There is a small enclave of street art in Cotham, centered around the Highbury Vaults pub. I have already featured two works in the area, one by Nick Walker, and the other by Unify. This is the third piece to be found here, and one that somehow passed me by until recently. Perhaps this is because it is so seamlessly blends in with the shop that it adorns.
This mural is a trademark Inkie. It reminds me very much of the styling used for Biba – maybe it is the black and gold thing going on.
7/10
As I have said before, the turnover of work on this ‘practice wall’ in Stokes Croft is quite phenomenal. This new piece by Silent Hobo has appeared during the Christmas break. It will be gone soon.
You can find out more about Silent Hobo on his website, but what I really like is that he still sprays on the streets of Bristol, not always legally, even though he has a successful commercial outfit.
7/10
This is one of several tributes to Mibzy (Mibsy) (King of paint) that can be found in Bristol. More about Mibzy here.
This ‘burner’ (straightforward lettering or word) is attributed to Bristol artist Deamze, although I am having difficulty confirming it. It has been slapped up on a derelict shop front. Looking at earlier photographs of this tribute on the Interweb, shows just how rapidly this building is crumbling. A forgotten side street, but Mibzy is not forgotten.
6/10
The more posts I write about Bristol street art/graffiti, the more familiar I am becoming with the various artists and their particular styles. I have had to do a lot of research, often on the thinnest of evidence, but sometimes I am simply stumped.
I have been struggling, until today, with the artist that created this beautiful mural on Hillgrove Street in Stokes Croft. The penny dropped when I was looking at Google images of the work of Silent Hobo, and I spotted this one. Of course it is by Silent Hobo…how could I have been so stupid? It is moments like these that broaden my knowledge. I must remind myself that I have only been doing this for a few months and it will take a long time to become an expert.
The Silent Hobo works I have presented before (33 and 66) are not similar enough to this one for me to have made the connection. I am really struck by this piece.
8.5/10
On the site of a former SPQR spaceman (which for a while was thought to be a Banksy), there is now one of 3Dom’s latest creations. This has the unmistakable hallmarks of his work although it is unsigned.
More research is needed to understand what the alien in a sandscape is all about, but his works are always imaginative, colourful and dreamlike.
Our friend the gnome stencil has also made another appearance, and was added at a later date. I love this 3Dom work on a very famous wall in the Stokes Croft area.
I took a short trip to London this weekend, and escaped the clutches of family duties to take a five minute walk after Sunday brunch. I am forever hopeful that whenever I turn into a small lane I will find something of interest and I was not disappointed.
This work is tidily framed in what appears to be an original border, presumably used to post adverts or something. The artist is Giacomo Bufarini, known as RUN, who is an Italian who now lives in Clapton, East London. I first became aware of him in Bristol, where he has painted a couple of walls in Montpelier. I will try to dig out some photographs soon.
This is typical of his works which tend to have a high degree of fine detail and contrasting black and white with a splash of colours. He is well known and even has a Wikipedia page if you want to know more. I enjoy this fine line cartoon style.
8/10
This striking portrait was sprayed by N4T4 during the Upfest 2015 festival. N4T4 is an artist and illustrator from Nuneaton in the UK.
In the artist’s own words:
“I paint portraits using realism as a reference point for more abstract experimentation. The images are built in layers that become ambiguous and open to interpretation from the viewer. I am inspired by aboriginal art and graffiti; aesthetically and conceptually with their self evolved visual languages, dual meanings, temporal quality and its basis in culture, people and environment rather than just commerce.”
The more I examine this work the more I like it.
This is my second attempt at publishing this post…something horrible happened and the draft I saved completely disappeared.
Soker is a Bristol-based graffiti writer who has been active since the 1980s and is well known for his work all around the city. He specialises in wildstyle burners and is not much bothered with making money from his works.
This wall is sited just off North Street, the main hub of Upfest 2015. Soker belongs to the ASK crew and KTF (After School Klub and Keeping Things Fresh respectively).
I am beginning to appreciate more these wildstyle murals, and will feature them more in my posts.
6.5/10
A recent 3Dom work in the heart of Stokes Croft that depicts a sad picture of the future, with only one leaf surviving. There is something of the ‘Lorax’ about the scene. Love is the answer.
Messages and warnings like this do not go unheeded, I mean hey, I looked at it and now I’m talking about it.
7/10
This mural recently (Nov/Dec 2015) appeared on the frequently renewed wall at the carriageworks in Stokes Croft.
It is one of the more unusual works I have seen in the area. Surreal, and beautifully sprayed. It is outstanding.
It appears to me signed by Miller, or Millen or something like that, but I have drawn a blank on any information about the artist. If anyone knows who it might be, please let me know and I will update the post.
As with all works here, it will be gone soon, sprayed over by another artist, so I am glad to have captured this curiosity.
UPDATE – after some more research I have discovered that the artist is Tom Miller, a recent graduate of the University West of England. He has produced some wild prints and I am very tempted to buy one.
7/10
Natural adventures 