Tag: Graffiti

744. Moon Street (29)

Quite by chance I came across Laic217 spraying over one of his old pieces in Moon Street on my way to the ‘paint jam’ on 8 April. This was indeed a bit of a red-letter day for me, and I hadn’t even arrived at The Bearpit yet.

Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2017
Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2017

I have been really wanting to meet Laic217 for some time, because his work is so different and distinctive and he is so incredibly prolific at the moment. Now was my chance to say hello and ask him a few questions.

Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2017
Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2017

He seemed to know who I was (probably from my Instagram account), so I didn’t need to explain too much why I was interested in his work. He implied that he tries not to be influenced by other artists or what people write about him, preferring instead to plough his own furrow. He tends to spray alone and does not belong to any local crew. I picked up an accent which to my untrained ear sounded German.

Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2017
Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2017

When I asked him how can he be so prolific, he stated what I suppose is obvious, he said “It is what I do and I love to do it”. This is another skull face and bucket hat combo (I was glad to see he sports such a hat) with a gold tooth, joint, brick wall behind sun glasses and shattered smiley. It is all there and all absolutely wonderful.

Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2017
Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2017

743. The Bearpit (61)

A stunning piece by Decay for the ‘paint Jam’ on the 8 April, organised by Georgie and advertised at very short notice through social media. This is a favourite wall for Decay, and he has had several other pieces here before.

Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017
Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017

I was fortunate enough to be there while he was just finishing off the piece. I love the way the young boy is looking back at his work. So very few people stop to take a look (such a British behaviour) perhaps for fear of interrupting the artist, or worse still striking up a conversation.

Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017
Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017

All the very best features of a Decay piece are here: the abstract form of concentric rays emanating from a central face. The piece is directly adjacent to a large pink work I featured by Decay not so very long ago.

Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017
Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017

He is a busy man, and shortly after completing this piece he drifted over to Wilder street to do a piece on the nicely prepped walls…to follow in a little while.

742. M32 roundabout, J3 (35)

I haven’t seen much of Sled One for a while…apart from the man eating fridge piece…so it was nice to come across this wildstyle work on the M32 roundabout at the start of April.

Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2017
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2017

I can’t help that the piece is Easter chocolate egg inspired. The colours of purple and gold, reminiscent of Cadbury branding, and the chocolate brown colours definitely have that Easter egg look about them.

Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2017
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2017

So the story here is to write a wildstyle piece in the theme of Easter eggs, and I think Sled One has cracked it…sorry.

741. Wilder Street (14)

I saw this piece a day or so after I met Cheba for the first time, while on my way to the ‘paint jam’ in The Bearpit on 8 April 2017. This wall and several others on the garage on Wilder street were being prepped by Cheba and Alex from Where the Wall, who ‘curate’ many of the walls in Wilder Street.

Cheba, Wilder Street, Bristol, April 2017
Cheba, Wilder Street, Bristol, April 2017

This piece is a classic cosmos fantasy space scene that Cheba specialises in. On the one hand, and perhaps at first sight, his works look quite simple, on the other hand they are complex and detailed, and he has mastered the technique for these cosmos scenes.

Cheba, Wilder Street, Bristol, April 2017
Cheba, Wilder Street, Bristol, April 2017

What I find interesting is that not many other artists spray these kinds of scenes, and when they do, they are rarely as well executed as this. I imagine though that they might not be to everyone’s taste.

740. Dean Lane skate park (44)

You’ve got to be slightly crazy not to love an owl…I think I might have said this before somewhere in this blog. It took me a long time to post this piece, it has been sitting in my archives, because I wanted to be sure who the artist was. It is by the French artist Braga Last1 and was sprayed during a visit to Bristol in September 2016.

Braga Last1, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2016
Braga Last1, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2016

I love it when artists from all over Europe, and indeed, the world come to visit Bristol and leave pieces for our citizens to enjoy. It certainly validates Bristol’s claim to being a world class street/graffiti art destination, something that is becoming a bit of a USP for the city.

Braga Last1, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2016
Braga Last1, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2016

This is a beautiful piece and captures the form of the owl so well. The eyes are absolutely amazing. Despite being in Dean Lane, the piece stood in place unmarked for a couple of months before eventually being painted over – a mark of respect from other artists.

 

 

 

 

739. Raleigh Road, Tobacco Factory (6)

This is a subtle piece that I photographed in August 2016, and so I am guessing must have been part of Upfest 2016. It is by Lost Monkeys who produced this wonderful tiger at the same time. I hadn’t been aware that he did two pieces for Upfest.

Lost Monkey, Raleigh Road, Bristol, August 2016
Lost Monkey, Raleigh Road, Bristol, August 2016

I love the use of colour in what appears to be a black and white piece, and it has the appearance of having been drawn with charcoal…beautifully done. I couldn’t get a great shot of it, because it was stuck behind a parked car when I saw it.

Lost Monkey, Raleigh Road, Bristol, August 2016
Lost Monkey, Raleigh Road, Bristol, August 2016

There is a story going on here, but I am not too sure what. The figures and lines remind me a little of Bristol’s own Shab. This is a fabulous understated piece by a very accomplished artist.

 

737. Raleigh Road, vector (11)

This is a picture from some time ago…another that slipped through the net. It happens all the time. It is a piece by Voyder, who is quite one of the best writers in Bristol. I took this when the gates were shut, and so the angle of the picture is not too clever, and unfortunately there are some rather unattractive bin bags to one side.

Voyder, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2016
Voyder, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2016

The colour gradient is beautifully worked, and the brush stroke effect masterful. The highlight of the piece though surely has to be the neon pink squiggle, which is made to stand out not only by its colour, but also by the feint shadow it casts. Brilliant.

Voyder, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2016
Voyder, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2016

736. Dean Lane skate park (43)

I took this picture some time ago, and have never been able to find out who it was by. I felt, though that it was worth posting, because it is really quite unusual and not the kind of thing you normally see at Dean Lane.

Unknown artist, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2016
Unknown artist, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2016

I like the piece a great deal, it is very well executed and the colours spectacular. What is going on here for the girl with the green sneakers? Who is this by?

 

735. Horfield skate park (1)

Horfield skate park is part of the Horfield leisure centre and is adorned with graffiti. I see it very much as a practice area and this is the first time I have seen a piece worth photographing.

Whysayit, Horfield skate park, Bristol, April 2017
Whysayit, Horfield skate park, Bristol, April 2017

Instantly recognisable as a Whysayit piece, the colours and shapes stood out beautifully on the gloriously sunny day that I photographed this. Of all the graffiti artists in Bristol, I would think that Whysayit probably covers the most ground, although he has a tendency to spray mostly in North Bristol. This is a nice piece.

734. Dean Lane skate park (42)

This collaboration was in Dean Lane for quite a while before eventually being painted over by Inkie. I have held back on writing about it, because I wasn’t at all familiar with its creators. Of course, good things come to those who wait, and I eventually tracked down the artists thanks to the miracles of the Interweb.

Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017
Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017

The collaboration is by Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, who must have been passing through, as they aren’t local Bristol artists. It is a curious piece and quite different from much of the stuff we see around here. Even the colours used are quite unusual.

Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017
Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017

The left third is by Paris, the middle section by Haka and the right hand side, a rather psychedelic piece, is by Mustard Tiger. I rather like each of the individual pieces in isolation, but I am not sure the collaboration works as a whole. It might just be a familiarity thing, but I don’t really see the thread between the pieces (colours, story, style)…I might be missing something. There is also a small tribute to CK One.

Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017
Paris, Haka and Mustard Tiger, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2017