, after a long pause, of the brickwork glasses. I love the contrast between the grey scale characters and the colourful background. Yet another fine work from this highly talented artist.

4003. Walliscote Road (1), Weston-super-Mare

I will never quite understand why some artists never have as high a profile on Natural Adventures as they deserve, this is even more puzzling when those artists are as talented and creative as I bee W. I have several of his pieces in my archive simply waiting to be posted, but they are trapped. I wasn’t going to let that happen with this wonderful stencil piece in Weston-super-Mare

I bee W, Walliscote Road, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
I bee W, Walliscote Road, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021

The stencil is unusual, because it features a nude figure which is very unusual in UK street art. Maybe we were prudish or something, but nude art is rarely seen. The complex, multi-layered stencil is typical of the excellent work we see from I bee W, and has a sense of optimism and freedom about it. I will be unearthing more work from this fabulous stencil artist.

4002. Cumberland Basin

It is always a pleasure to come across a Pl8o piece, even more so since I met him. There is something about his letter choice that really appeals to me, so not only is it a nice bit of word play, the shapes of the letters work really nicely together.

Pl8o, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2021
Pl8o, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2021

In this piece, Pl8o has reverted to his big block letters after a brief flirtation with script, although the dep 3D shadings he favours are not present in this one. A decent enough throwie (throw up) and another to add to his repertoire.

4001. Princess Street (1), Burnham-on-Sea

These pictures were taken on my first visit to Burnham-on-Sea, and this little street art oasis was not the easiest to find, being slightly off Princess Street itself. I had seen this wonderful wall by Mind Control posted on Instagram a few times, so was pleased to be able to find it.

Mind Control, Princess Street, Burnham -on-Sea, September 2021
Mind Control, Princess Street, Burnham -on-Sea, September 2021

There is a slightly sinister and threatening tone to quite a lot of Mind Control’s work, and if I am honest I find this piece a little disturbing. The darkness, expressions and gestures in the piece are interesting, but are definitely an acquired taste. Cleverly thought out and painted though, this piece represents another stage in the artist’s development.

4000. Upfest 2021 75×75 (70)

This morning’s post is something of a landmark for me. It is my 4,000th street/graffiti art post on Natural Adventures, not something that I planned all those years ago with this first post.

Insane51, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Insane51, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

It is fitting, I think, that one of the most impactful street artists to hit the walls of Bristol is the subject of this milestone post – Insane51. This is probably ‘the’ feature wall for Upfest and gets an awful lot of footfall and exposure. You might recall the Greta Thunberg piece by Jody that preceded this one.

Insane51, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Insane51, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

Apart from being visually stunning as it is, Insane 51’s work is designed to be viewed through 3D colour filter glasses that allow you to see the two pictures that combine to make the one mural. You can see what I mean if you look at this article from the the Bristol Post.

Insane51, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Insane51, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

The artwork itself is best described by the artist, taken from his Instagram feed:

🔴 ‘DREAM” 🔵

⚫ NYX holding SELENE 🌕

⚫ Nyx is the Greek goddess of the night. A shadowy figure, Nyx stood at or near the beginning of creation and mothered other personified deities such as Hypnos (Sleep) and Thanatos (Death), with Erebus (Darkness). Her appearances are sparse in surviving mythology, but reveal her as a figure of such exceptional power and beauty that she is feared by Zeus himself.

🌕 Selene is the goddess of the Moon. She is the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and sister of the sun god Helios and the dawn goddess Eos. She drives her moon chariot across the heavens.

An extraordinary piece by a world-class artist. On to the next 4,000 posts.

3998. St werburghs tunnel (261)

Seeing tribute and birthday pieces is always great to see, and it demonstrates the joy of painting for others, that selflessness that is a common trait in many street/graffiti artists, at least in my experience.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2021
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2021

This piece for Shosh by Stivs at the entrance of St Werburghs tunnel is an absolute beauty and shows just how wide Stiv’s range of calligraffiti is. The pink lettering looks like it has been applied with a wide paint brush, but is actually really nicely finished. Great shadows and decorations. A lovely piece that is very easy on the eye.

3997. Regent Street, Weston-super-Mare

The artist needs no introduction, but for those of you not so familiar with some of the bigger names in street art, this is an incredible geisha piece by Dan Kitchener or Dank as he is sometimes known.

Dan Kitchener, Regent Street, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
Dan Kitchener, Regent Street, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021

Everything about this piece is close to perfection. The location and wall, the proportions and of course the artwork. The parked car at the bottom left is the only blemish, and even that has little impact on the magnificence of the mural.

Dan Kitchener, Regent Street, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
Dan Kitchener, Regent Street, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021

It seems that Dan Kitchener never stops. Every time I surf Instagram, he seems to have yet another new mural or canvass piece on the go, most of which are strongly themed with these Japanese street scenes, and for me have a touch of ‘Bladerunner’ about them.

Dan Kitchener, Regent Street, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
Dan Kitchener, Regent Street, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021

To combine the geisha with the street scene is a clever shift, bringing together two elements that he loves to paint into one piece. The top half features a white-faced portrait of a geisha fully decked out with her amazing hair decorations and headdress.

Dan Kitchener, Regent Street, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
Dan Kitchener, Regent Street, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021

Underneath the beautiful lady is a street scene, with neon signs and wet weather, of course, that Dan Kitchener captures so well and presents us with something full of bustle and atmosphere.

A brilliant piece and fabulous gift to the people of Weston-super-Mare.

3996. Dean Lane skate park (433)

Hot on the tail of his first piece on Natural Adventures, I am pleased to bring you this second one from last month. Of course, there are a whole ton of his pieces in my archives, but it will take me a little while to unearth them all.

Dopes, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2021
Dopes, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2021

Dopes seems to  favour these large letters with chrome or other bold solid fills and accent highlights and the overall effect is a good one. I know he takes care with his work, and it is clear to see from the sharp and clean lines that he is really conscientious about his work. Lots more to come.