Tag: Graffiti

Thursday doors – 3 November 2020

Doors 131 – a welcome to Dan Anton and some more graffiti archive doors

It has been an ultra busy week, so I am returning to my ‘safety blanket’ of doors from my street art archives. The worrying thing is that I am steadily using up my reserve doors and really need to get out to photograph some new and exciting doors. Bristol is currently in the highest tier of covid-19 restrictions, so it may still be some time before I can get out and about.

This little selection were originally posted on Natural Adventures during December 2019 and January this year. Enjoy:

 

There is a door there somewhere – I promise

Xenz, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2019
Xenz, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2019

 

RichT, Frogmore Street, Bristol, December 2019
RichT, Frogmore Street, Bristol, December 2019

 

Paul Monsters, Leonard Lane, Bristol, December 2019
Paul Monsters, Leonard Lane, Bristol, December 2019

OK, So I cheated… There is a red gate in the wall at the bottom.

Space Invader, Lambeth High Street, London, November 2019
Space Invader, Lambeth High Street, London, November 2019

 

Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2019
Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2019

 

Pekoe, Hepburn Road, Bristol, January 2020
Pekoe, Hepburn Road, Bristol, January 2020

 

Nevergiveup, River Avon, Bristol, January 2020
Nevergiveup, River Avon, Bristol, January 2020

 

Slakarts, Hepburn Road, Bristol, January 2020
Slakarts, Hepburn Road, Bristol, January 2020

 

Unify, Shoreditch, London, November 2018
Unify, Shoreditch, London, November 2018

 

BKFoxx, Hanbury Street, Shoreditch, London, November 2018
BKFoxx, Hanbury Street, Shoreditch, London, November 2018

 

SkyHigh, Shoreditch, London, November 2018
SkyHigh, Shoreditch, London, November 2018

 

Gvnly, North Street, Bristol, December 2018
Gvnly, North Street, Bristol, December 2018

 

Conrico, Newfoundland Road, Bristol, December 2019
Conrico, Newfoundland Road, Bristol, December 2019

Well there was a bit of cheating in that lot, and quite a few boarded up doors, but in this friendly community of door lovers, I’m sure even oblique references to doors are acceptable.

So that’s it for this week. More next week I hope.

If you have made it this far, you probably like doors and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors  from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.

by Scooj

3340. M32 Cycle path (89)

Another little trip into my archives to share this outstanding piece of graffiti writing from Spanish artist Claro_que_sssnoh from August this year. At the time I took the photograph, I’m not certain I knew who the artist was and so it stayed in my archives waiting to be freed.

Claro_que_sssnoh, M32 cycle path, Bristol, August 2020
Claro_que_sssnoh, M32 cycle path, Bristol, August 2020

Claro (I am shortening the name to save my sanity) has produced an absolutely stunning piece with so much to admire. The joyful pinks and blues set a happy tone for the writing which is out of the top drawer. It is those pink spots though that grab the eye and make this a memorable piece. Mouthwatering.

3339. Purdown HAA Battery (12)

I first encountered the work of Mind Control at Upfest 2017 when he was a  sixteen-year-old young man. Since then, I have seen pieces every now and again, but especially over the last few months. I had to dig this one out of my July archive and am pleased that I did, because it is the passionate and political piece of an angry young man.

Mind Control, Purdown Battery, Bristol, July 2020
Mind Control, Purdown Battery, Bristol, July 2020

Probably prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement this is a strong message against fascism and shows a hand crushing a swastika, not an emblem you see too often these days, even if there are still large numbers of racists and fascists about. I doff my cap to this young man for this statement.

3338. M32 roundabout J3 (267)

I had to go back into my archives to dig this little beauty out by Daz Cat and CD.TC that had managed to get left behind. Daz Cat in particular appears to be going through a bit of a purple patch at the moment, but both artists are getting out and about.

Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

On the left of the collaborative piece is a Daz Cat cat in browns and greens with a red surround on a white buffed wall – colours that extend across the whole piece that makes it one of those colour/style sharing collaborations. The cat is holding one half of a sign which reads ‘More peace, fuck police’, and it was painted in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement gaining pace during the summer after the George Floyd killing.

CD.TC, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
CD.TC, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

On the right is a wonderful and slightly grotesque character from CD.TC. I love the hand clutching a pencil, it has something really cool about it. These two artists would appear to be firm friends, along with Kool Hand, and their collaborations are a prominent feature on the Bristol street art scene.

