Another recent tribute wall to Mibsy (Mibzy) Just off the Gloucester Road, by the Paintsmiths, a commercial outfit of two street artists, Felix ‘FLX’ Braun and Jack Dones.
This rather lighthearted but heartfelt tribute incorporates a Simpsons theme and plenty of doughnuts. I can only guess that Mibsy was fond of the Simpsons.
I haven’t knowingly seen any other murals by the paintsmiths, but I think that is because they tend to do commissions with specific clients.
With your passing, our
lives will feel impoverished;
blue skies turned to grey.
by Scooj
Many of the shops on Gloucester Road have commissioned street art on their shutters, which is how some artists have managed to make some money from their craft. This one caught my eye for several reasons.
The sad story is that this family run butcher shop ‘Stutt and Son’ that has been trading since 1919 has recently been closed at short notice due to the ill health of Mr Stutt senior. The hurriedly scrawled note on the shutter is heartbreaking.
The artwork is by Zase, but is clearly one of his early works as it is unsophisticated and rather raw, compared to some of his more recent pieces, such as the one in Ashley Road. He has come a long way.
As for the Butcher, the shop will be sold and another trader will move in, reinforcing the transient nature of a commercial high street.
5/10
I’ve been going through some old pictures from my iPhone today, and found a few street art images from a long while before I started this blog. This particular picture struck me, because I recently posted a 3Dom piece from this exact location.
This work, also by 3Dom, was photographed in July 2014…it seems that this wall is his.
There is also a subtle tribute to Mibsy. This is a nice work, but long since gone.
A fabulous protest piece by one of my favourite artists – Sepr.
Bristol is a city with a history of rioting…perhaps it is something to do with our independent spirit (I say this as a Londoner who now calls Bristol home).
In 2011 there were riots in Stokes Croft that were focused on the unpopular new Tesco Local store. Arrests were made in the squat opposite, as some of the squatters were suspected of planning to petrol bomb the store. This caused outrage among some locals and some imported trouble makers. This link is a report from the time and this one from a year later.
Sepr’s piece is a reminder of those times and characteristic of the independent spirit of the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft. I love the artwork and its political overtones.
8/10
Before I started looking at graffiti and street art, and by that I mean really started looking at it, I had been aware of this colourful shop front in Park Row. The artwork is so appropriate for the shop, which is not always how commissions turn out.
This is a commissioned piece for a shop, called Shark Bite, that sells surf, snow and skate boards. Once again Silent Hobo is responsible in this collaboration with Mr. Riks who often works with SH. Both artists are Bristol-based.
7/10
I took this picture on a sunny day back in September 2015. This wall is a collaboration between Soker and Cheo, each with their own distinct style. Soker and his wildstyle burner and Cheo spraying a cartoon and the signature bee.
I would guess that Cheo’s work is a selfie of the two of them, but this is only a guess.
7/10
I was given a wonderful ‘Banksy’ wall calendar by my mother this Christmas. I noticed that this fabulous image of the Queen has been selected for the month of July. The manufacturers of the calendar are not the only people to have falsely attributed this stencil to Banksy. In July 2012, during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, all the newspapers heralded this artwork as a new ‘Banksy’.
The stencil was actually sprayed by IncWel, is called ‘Still Sane’ and is a direct reference to Bowie’s ‘Alladin Sane’ album cover of 1974. I have not been able to find anything else by IncWel, and there is little information on the Interweb about him.
For so many reasons I love this stencil.
9/10
I took a short walk this morning after breakfast and discovered a whole ton of street art and graffiti in Moon Street near Stokes Croft. The problem with most of the works here is that they are unsigned, or by artists/sprayers unknown to me (so far).
This crocodile is by Sesk, but I am unclear about whether Sesk is an individual or a crew. In the course of my research however, I did find this article in the Bristol Post from November 2015, which indicates that the authorities are clamping down a bit on some taggers, of which Sesk appears to be the ‘ace of spades’.
Some copy from the article reads as follows:
“A police crackdown on graffiti tagging across Bristol will see a man appear at court.
The man has been reported to court for 89 separate offences of Criminal damage across central Bristol.
The damage relates to illegal graffiti that has been sprayed, drawn and painted onto public and private property across the city.
It is alleged the man is responsible for the “SESK” tag, which police say is one of the most prolific in the city.”
None of this though has helped me find out more about Sesk.
Since I’m on a bit of a Silent Hobo run at the moment, I thought I’d post one of his works which can be found in the heart of St Pauls, and celebrates the St Pauls Carnival.
Even in a contemporary setting his pieces have an element of mysticism about them.
8/10
Natural adventures 