Tag: Graffiti

1815. Upfest 2018 (75)

Another South American artist at Upfest 2018, this time a Peruvian who is based in Barcelona, Bronik. The hat is the clue to the origin of the artist, but as I mentioned in the Dinho Bento piece two posts ago, there is something about the continent of South America that seems to have its own style.

Bronik, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Bronik, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

In this lovely piece, we see again a story of connection between people and nature. This appears to be an inescapable component of our lives and yet one that we seem to be  ambivalent towards if it gets in the way of our lifestyles. Only today (I wrote this two days ago) the WWF announced that since 1970 we have lost 60% of vertebrate species. Shameful. That is in my lifetime. Art like this may be all we have to remember our beautiful planet by.

Bronik, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Bronik, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

This piece sings to me. It gives me what I need to redouble my efforts to make a real difference in this world and to act at whatever levels I can to slow the rate of biodiversity loss. A while back I wrote a haiku about our self-destruction. It was called Ants and is as follows:

 

When we are long gone

you shall inherit the earth

take good care of it.

 

I hope it is not prophetic.

1814. Upfest 2018 (74)

I am not entirely certain that this is an official Upfest piece, but failure to include it would not be in the spirit of my Upfest write ups. It is a cheeky shutter piece by T-Rex a local artist whose ‘graffiti partner’ Ryder sprayed his trademark tag on the left hand wall of the shop in the feature image.

T-Rex, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
T-Rex, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

T-Rex’s dinosaurs are a familiar site in Bristol and at Upfest too and add humour and a lighthearted touch. One of the things I love about these three characters is how the eyes give them each completely different personalities/emotions. Looking left to right, the first looks wary, the second fed up and the third agressive. A bit of fun.

1813. Upfest 2018 (73)

Yet another new wall for 2018, and how well it has been utilised by Dinho Bento. I guess this wall could have been split into two or three slots, but what a great decision to keep its integrity.

Dinho Bento, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Dinho Bento, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Dinho Bento is a Brazilian artist whose work seems to draw inspiration from the natural world. A quick glance at his Facebook feed tells you that he is interested in portraying the interconnectedness of humanity with our environment, and the organic green strands in this piece are a representation of that connection – or at least, that is my interpretation.

Dinho Bento, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Dinho Bento, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

I can’t necessarily put my finger on it, but artists from different countries definitely have national styles, or perhaps continental styles, and this piece really screams out South America. I guess the more art you see, the more you recognise this phenomenon, and while it is not true of all artists, it is a real thing.

Dinho Bento, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Dinho Bento, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

The natural world themes and story of this piece really chime for me. It is called ‘Listen to Nature’ – something I have done all my life. Great work Dinho Bento.

1812. Upfest 2018 (72)

Damn those parked cars!

Caro Pepe, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Caro Pepe, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Although this extraordinary piece is signed by Caro Pepe, I think she had some support from her frequent painting partner Age Age. This wall was another one themed with Bristol Women’s Voice (along with the Nomad Clan Lisa Simpson). Commemorating one hundred years of the Women’s vote.

Caro Pepe, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Caro Pepe, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

I really like these rather surreal pieces that Caro Pepe is producing at the moment, with the cut-away pieces of head exposing thoughts, emotions and ideas – very powerful stuff and a further dimension to the covered eye that distinguishes her work.

Caro Pepe, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Caro Pepe, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

So, another great wall and another great artist at Upfest 2018 – I think this is another one that makes it into my top 10.

1811. Upfest 2018 (71)

Well this is an absolute stunner, make no mistake. A few days in the making, and the scaffolding hiding the true genius of both the piece and subject, this must be one of the highlights of Upfest 2018.

Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

It is a strange thing as a writer and observer of street art, that I am really only familiar with Bristol street artists or artists who frequently visit Bristol. I really don’t know very much about the world circuit of famous artists that travel the globe for festivals and commissions – this leaves me looking a bit daft when writing up pieces like this one because I simply don’t know the artist Arcy at all.

Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

One thing is for sure though I will certainly be looking out for his stuff on the Interweb from now on, as this is such an outstanding work by a truly gifted artist. His website is well worth a look, and his biography is here. Also check out his gallery of walls…this guy is good.

Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Of course, the picture is of one of the greatest and most influential people of our time, Stephen Hawking, who sadly died in March this year aged 76. I think that this piece really captures the spirit of Stephen Hawking brilliantly, the bright and slightly cheeky personality. This is photorealistic art at its best. Bravo!

Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

1810. M32 roundabout J3 (99)

Smak has really been smashing it lately with some magnificent writing all over Bristol. His colour combinations, lettering and feature details are just getting better and better. This is a fine recent piece from the M32 Roundabout.

Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2018
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2018

I love the colour progression from left to right, and the letters while slightly disguised are clearly legible. It is the temple facade in the middle of the piece that really lifts it up to another level and columns and stone too. This is a great piece.

Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2018
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2018

1809. St Werburghs tunnel (49)

I have always had a massive soft spot for Mr Klue’s work – I love to examine it and unravel all the different abstract elements that combine to such great effect. As is always the case in this tunnel, the lighting has played havoc with the true colours of the piece, but the form is there for all to see.

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018

After what feels like a bit of a lull in his work, it appears that he is becoming a little more active on the streets, which is a good thing. I first became aware of his work in the Stokes Croft area of Bristol, but it is telling that the decline in decent walls there and the Council’s stance on The Bearpit has driven artists like Mr Klue away (I am guessing). This is a fine piece indeed.

1808. St Werburghs tunnel (48)

Well this was a nice surprise. You don’t get to see much of this kind of street art in Bristol, so it is great when visiting artists come and switch it up a bit.

As an aside, the expression ‘switch it up’ is new to me…in all my life I had never heard it until my fourteen year old daughter said it a few weeks ago and I told her it wasn’t a phrase. She just laughed at me. I had to go and look it up. Of course since then I have heard it quite a lot, and now am using it for the first time ever in writing. You saw it here first folks.

Spray Saint, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018
Spray Saint, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018

Jordan Lauder, A.K.A. Spray Saint is from Hemel Hempstead and has an awesome story to tell. I am not a follower of any faith, but I do believe in goodness and people having the chance to turn their lives around, and for Spray Saint finding God has helped him to find some peace. I really recommend that you take a look at a video he made about his journey.

His leopard piece in St Werburghs tunnel is beautifully worked in blue tones and has a real sense of movement about it. As I said at the start, we just don’t get to see much work like this in Bristol and I really hope he comes to visit again, and wish him well on his continuing journey.

1807. M32 roundabout J3 (99)

In the past when I have posted work by Ments, I usually describe it as being ‘organic’ in nature, with lots of swirls and unusual shapes making up the letters of his name. In this piece however, we see something quite different. What is interesting about this is that If he had used different letters for this piece, I would not have been able to identify the artist. Conversely, if he changed the letters on his regular style, I would still be able to identify the work from the shapes, tones and colours used.

Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2018
Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2018

This particular piece is easy on the eye and shows us a different side to the talents of the artist. I will be interested to see if he does more of this kind of work in future.

 

 

1806. Hepburn Road (8)

In the little lane that used to be the drug dealing centre of Bristol until a police clampdown some eighteen months ago is this little door and on it a small piece from Nevla. I’ve not seen any of his work for a while now, so it was good to come across this recently.

Nevla, Hepburn Road, Bristol, October 2018
Nevla, Hepburn Road, Bristol, October 2018

I am a big fan of his cartoon characters, nearly always in black and white and set on a solid colour background. There is a simplicity about the pieces and usually a little bit of cheeky humour about them. If you look carefully, you can see another face by Nevla just to the left of the door.