Tag: Graffiti

2292. Bath Road (1)

Well I have been very late to the party on this one. It is a magnificent mosaic piece depicting that once ubiquitous video game ‘Space Invaders’ by Angus. I believe it has been here for quite some time. Having looked at the piece on social media, I think that the background has faded quite significantly from its original dark sky blue.

Angus, Bath Road, Bristol, June 2019
Angus, Bath Road, Bristol, June 2019

I very rarely drive down this road, and I stumbled upon this and another couple of pieces in this spot by complete accident. It is funny, but it doesn’t seem to matter how much you hunt around in this city, there are always surprises waiting around every corner. I am a big fan of Angus and love his versatility and can-do attitude. Great fun nostalgic piece.

2291. Dean Lane skate park (224)

It is the simplicity of Face 1st’s work that I am drawn to. It is unpretentious but full of joy and beauty – uplifting. This modest piece in a copper colour was neatly tacked onto the end of the long wall at Dean Lane skate park. I don’t think it lasted very long, but then nothing here does last very long.

Face 1st, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019
Face 1st, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019

I find this one particularly pleasing on the eye, the lines are good and proportions fantastic and the colour combination works very well. One of the features to look out for in his pieces is the ‘ƒƒ’ signature, often placed on the hair of his beauties. I love this piece.

2290. M32 Cycle path (31)

Painted during a bit of a paint-jam down on the cycle path a couple of weeks back, this is a nice bit of writing from Bristol-based artist Hypo. I have only seen a couple of his pieces from Upfest before, so it is great to see something beyond that ‘safe’ environment.

Hypo, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019
Hypo, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019

The writing is quite unusual with large spaces between the letters. If his name wasn’t so obviously part of this piece I think I would have difficulty in identifying it, as it isn’t like the other pieces I am more familiar with. Nice though.

Hypo, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Hypo, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Hypo, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Hypo, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

2289. Jessop Underpass (3)

 

These rabbits have bred like well… err… rabbits. There are dozens of them all over the city, and I have lost count of how many I have posted or photographed, and still I have a whole load in my archive. This particular one is relatively recent I think, as I pass this way quite frequently and hadn’t noticed it before last week.

Nevergiveup, Jessop Underpass, Bristol, June 2019
Nevergiveup, Jessop Underpass, Bristol, June 2019

Nevergiveup, or Nevergiveup Familia (NGU) to give him his full tag lives up to his name and has a determination to brighten up the city with his bunnies, while still keeping his hand in with some graffiti writing. I’m not sure how he finds the energy. It would take a hard soul to consider this bunny as vandalism. What would you prefer? A standard green/grey utility box with nothing attractive about it or a cheerful bunny bringing a smile to commuters’ faces? It is a no brainer, but I am waiting for the local headlines that announce Bristol City Council’s stiffening resolve to eradicate such vandalism. I hope it doesn’t come to that, I and many others in Bristol are fond of NGU’s rabbits.

2288. M32 Cycle path (30)

There is no stopping Smak these days and this is another corker of a piece tucked under the M32 along the cycle path. This was painted alongside a whole bunch of other artists who had made the trip over the Severn Estuary from Wales to leave their mark in Bristol. There was a bit of a theme of  ‘zebra’ stripes in the pieces that were painted.

Smak, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019
Smak, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019

As Smak pieces go, this one is not as complex as some of his pieces, but it is wonderfully crisp and the neon pink A is to die for. In recent pieces I have noticed that Smak is enjoying giving the A a bit of special treatment and some of them have been outstanding, this one included.

2287. M32 Spot (42)

Face 1st is doing a great job of  switching it up a bit at the moment, and this fabulous column piece in the M32 Spot is a case in point. I really like the full figure pieces that Face 1st has been doing lately that complement his faces so well.

Face 1st, M32 spot, Bristol, June 2019
Face 1st, M32 spot, Bristol, June 2019

Here we have a young woman in a stripy outfit sporting a fine head of purple hair sucking on a lollipop. It is a piece that fits the column so well and kind of has a bit of youth culture and attitude about it. It is a fine counterbalance to other columns in this spot that have been painted by Silent Hobo.

2286. M32 Cycle path (29)

This piece fills me with inspiration and belief, and there is a very good reason for that, it was painted by a street art hunter just like me, and better still, I caught him at it. Some readers will know that I am trying to learn the great art of spray painting and have aspirations to paint a wall or two when I am ready. It is great for me to know that it can be done and this piece by DFC1848 proves it.

DFC1848, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019
DFC1848, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019

I have met DFC1848 several times either at Upfest or just wandering arount the street art hotspots in Bristol. We always stop for a chat, but the chat we had when he was painting this lasted a little longer than usual. I am full of admiration for the fact that he has just got on with it and it fills me with courage and purpose for getting my act together.

DFC1848, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019
DFC1848, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019

I don’t know what his character is called, but it is a rather splendid cartoon-style bear thing. I rather like the ‘f’ too and wonder if it has anything to do with the f in DFC. I might try and copy this on my boards in the garden and see if I can replicate it. Great work from a man with a fantastic beard.

2285. Overton Road (1)

It’s like busses… you can wait ever such a long time and then three come along in quick succession. This is the third recent piece I have photographed by Bristol artist Bex Glover who seems to be on a bit of a roll with her street work. Ordinarily she might be better known for her studio work and operates her business under the name Severn Studios but of course my interest is predominantly in her street murals.

Bex Glover, Overton Road, Bristol, June 2019
Bex Glover, Overton Road, Bristol, June 2019

This lovely commission is on the side wall of the Hobgoblin pub on the Gloucester Road and is made up of two panels. On the left is a beautiful raptor, wings unfolded, perching on a bent branch.

Bex Glover, Overton Road, Bristol, June 2019
Bex Glover, Overton Road, Bristol, June 2019

On the right hand panel we see another bird, possibly the same one, in full flight stretching out its double set of wings. There is something very lyrical about this mural which seems to be telling a story about nature in its full glory. Bex Glover is a fabulous artist and her illustrative style takes me back to my childhood and picture books.

The piece is a ‘selfie spot’ funded by the Gloucester Road Bristol Independent District which promotes the shops, cafes and other outlest in Gloucester Road.

2284. M32 roundabout J13 (149)

Over the last three or four months a new (to me) graffiti writer, Phist, has hit the streets hard, often partnering up with Renso (who is actually Oner). He seems most unfussy about where he sprays and his name has sprung up all over the city. I often wonder with these ‘new’ artists whether they are in fact simply new to Bristol or whether somehow they have just been off my radar… difficult to know until I get a chance to ask them.

Phist, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Phist, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

I am not the biggest fan of burners like this, but some of these writers rise to the top and Phist in my view is one of those.  His letters are nice and clean, his fills nicely done and the little accent white circles help to give the whole thing a little bit of sparkle. I think this is a rather classy and smooth piece and a strong debut to the pages of Natural Adventures.

2283.Dean Lane skate park (223)

It can be a little tiresome for people like me when artists change their ‘street’ names, because it mucks up how I catalogue them and how I write about them. A case in point is Biers (old name) who now goes by the moniker Kool Aid, and instead of writing Biers like he used to, writes Oh Yeah instead. I am a creature of habit so will continue to call him Biers, so there! In this piece he has teamed up with No Frills stablemate Bags about whom I know zilch, so some work for me to do there.

Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019
Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019

The standard approach from Biers is to accompany his uniquely stylish writing with a little character, usually associated with a TV cartoon character. I rather enjoy trying to find out who his little characters are, but in this piece my Google research has failed me. Nice tidy collaboration.