I have only seen Pelmo’s work a couple of times, but I know that I really love his work. The soft tone and style of his cartoon characters carries with it a light-hearted humour, and his pieces tell complex stories. His work reminds me a little of Gary Larson’s Far Side cartoons, but there is a little more tenderness to Pelmo’s work.
Pelmo, West Street, Bristol, April 2018
I think that this wall was part of Upfest 2016, but I never made it here before as it is really quite a long way from the Upfest main area. This is a highly accomplished piece and in it is a deftness and confidence in the scene that Pelmo has created. It is so easy on the eye, it almost feels that it is just part of the street scenery. It is easy to drift into the world he has created.
Pelmo, West Street, Bristol, April 2018
I love his attention to detail, things like the hand rail that the character on the right is holding and the shadows cast by the bicycle and the street bins. Of course for the cat lovers there is a splendid moggie sprawled out on the wall. I also rather like the way that the rubble sacks in front of the piece almost feel like they are incorporated into the whole experience. I love this and really look forward to seeing his work at Upfest 2018.
A week or two ago I went in search of an Upfest piece from last year that I still hadn’t yet found. I found it, which is good, and I will post it very soon…worth the waiting for I can assure you. On the way, I stumbled into this rather lovely small piece from Andy Council neatly tucked into the corner of a building. It is as if the space was always meant to have a piece of art there.
Andy Council, West Street, Bristol, April 2018
This piece goes back to 2014, but it is still looking fresh. It appears to be a Bristol fox, and how fitting to have an urban fox composed of houses and buildings. Unusually Andy Council has not incorporated the Clifton suspension bridge, but has managed to include one of the large tobacco warehouses, I think it might be the Create Centre. On a sunny day, this was a real bonus find in an area I rarely visit.
Sometimes in life things come together to create a story. Some stories are good and others not so good. This wonderful piece by Kid Crayon provides the perfect backdrop to a good story.
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
Some of you who read this blog regularly will know that I recently lost my father and although we were not especially close, he was my father and that means something. Going back to work was a struggle so I made sure I kept up my lunchtime walks as a kind of mindfulness opportunity. On this day, 20 April, I decided to visit Dean Lane to see if there was any new work there, which is pretty much a certainty if I am honest. As it turned out, the place was really busy, with several artists at work.
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
Some of the artists, including Kid Crayon, were there to mark 420, the long standing campaign to legalise cannabis (now perhaps you see what his artwork is all about). I spent a long while photographing all the works in progress and having a great natter with the artists. Realising I couldn’t spend all day there, although it would have been fun, I set off back to work.
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
Then I had one of those moments where an inner mini me took over and marched me back to Kid Crayon. As I approached him I apologised for my cheekiness and asked him if he could do something really special for me…I asked if he would spray a little tribute for my dad on this piece. Kindly he said he would…if he remembered. I thanked him and went on my way.
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018 (photograph: Street Art Bristol)
The next time I saw the piece was on Instagram, posted the next day (but pictured on the evening of completion) by Street Art Bristol (see above). And there in the bottom left corner is the tribute. I welled up when I saw this, lots of emotions going on. However there are a couple more twists to the tale. I also saw several other Instagram posts taken which showed the piece had been dogged (some people have no respect) probably only hours after the picture above was taken. I asked Street Art Bristol if he could send me a clean copy of the piece and explained why it was important to me – he did so without hesitation for which I am hugely grateful.
Kid Crayon, RIP Gledders, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
I managed to make it down to Dean Lane later on the Saturday (the day after it was completed) and to my surprise, somebody had restored the piece – I don’t know who, It might have been KC or somebody else, but it is great to know there are some good guys out there. If you look at the featured image at the very top of this post, you can make out some of the white markings of graffiti under the green background.
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
I have always liked Kid Crayon’s work, indeed it was largely down to him and JPS that I started blogging about street art in the first place. Through the kindness of Kid Crayon, this was my little way of marking the passing of my father. RIP Gledders.
The Bearpit street/graffiti art walls are under threat. Bristol City Council appears to be taking a tougher position on the walls and boards and has recently started to paint over some fine pieces that have been there for ages. My guess is that this is a task that will bring no joy to anybody, as artists and officials play tit-for-tat paint wars. Street art and graffiti are part of what makes Bristol special, part of its USP, and by over-regulating it you will destroy it and the culture around it – all you will end up with is sterile corporate pieces that don’t really represent the local scene.
It feels odd to me going to cities, for example Chichester, that have no graffiti or ‘legal walls’ but held a festival a few years back and has some very nice pieces dotted about the place on carefully selected walls. The problem I have with that is that it is all sanitised and signed-off by the ruling classes of the city. Where is the budding street art culture in Chichester? there is none to speak of, just some imported art to create a sense of ‘edge’ but actually totally safe and permitted to the nth degree.
