Tag: Graffiti

221. Devon Road (1)

A new location for me. I found out about this incredible road in Easton through a friend of mine who wondered if I had heard about a community project, the purpose of which was to brighten up Devon Road. I looked up the community Facebook page, and was astonished that this was completely off my radar. I decided to check it out…what delights!

The main part of the road is a regular Bristol street, but at the Northern end it has a dogleg tracking West, which is actually a lane with two long terraces backing onto it. Each terraced house has a yard with walls and doors opening out into Devon Road. It is these walls and doors that are being sprayed. Everyone is happy. The street artists have walls to spray and there is little tagging here as it is a bit off the beaten track. The residents have the benefit of some beautiful works going up on their properties and the whole area looks vibrant, especially on a lovely sunny day.

Aspire, blue tit, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016
Aspire, blue tit, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016

My first post from Devon Road is a stunning piece by Aspire. This, in my view, is one of his finest. The birds are a blue tit on the left, and a coal tit (I think) on the right. Just fabulous. I am now on the hunt for a blue macaw that I know he has recently sprayed. I will find it.

Aspire, coal tit, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016
Aspire, coal tit, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016

220. Drummond Road (1)

On the edge of St Pauls at the Stokes Croft end of Ashley Road, this lovely work by Face F1st complements a PWA collaboration opposite it. Some may consider Face F1st to be a bit of a ‘one trick pony’, as the works are all very similar, with little variation. I, however do not subscribe to this idea. All the faces are beautifully crafted with clean lines and have a distinctive consistency, which is in a way rather comforting in a world of frenetic spraying.

Face F1st, Drummond Road, Bristol, March 2016
Face F1st, Drummond Road, Bristol, March 2016

This piece I photographed in March this year, but I also snapped a newer one today during my lunch walk. I always get a bit of a glowing feeling whenever I happen across any of Face F1st’s work.

219. Stokes Croft, various

I am enjoying spreading out my posts of Tian’s fabulous work in Stokes Croft. His tour of England has been something of a success, and pasteups are appearing on social media from all over the country.

Tian, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016
Tian, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016

This is another iconic moment in film history. Who could ever forget this scene when Ursula Andress, playing Honey Ryder, emerges like a goddess from the sea in the 1962 Bond movie Dr.No.

Tian, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016
Tian, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016

Now she emerges from the walls of Stokes Croft, as if she has been here all the time since 1962. I just love the content and execution in Tian’s work. Top notch stuff.

218. Moon Street (11)

This is a rather nice wildstyle piece by 3Dom, which demonstrates his versatility. I would normally associate him with his otherworldly characters in curious postures. Not this time though, although the gaping mouth alludes to the kind of work he normally produces.

3Dom, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2016
3Dom, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2016

A really beautiful work form one of Bristol’s best in the honeypot Moon Street. Looking at it  more carefully it would appear to be a tribute piece, there is RIP and ‘For Madden’ written at the sides. I believe the tribute is for Madden Ekons – and the lettering spells this out. Madden was a graffiti artist who died in 2014. More tributes here.

217. Hepburn Road (2)

It is  great how things start to come together. Twelve months ago I could probably have named only two Bristol street artists, and one of them was Banksy! Now that I have been blogging about the amazing street art in Bristol for about a year, I am slowly becoming more familiar with the local artists and their styles. Some still confuse me, but generally I know what I am looking at.

DNT, Mr Klue, Akarat, Hepburn Road, Bristol, January 2016
DNT, Mr Klue, Akarat, Hepburn Road, Bristol, January 2016

This lovely collaboration appeared in January this year in Hepburn Road – a heavily sprayed alleyway, about 20m long. The robot thing on the left is by DNT (Bruno Dante), the swirly abstract is by the wonderful Mr Klue (getting a lot of posts at the moment) and the rat is by Akarat

DNT, Hepburn Road, Bristol, January 2016
DNT, Hepburn Road, Bristol, January 2016

I have struggled to separate the work of Hoax and Akarat, and still do. I now know though that the little squiggle above the rat’s head is Akarat’s signature, which shouyld make things a little easier.

Akarat, Hepburn Road, Bristol, January 2016
Akarat, Hepburn Road, Bristol, January 2016

Sadly this piece is now gone, but I was lucky enough to see and enjoyed passing it many times.

216. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (9)

This beguiling piece by Tom Miller appeared last weekend and has already now been painted over, and even when I took this picture a day after it was completed, it had already been tagged. I love Miller’s work, but I have reservations about this one. There is something in me that is slightly uncomfortable about using street art used to promote anything, even your own exhibition.

Tom Miller, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016
Tom Miller, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016

I have many pictures of street art in Bristol which promote night clubs or special evenings of music etc, but I don’t post about them. They are deliberately ephemeral and are usually not quite up to the standard of other work. There is less love about them…they become perfunctory.

Tom Miller, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016
Tom Miller, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016

This I think is a case in point. Miller’s work is usually of such a high standard, and this feels just a little bit rushed. I look forward to seeing the gallery, but look forward more to seeing a more considered Tom Miller piece in the near future. Does that sound harsh?

Love graffiti

 

Bold proclamation

of love, though I suspect she

no longer loves you.

 

by Scooj

215. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (8)

You can probably tell by now that I am clearing through my December backlog of images. Here is another one by Mr Klue. Mr Klue (Klue Wone) is a Bristol based designer and illustrator whose work is turning up everywhere at the moment. This is a particularly colourful piece that typifies his excellent selection of colours and shades and presents his swirling patterns with soft angular corners.

Mr Klue, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2015
Mr Klue, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2015

Mr Klue’s work is so original and distinctive, and it is nice to see some abstract stuff adorning Bristol’s walls. His website is here.

214. Stokes Croft, Slix (3)

This is a picture from Last December, but I believe the stencil is still there and untagged. It would need a ladder to replace it, and taggers cant be bothered with that, although wheelie bins often do the job. This I believe to be a Hoax piece, it has all the hallmarks, a ‘street’ figure with trainers and an obscured face.

Hoax? Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2015
Hoax? Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2015

If it is not hoax, I’m not sure who it is by. As with his other pieces, it is curious, and I am sure there is an interesting, but unfathomable, backstory. I think I need to get some interviews under my belt.

213. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (7)

Instagram is a wonderful thing. I have only been using it for a couple of weeks, but it is a great way of finding new works by local street artists…getting a ‘tip-off’ if you like.

Yesterday I saw a post by Mr Klue of this fresh new piece. I managed to get some pictures on my way to London for a football match. Had it not been for Instagram, I may not have seen this until next week some time, by which time it will probably be tagged.

Mr Klue, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 30 April 2016
Mr Klue, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 30 April 2016

This is a lovely collaboration between Mr Klue, with his characteristic swirly patterns, and Akarat and Hoax on the top.

Hoax and Akarat, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 30 April 2016
Hoax and Akarat, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 30 April 2016

Akarat and Hoax collaborate a lot, and I find it difficult to know which of them does which part. I think that the stencil work is by Hoax. Either way, this is a wonderful piece.

Hoax, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 30 April 2016
Hoax, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 30 April 2016

I am not sure of the relevance of the number 64, but it was a good year!