Tag: Graffiti

609. Cheshire Street, Shoreditch (1)

Street artists are like busses…nothing for ages and then two come along together. This is a small piece by Fin DAC tucked away in Shoreditch and when I took the photograph I didn’t know who it was by. Then, recently I posted a piece by him from Bristol’s Upfest and I recalled this picture and can post it now.

Fin DAC, Cheshire Street, Shoreditch, August 2016
Fin DAC, Cheshire Street, Shoreditch, August 2016

The two pieces are very different, and the Shoreditch one is more typical of the Geisha that one normally associates with the artist. In both instances though it is the painted eye mask that gives away the artist’s identity – his signature if you like. At the time I took this I thought it was worth a snap. It was a good decision.

608.Sclater Street, Shoreditch (1)

I am enjoying my journey into the world of street/graffiti art and learning about the talented artists who brighten up our urban environments. Not so long ago, I didn’t know about Himbad and images of his work just sat in my archive waiting for a positive ID. Now I know who he is and can recognise his work – that is a good thing.

Himbad, Sclater Street, Shoreditch, August 2016
Himbad, Sclater Street, Shoreditch, August 2016

This piece is rather large and very impressive when looking down the street at it. If you are wondering how it was painted, there is a great explanation on the London Calling blog which has images of the artist in progress. All done with rollers and a very long pole! This is a wonderful piece, full of character.

607. Rivington Street, Shoreditch (5)

Just to mix things up a bit, I am going to write a few posts about some street art I photographed last Summer/Autumn when I was working two days a week in London. I thought I’d start with this rather eye-catching piece from Thierry Noir at the East end of Rivington Street in the archway by Cargo.

Thierry Noir, Rivington Street, Shoreditch, August 2016
Thierry Noir, Rivington Street, Shoreditch, August 2016

Thierry Noir’s pieces are simple and colourful, almost falling into the category of ‘well I could probably do that’ art. Well I probably couldn’t and the idea and style are his and he executes them brilliantly. The more of his work that I see, the more I like it.

606. Unity Street (3)

This is a piece going back to June 2016 by the excellent Epok. I thought I had already posted it, but it turns out that I am both forgetful and wrong…very human and real traits for a gent of my age.

Epok, Unity Street, Bristol, June 2016
Epok, Unity Street, Bristol, June 2016

As always Epok stamps his singular style on any wall he sprays – great colour selection and crisp clear geometric lines and shapes creating a whole that is very pleasing. Always spelling out the letters EPOK which once you get your eye in can clearly be seen. It is always good to see work from this ASK member and there is more to come here soon.

605. The Bearpit (36)

A few days back, there was something of a graffiti art fest in The Bearpit, and many of the vacant tagged spots were given a makeover, several artists spraying more than one piece during the event.

Mr Klue, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
Mr Klue, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

This great abstract piece is by the extremely busy Mr Klue and draws the viewer into the mind of the artist – where are those steps leading? A nice quick one from a fine Bristol artist.

604. Wilder Street (12)

Lately it appears that Laic217 has dedicated a huge amount of time to his street art, with pieces popping up all over the place. I am really pleased to see it since I have a soft-spot for his work. Rather excitingly he has just started an Instagram account, which will make it easier to track down his pieces, however there is no biography and he continues to keep himself to himself.

Laic217, Wilder Street, Bristol, January 2017
Laic217, Wilder Street, Bristol, January 2017

His works tend to take two forms, the wildstyle writing or burner with a character incorporated, or an image like this one, often demonstrating some kind of distortion…melting or in this example cracked glass (frequently there is a nod to drugs and acid-house music). All the time his work is improving, his concepts developing and the artwork becoming more skilled.

Laic217, Wilder Street, Bristol, January 2017
Laic217, Wilder Street, Bristol, January 2017

I think Laic217 tends to spray solo, and unusually for a Bristol graffiti artist, will work in any of the common sites north and south of the river. I am not certain that he belongs to any crew, and I am not aware of any collaborations to date. I am enjoying the journey watching his work unfold. And hey…anyone notice the Feoflip to the left?

603. The Bearpit (35)

I am very excited about this piece. It is a crocodile by the fantastic Rowdy – one of Bristol’s original street artists. I am excited because since I have been blogging about street art, I haven’t come across any new works by him. One feels closer to the artist if you can still smell the paint on the wall.

Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

This croc is sprayed on the side of one of the staircases into The Bearpit and looks very much at home. It is the kind of piece that should become a bit of a landmark. I would be amazed and disappointed if it gets tagged, like so much of the work in The Bearpit.

Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

A big thank you from me to Rowdy. This is Bristol through and through.

602. The Bearpit (34)

Mr Draws has, it would appear, had an epiphany. Only a few months ago he was a little bit in danger of becoming a ‘one-trick-pony’ with his colourful mountain scene murals. It was a theme he played with for some time, gaining confidence spraying more walls in more areas of Bristol.

Mr Draws, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
Mr Draws, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

The big change in his work appears to have happened in November/December time, when he started painting letters and playing with those, then on to rather different mountainscapes like this one. He is now churning out works like a man possessed and some contain quite different subject matter. It is like the shackles have been removed and we are seeing a new Mr Draws. I am really looking forward to documenting this progression and constant search for something new. I’m not sure what has led to this significant shift in his work, but it is to be celebrated.

601. M32 Cycle path (3)

When I saw this recently, in an area I don’t visit often, I wasn’t soo sure who it was by. The next day I saw it on Instagram, posted by its maker, Ments. I guess that since he had just posted it, it was probably relatively new.

Ments, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2017
Ments, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2017

I do like the work of Ments very much. His colours are always complementary and his wildstyle writing has a very free and organic look to it, quite unlike many of his counterparts in Bristol.

Ments, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2017
Ments, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2017

This was not easy to photograph, it is sited in a narrow lane, and there was a lot of glare on the wall, Some things I guess are just meant to be seen in the flesh.

 

600. North Street No. 173

A turkey isn’t just for Christmas…or on second thoughts a turkey is just for Christmas, apart from this one by Andy Council on North Street in Bedminster.

Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, January 2017
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, January 2017

This colourful shutter piece gives us what we expect from Andy Council; an animal form created from architectural ‘blocks’ and local icons, in this example Concord forming the crest of the bird. Instantly recognisable, his works encourage close inspection to figure out all the micro-stories going on in the piece.

Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, January 2017
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, January 2017

Sorry about the bins in this one – I guess I should have moved the one on the right of the picture, but I feel it is good to see these things in their context sometimes.