Daz Cat and CD.TC, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Daz Cat and CD.TC, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

3337. St Werburghs tunnel (209)

Always colourful and always a little bit different is what you expect to get with a Benjimagnetic piece. His work feels like it is layered, with each layer adding complexity to the piece, but I haven’t yet seen him paint, so it is difficult to know how he constructs his work.

Benjimagnetic, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2020
Benjimagnetic, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2020

I have a real blind spot with reading his letters which is I think because they are hinted at with some black highlights and ethereal fills. If the fills were more solid and outlined complete, it would be much easier to interpret, but then it just wouldn’t be Benjimagnetic. He completes this piece with the words “Outsiders live forever”  – whatever that means.

3336. River Avon (10)

Painted alongside his compatriots, this stunning piece by visiting Spanish artist Sin Prisas complements the Satan by Dabuten Tronko perfectly. I’m not exactly certain when this piece was painted, but I think it was during October/November this year, and when I took these pictures, it all looked clean and fresh too me.

Sin Prisas, River Avon, Bristol, November 2020
Sin Prisas, River Avon, Bristol, November 2020

This is a satanic figure peering over a wall and up to no good, with a devil capped spray can at the ready. It is beautifully sprayed with plenty of depth and some nice details. These guys sure can paint and this wall is really impressive. If you’ve not been there to take a look yet, I can highly recommend it.

Dabuten Tronko, River Avon, Bristol, November 2020
Dabuten Tronko, River Avon, Bristol, November 2020

3335. Cattle Market Road (7)

I found these bunnies quite a while back, but like to spread out my posts of Nevergiveup’s (Eldey’s) work otherwise you might get overwhelmed with cuddly rabbits and that simply wouldn’t do.

Nevergiveup, Cattle Market Road, Bristol, June 2020
Nevergiveup, Cattle Market Road, Bristol, June 2020

This pair of rather cool rabbits reside in the tunnel under Temple Meads station alongside a whole world of hidden and rather forgotten burners and throw ups. Unfortunately the taggers got to these rabbits long before I did, although I have a feeling I have some older pictures that might be cleaner in my archives – finding them would be troublesome though.

Nevergiveup, Cattle Market Road, Bristol, June 2020
Nevergiveup, Cattle Market Road, Bristol, June 2020

Looking like a comedy double act – Cannon and Ball or Little and Large spring to mind, these charming characters add a bit of fun to our ordinary lives.

3334. St Werburghs tunnel (208)

Another green and purple Halloween piece from a paint jam in the tunnel about a month ago, this time from Mest. The piece is clean and tidy and the horizontal fills fade beautifully, and the letters are bounded by a bright white 3D shadow.

Mest, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2020
Mest, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2020

Mest is becoming a bit of a regular on Natural Adventures, which is a good thing in my view, and it shouldn’t be too long before I have enough pieces by him to put together a rather nice gallery.

3333. M32 roundabout J3 (266)

I don’t know why they bother, but about every six months or so Bristol City Council buff the walls around parts of the M32 roundabout. It seems like a costly and futile exercise, because within about five minutes the graffiti and street art returns. Frankly it is a waste of tax-payers money.

Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2020
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2020

One of the quickest artists off the mark both this time and last was Daz Cat with his cats either side of one of the tunnels. Last time the cats were chrome and gold, this time pink and orange.

Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2020
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2020

I have an image in my mind that Daz Cat follows the council ‘buffing team’ around with a spray can at the ready to be first on the new blank canvass, a bit like being the first skier down a fresh powder piste on the first run of the day. Each of the cats is calling out the colour of the other in this fun and mischievous piece.

Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2019
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2019

3332. Brunel Way bridge (75)

Virtually impossible to photograph properly, but wonderful to see is this Halloween Taboo piece. I seem to recall a little while ago saying that I hadn’t found many Halloween pieces this year – well, scratch that, I have found rather a lot, and on this wall there were six or seven alone.

Taboo, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2020
Taboo, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2020

It is tricky to see the full Taboo on this, but I think you get the idea, and the character ghost is absolutely brilliant. I think the contrast between Taboo’s letters and characters is what makes his work so interesting, almost as if they are by two different artists.

Taboo, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2020
Taboo, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2020

A very fine piece indeed.