Tag: Graffiti

713. Raleigh Road, Vector (8)

The relatively recent hoardings (erected about four months ago) in Raleigh Road have provided an opportunity for some great displays of street/graffiti art. The appearance and disappearance of hoardings and the art adorning them is all part of the changing landscape in Bristol. At the time these hoardings appeared, the ones in Old Bread Street were taken down as development of the area began.

Cheo, Raleigh Road, Bristol, March 2017
Cheo, Raleigh Road, Bristol, March 2017

This is a lovely piece by Cheo, who in recent weeks has become very busy indeed on the streets of Bedminster, often spraying with his fellow ASK graffiti artist Soker.

Cheo, Raleigh Road, Bristol, March 2017
Cheo, Raleigh Road, Bristol, March 2017

This piece has a lot of references to street culture in Bristol, although I’m not too sure what the little octopus has to do with anything. A great piece beautifully executed – nice crisp image.

712. The Bearpit (55)

It is funny how you can miss things. This is a piece in The Bearpit by Laic217 that he did a little while back, but which I hadn’t seen because it is on a different approach than the one I normally use.

Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017
Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017

It is an interesting piece because it is overtly critical of stencil art. It is quite unusual to see this kind of commentary about artists by artists, but obviously it is something Laic 217 feels strongly about. On his Instagram feed he says he hates stencil graffiti, and when pressed says that in his opinion it is cheating and being lazy. Only free hand for Laic217. It is not a sentiment I necessarily agree with.

Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017
Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017

The piece itself is a bit surreal and menacing…I guess that is the intention. Laic217 does like the use of skulls in his pieces and has a dark side to many of his pieces. It is possible that he is trying to be humorous in this piece, but I don’t think it quite makes the mark. Nonetheless, I like the artwork from this very busy artist.

 

711. The Bearpit (54)

It is always nice to see fresh new pieces before they get dogged or tagged, and in The Bearpit, you need to be quick. DBK (Dirty Bristol Kids) will not let work hang around too long before tagging over it. Some pieces are left alone, and I would love to know the criteria they use behind which they tag and which they leave.

Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017
Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017

This is a really nice abstract piece by Decay set on a pink background. The piece is a masterclass in drips, you’ll not get them much better than this. To those of you who don’t get to see a lot of street art, there is a ‘thing’ going on about drips. They are a deliberate part of the work and take a lot of skill to do.

Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017
Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017

This is, I think, a really great piece from Decay, and worth a trip down to the Bearpit…if it is still there.

Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017
Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017

710. Dean Lane skate park (37)

Having recently found out who Lokey was and posting a piece by him, I went through my archives because I knew I had photographed something similar before. This is what I found.

Lokey, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2016
Lokey, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2016

It is another wonderful piece of 3D writing at Dean Lane, this time from back in October 2016. I know there is more of his work about, and I will be on the look out for more new stuff.

709. Gloucester Road

Of all the artists to visit Bristol for Upfest 2016, Feoflip probably had the greatest overall impact on the city. Not only did he create a beautiful piece for the festival, but he produced a further seven or eight pieces dotted around the city, many of which are still there.

Feoflip, Gloucester Road, Bristol, September 2016
Feoflip, Gloucester Road, Bristol, September 2016

A truly talented artist and one who seems to know his own mind, he creates scenes that appear to be part mechanical and part organic, and his style appears to draw on artists such as Max Ernst and others of the period.

Feoflip, Gloucester Road, Bristol, September 2016
Feoflip, Gloucester Road, Bristol, September 2016

This piece appears to be a bulldog, but look carefully and it is created from an old boogie box, and the dog is wearing a sport helmet (American football?) The whole thing is quirky and peculiar. The piece is enhanced, in my view, by being sprayed in single grey tones on a blue background. One of the best pieces in Bristol at the moment.

Feoflip, Gloucester Road, Bristol, September 2016
Feoflip, Gloucester Road, Bristol, September 2016

His return for Upfest 2017 would be the best thing…I’ll keep my fingers and everything else crossed.

708. Moon Street (27)

I saw this beautiful piece appear in July 2016, at around about the same time as Upfest. Subsequently, I had seen some similar pieces in Shoreditch, during my six month stint commuting to London a couple of days a week. I was never quite sure who the artist was though, so have held on to this until I found out.

Coloquix, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2016
Coloquix, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2016

As is usually the case, Instagram came to the rescue and I was able to track down the artist, whose nom de plume is Coloquix. You can see more of his amazing work on this Global Street Art page. I believe that Coloquix is from Sheffield, but I think he creates his work in various places in the country.

Coloquix, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2016
Coloquix, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2016

I am really drawn to his work, it seems to have a simple sophistication (if that is not a contradiction in terms) and beauty, and I love the way he chooses to overlay his work on existing pieces. It is nice, at last, to write this post.

707. Moon Street (26)

Sky High is no stranger to the streets of Bristol and I have posted pieces by him in Magdalene Place and in Dean Lane previously. I think he is based in London, but it is always nice when he visits. This piece appeared at the same time as Upfest 2016, and although I am not aware that he was a guest artist at the event, he might well have come for the buzz, and left a little present for us.

SkyHigh, Moon Street, Bristol, July 2016
SkyHigh, Moon Street, Bristol, July 2016

Sky High has a wonderful take on wildstyle writing, which is to spell out Sky High with block lettering, each letter in a different style and colour. The overall effect is really colourful and imaginative. Definitely one for those with a designer’s eye. It would be good to see a return this year.

SkyHigh, Moon Street, Bristol, July 2016
SkyHigh, Moon Street, Bristol, July 2016

705. Upfest 2016 (109)

The international presence comes across very strongly at Upfest. This lovely piece by Scandinavian artist Salla Ikonen really shows how different styles, colours, subjects and influences come in to play to give a distinctiveness to work that has its origins outside the UK. Even within the UK, different parts of the country appear to have localised flavours.

Salla Ikonen, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Salla Ikonen, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I love the softness of this piece, and the calm colours, both the pink of the subject and the purples and greens in the background. There is something very appealing about this work, and it is so different to most of the street art we see in Bristol.

704. Upfest 2016 (108)

Another wonderful paste up from Losthills of Jake the dog. In this one we see Jake sporting an interesting/spooky charm necklace.

Losthills, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Losthills, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

There is something pleasing about the way Losthills sprays his pieces before he pastes them up, the dots of white paint in this instance add to the overall texture of the piece. I am rather fond of Jake the dog.

703. Upfest 2016 (107)

We were treated to some wonderfully colourful pieces at Upfest last year, but right up there with the best of them was this lovely piece by KOB, aka Kobtropikal. Kob, originally from Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, started painting in 1999.

Kobtropical, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Kobtropical, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

KOB has a rather organic approach to his work and favours painting surreal imaginary animals or plants or combinations of the two. He has a Facebook page, and interestingly has selected this piece as his avatar, so he must have been pleased with it. This piece has stuck in my mind, when many others have drifted in and out. It must have some strong elements that make it so memorable. A fine piece.