Another column piece at the M32 Spot, but this one is rather easier to photograph (marginally) because it is on two faces only. The artist is, of course, the fabulous Decay.
To those that know his work, probably the most striking thing about this piece is that he has introduced some additional colours into his palette, notably yellow, orange and blue. The centre and bottom half are in the colour scheme that I am more accustomed to. To cap it all off, he has wonderful drips. Great work.
A rather nice quick one from Whysayit. I particularly like the work of this graffiti artist because of the range of colour selections and fill patterns he uses to what is essentially the same tag. Sticking to his format, he can play with the decoration.
Another thing I rather like is that his work remains edgy, and as well as these ‘full-blown’ YSAE pieces, he also has shorter versions and still tags his letters. He hasn’t yet abandoned his beginnings, and I rather admire that…even though I don’t much care for tagging.
OK…I will say that this, for me, is one of the most fantastic small pieces, not only at Upfest but anywhere, that I have seen. The portrait of Einstein by Yassen Nenov (Yasko) is kind of crazy, but beautifully sprayed. There is something about it that just ticks all my boxes.
I’m not sure if it is the use of the space, the colours, the subject or the execution, but it just works for me.
Yassen Nenov, originally from Bulgaria (I think), is now based in Portsmouth. He specialises in bespoke pieces for cars and bonnets, helmets and walls and murals, and is making a name for himself for his custom work.
I am less interested in his commissions (these things are always so ridiculously outside my price bracket) than I am in his public art, such as this piece. Great, great, great.
At Upfest 2016 there was one site where there were about thirty or so of these smaller (metre square) boards. I rather like seeing some of this smaller street art, which tends to have a bit of a crossover with fine art, perhaps exemplified by this portrait by Lauren Maria Hill.
This young Bristol artist appears to focus on portrait work and seeks out commissions and freelance work on her website. Her images, including this one seem to concentrate on the face itself with great detail, leaving the surrounding hair as a complementary feature, but somehow separate from the face. I like her work, and hope to see more of it around Bristol.
An interesting abstractish sort of piece in one of the prime window slots on North Street, currently occupied by a Copyright and Paul Monsters collaboration. This piece is by Age Age, an artist I am struggling to find out much about.
His piece here is next to the Upfest work of Caro Pepe, which is interesting, because in my trawl of the Interweb, I have found several collaborations between these two artists. A quick look on his Facebook page confirms this.
Age Age, Hannes Höhlig, is an illustrator and graphic designer from Berlin who, it would appear, likes to get out and spray the streets from time to time. His work is a little surreal and attractive – there are stories going on here. This was a nice festival piece which sadly was defaced not too long after the festival, along with several other pieces in the area. My understanding is that some of the Bedminster locals spray the pieces they don’t like or don’t respect. Oh dear.
This is a stunning piece by Naskool that was situated on hoardings just off North Street, next to the Green. Naskool is an Austrian artist who started spraying in 2004 and now specialises in photorealistic street art.
I managed to take pictures while he was still creating this piece, and it is interesting to see how he built the layers. It seems different artists adopt different techniques.
This is one of the great works of the 2016 festival in my view – the expression and character that oozes from this piece is quite captivating. Alas, it didn’t last very long, as these hoardings were fairly swiftly ‘corporatised’ by the construction firm who are developing the site.
Another column under the M32, and another brilliant piece which is impossible to do justice to with my limited photographic skills. This distinctive and crisp piece is by Zase and Dekor with an imaginative and creative underwater scene.
I love the artistic style of this duo and the combination of the wildstyle 3D ZASE lettering combined with a fantastical scene.
The interesting thing about painting a column is that the story that unfolds is caught up in a loop, never-ending. There is no beginning and no end, simply a scene. This must present a bit of a challenge to the artists who choose to spray all four sides.
There is a wit and charm about this particular work – the diver is holding a roller and seems unaware of the looming shark. Perhaps he will beat it off using his artistic weapon of choice. I am a fan of this project, but columns really are a nightmare.
This is a wonderful small piece – stylised and anarchic by Lumagro at the far side of one of the Dean Lane walls. I love his line drawings and the humour he brings to this piece. The colours too are fantastic.
This is only the second piece I have seen by this magnificent artist, and it was sprayed on the same occasion as his first. These are so different and really add something to the Bristol scene. More please Lumagro.
This is an unusual and surreal piece by an unusual artist. I don’t really know too much about him, but I know he has been spraying down at Dean Lane for a considerable number of years.
This piece is peculiar in many ways, but there is a big story going on somewhere here. Built around a tank there are mountains, aliens, buildings and a robot character…make something of that.
There is also a tribute to CK One, who passed away in December 2011, but is still remembered fondly in the Bristol graffiti art fraternity.
I love the stencil work of Stephen Quick, and I love Star Wars, so this was a nice treat for me to find. The piece is attached next to the front gate of the car park to the Tobacco Factory and looks out onto the street with a quiet modesty.
I guess it is a tribute piece to the amazing Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia. Stephen Quick is becoming a bit of a specialist at tributes to the stars…which is a little unfortunate, but they are also a wonderful way of recognising how important these people are in our lives.
A New Hope is simply shortened to HOPE – there is a story here somewhere. Simple, moving and some great drips. Nice work from Stephen.
Natural adventures 