I say all this because at the recent paint jam in The Bearpit, several artists, including Skor85 made their feelings clear. How strange it might seem in a few months time that there won’t be any walls left where they can make their feelings known, without the permission of the officials of Bristol. This will inevitably lead to more and widespread illegal art.
Skor85, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018
Skor85’s meaasge is loud and clear “Could you live without freedom of expression?” The piece itself is delightful, a vibrant plant emitting sparks of colour set on a background of purples, reds and oranges. I like it a lot.
This is another piece from the recent Spring paint jam in The Bearpit. It is something of a change from the norm for Mr Draws, who usually sprays his name or mountains. Here he has sprayed one of his favoured boards with a training shoe. It is rough, and vibrant, and my guess is that Mr Draws probably freestyled it.
Mr Draws, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018
It is a fun piece, and very much in the spirit of the paint jam, which was to ensure that The Bearpit continues as a street art gallery and spray paint area. Of course, Mr Draws has managed to incorporate some mountains just for good measure. I believe the piece was dogged after a few days, which is a pity as it is a rather uplifting work.
I photographed this piece by 2Keen a long while back, before I knew anything about the artist. To me, the piece looks unfinished, and I know from having met him a few times while he was doing his Redland collaboration that he can take a while to complete a piece.
2Keen, Wilder Street, Bristol, September 2016
This wild smiling character is similar to others that I have seen, and he seems to create them with exaggerated features and a little bit of edge to them. One that I took in passing and have had archived for a long while. I should go back to see if it is still there.
A fine trio of artists, Soker, Cheo and Hemper came together in 2016 and painted this fine collaboration. All three are at the top of their game and this formula – wildstyle, character, wildstyle – is one that works well. There is a balance and symmetry to the whole thing.
Soker, Old Bread Street, Bristol, September 2016
The chrome writing on the left is by Soker, and the letters SOKEM are easy to pick out. The lines are very clean and sharp and a careful look at the detail reveals incredible attention in each and every intricate shape. Magnificent.
Cheo, Old Bread Street, Bristol, September 2016
In the middle, the character piece is by Cheo, who else, and looks like a man who enjoys his music. I love the way his glasses change the colour of everything behind them, and the same with the goggles. beautifully done.
Hemper, Old Bread Street, Bristol, September 2016
Finally on the right some more writing in chrome, this time from Hemper. Of the three, he is the one I know least about. I think that these days, he is not as active as the others. The letters spell ‘HEMP’ and they have a slightly more forgiving and organic feel to them than those of Soker.
Cheo, Old Bread Street, Bristol, September 2016
The whole thing is utterly lovely and I am puzzled why it hasn’t made it out of my archives until now. Some mistake surely. Damn that water droplet.
The boards at Old Bread Street have all but gone now and given way to a large construction site, which I suppose was inevitable. It does seem that there are fewer spots left in Bristol than there were a year ago which means that artists tend to concentrate on the places that remain, and therefore turnover increases.
Biers, Old Bread Street, Bristol, September 2016
Anyhow, this is a little glimpse back a year or two to a piece by Biers, whose beautiful and unique letter styling stands out. This is a nice clean piece that oozes character and playfulness, nothing self-conscious and earnest about this one. Glad I dug it out. Shame about the water droplet on the picture.
I usually like to present one door at a time in my Thursday doors posts to allow for a thorough examination of the door, without the distractions of others. However, sometimes it is appropriate to look at several at once – besides which, how else will I be able to clear out my archive of doors?
On a recent trip to Barcelona with my daughter, I noticed that in the old city many of the doors to apartments above shops were extraordinarily thin and tall. Some were so slender that you wonder how larger people might manage. Were they designed this way to maximise the space for the shop front? or was there some other reason for this architectural design? Answers on a postcard…
Here are a few of the many doors we saw:
Barcelona door, March 2018Barcelona door, March 2018
Barcelona door, March 2018
This door was open, and what I saw inside was not at all what I expected. This is not a place for those afraid of confined spaces. Immediately behind the door, there was a stone spiral stairtcase, tighter than any I have ever seen before. By the look of it on the doorbell, there are eight apartments through this door. The mind boggles at the logistics of meeting people travelling in opposite directions, and looking at this through the lens of the British pre-occupation of health and safety – isn’t this something of a horrific fire escape risk? Interesting as it is, I fret every time I look at this picture.
I believe this to be the best piece I have seen this year, and one of the best that the artist, Tom Miller, has produced to date. This classy work was painted for a Spring paint jam on 14 April 2018 and dominates all around it.
Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018
This most most eye-catching and vibrant of pieces, illuminates the tunnel and brings a touch of fine art to the people who pass through it. So typical of Miller’s work, there is a face, disfigured and distorted by colour stretching out of it. A scene of serenity and torture compressed into one space. His surreal and dream-like pieces never cease to amaze me, but this one really trumps the rest.
Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018
Tom Miller has been busy this Spring, a trend which I hope spans into the summer and beyond. This piece is so good.
Natural adventures 