Tag: Graffiti

288. Cheltenham Road, the Little Shop

It has been a little while since I last posted anything by Alex Lucas. This wonderful piece has decorated the Little Shop for a few years now and sits right on the cusp of Cheltenham Road and Stokes Croft – both street names appear in the featured image.

Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2015
Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2015

In this commissioned mural Lucas does what she does so very well. Rabbits. Wonderful line drawings of rabbits interspersed with what appear to be pineapples. This junction with Ashley Road is really at the heart of Bohemian Bristol and there is barely a building without some kind of street art decorating it. I have the pleasure of walking this way to work every day (in the Summer at least) and never tire of this Lucas work.

Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2015
Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2015

The left hand side of the building is part of the 123 Space – a gallery which is linked to the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft (PRSC) next door. The 123 Space is a place for the local art community to create, connect, dream and build together. The Facebook page is here.

 

287. Unity Street (1)

The area around Gardiner Haskins, the Bristol department store, is somewhere I like to go about once a month, as the turnover here is lower than at other favoured haunts for graffiti artists in Bristol. On my most recent visit I came across this lovely 3Dom piece.

3Dom, Unity Street, Bristol, June 2016
3Dom, Unity Street, Bristol, June 2016

3Dom has a very fine wildstyle style and this is a really perfect example of it. The cat, of course is slightly weird but brilliant. I love most of 3Dom’s work and this is certainly one that works for me. More pieces to come from this road soon.

UPDATE: the cat is by Sled One. Thank you 3Dom for your Instagram correction.

SledOne, Unity Street, Bristol, June 2016
SledOne, Unity Street, Bristol, June 2016

286. The Bearpit (22)

There is something very pleasing about walking around the city looking for interesting things and making discoveries. Every now and then you see a real gem that shines so brightly but others do not seem to see. It is not a gift, but at times it feels like one.

Yvette Byrd? The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016
Yvette Byrd? The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016

This is a beautiful and refreshing piece that recently appeared in the Southern tunnel of The Bearpit. I am guessing, but I have little to go on that this drawing/pastel? is by Yvette Byrd. The only clue I have is in the tiny paste up at the bottom right, with a beautiful poem and signature. I have googled Yvette Byrd, but nothing relevant comes up.

Yvette Byrd? The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016
Yvette Byrd? The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016

So I must enjoy this piece for what it is rather than the celebrity of its creation. Maybe more work will appear and the pieces of the jigsaw come together. This piece says to me ‘dare to be different’. Somebody new trying something new.

286. St Werburghs Tunnel (1)

This piece can be found in one of the Bristol hotspots that I have yet to feature in the blog – criminal really. I have been to the St Werberghs tunnel, which leads to the city farm, several times and there is always tons of new material each time I go. The main problem with this location is that the artificial light in the middle, and natural light at the tunnel ends, makes photographing the pieces really difficult.

Sled One detail, St Werberghs, Bristol, May 2016
Sled One detail, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2016

This is an incredibly nicely worked piece of writing by Sled One. He is quite the master of disguising his wildstyle, and the colour combinations he uses never disappoint. The photographs probably don’t do this piece justice – it is a stunner.

284. Dean Lane skate park (10)

This is a quick fun piece by Eraze sprayed in early June. I like the work and would like to see more of his creations. It is the first Eraze work I have seen as a picture only, without the security blanket of writing, although I am sure there are others.

Eraze, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, May 2016
Eraze, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, May 2016

The progression can be seen from the piece I featured back in May nearby, although it carries the same ‘dope’ feature.

Eraze, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, May 2016
Eraze, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, May 2016

I am enjoying finding work by Eraze, and know that If I visit Dean Lane skate park often enough I will see more of his stuff. His choice of name is interesting – if you search Google for ‘Eraze graffiti’ you get loads of graffiti removal websites. Ironic?

283. The Bearpit (21)

In Bristol, most of the political street art seems to be created by stencil specialists. I guess the technique lends itself to writing messages and combining them with famous, iconic or striking figures.

Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016
Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016

In this beautifully executed example by Dice 67, we see a homeless man holding up a banner, while behind him there is a group of Tory politicians, in what appears to be a police line up. The Prime Minister is accompanied by Gove, Hunt, Osborne and one other. The Tory manufactured mantra since the coalition has been ‘we’re all in it together’. Obviously it is not the case, as the wealthy continue to get wealthier and the poorest in our communities are dropping through the cracks.

Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016
Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016

Whether I agree or not with this piece is irrelevant in so much as it is a fantastic work and worthy of greater exposure. Dice 67 is a brilliant stencil artist, and I always love it when he visits Bristol and leaves something like this behind.

Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016
Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016

He signs off the piece with his usual spray cans. A great work.

282. Hill Street

There is a good story to this piece. Some time before I started to blog about street art, and around about the time that I really started to get interested, I saw two artists working together on a small car park wall on Hill Street, parallel with Park Street. I surreptitiously took a couple of pictures and walked on. Since that time, I have returned to the wall many times and taken other pictures.

Fois, Hill Street, Bristol, April 2015
Fois, Hill Street, Bristol, April 2015

I am not sure who one of the artists was, and so his wall does not feature here, but the other was Fois. At the time, and for a long time afterwards, I didn’t know it was by Fois, but it became very clear when I wrote about his piece on Nine Tree Hill.

Fois, Hill Street, Bristol, November 2015
Fois, Hill Street, Bristol, November 2015

It is a wonderful work, spelling out his name with the characteristic colours and curves that have, to my mind at least, a strong feel of the 1930s. I will at some point find out who his collaborator on the day was, but it might be some time.

Fois, Hill Street, Bristol, April 2015
Fois, Hill Street, Bristol, April 2015

281. Muller Road

This mural is deep in Zase country. Many of his works are on show in the neighbourhood, and recently this commission for the local veterinary practice has brightened up an otherwise drab wall. I suspect that business may have improved too.

Zase, Muller Road, Bristol, April 2016
Zase, Muller Road, Bristol, April 2016

These animals are beautifully painted, which is what we have come to expect from Zase designs. The animals are incredibly realistic, but seem to have a slightly cheeky cartoonish character about them. This is an artist at the top of his game.

Zase, Muller Road, Bristol, April 2016
Zase, Muller Road, Bristol, April 2016

He has also painted one of his trademark wildstyle burners, but I am unable to decipher it. He has dotted the whole piece with the words ‘love’, ‘compassion’ and ‘care’. All in all it is a wonderful community piece, and a local landmark.

Zase, Muller Road, Bristol, April 2016
Zase, Muller Road, Bristol, April 2016

 

 

280. M32 Roundabout J3 (12)

Voyder is an artist and wildstyle graffiti writer who I think is Bristol based, and often collaborates with Deamze and Soker. His website reveals little about him, but showcases his artwork beautifully. Known for his writing and art pieces in equal measure he has a strong presence in Bristol, and is a member of ASK.

Voyder, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2016
Voyder, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2016

His writing is distinctive in that it is usually in thin script, rather than the cryptic block style other Bristol artists use, and on a slant, much more like a handwritten signature. His work really stands out from the crowd, because of its distinctive style. I have a whole load more of his work stacking up and waiting to write about. We are very lucky in Bristol to have so many talented wildstyle writers, and walls for them to spray.

279. Midland Street (4)

It is rewarding to know that these pages occasionally get read by people who are able to help me with identification and clarification. One such intervention was made recently by a blogger (with no site) called Norman. The information he gave me has enabled me to post this piece, which I have been sitting on since March 2016.

Soker, Midland Street, Bristol, March 2016
Soker, Midland Street, Bristol, March 2016

Norman posted a comment on my blog about this amazing piece by Deamze which is on the wall adjacent to this one. He said that the piece next to Deamze was by Soker (Sokem). But it is not that straightforward, this piece is actually not only in orbnate wildstyle, but also an anagram of Sokem – Omske. Now, of course it is obvious!

Soker, Midland Street, Bristol, March 2016
Soker, Midland Street, Bristol, March 2016

These two pieces together (Deamze and Soker) are amongst my favourite of the year. Soker is a master of wildstyle writing in Bristol, and this is an exceptional work. I love the character smoking a joint – he looks like something out of a kids adventure cartoon. I have Norman to thank in being able, at last, to share it with you.