Rich pickings indeed from Picton Lane. This is the first solo 3Dom wall that I have featured in my posts, and a bit of a curious one to start with. Entitled the Dream Machine Tardis, it is typical of his use of vibrant colours and surreal imagery. I don’t know what it is about, but is is pleasing to my eye.
3Dom, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
It is well worth reading this brilliant interview with the Bristol-based street artist and finding out why he goes under the name Mike 22 for his indoor gallery work. I am looking forward to posting more of his work.
My lunchtime stroll today took me to Montpelier, the heart of alternative Bohemian Bristol. Although I live nearby, I don’t know the area well, so I was in for a treat. I veered off the main roads into the back streets, and found walls festooned with murals, mostly by very local artists.
Mau Mau and Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
I came across this political piece, which speaks volumes about the severe cuts which are destroying public services. It is a collaboration between Rowdy and Mau Mau. Rowdy is known as one of the longest-standing graffiti artists in the UK, and paints a lot of crocodiles and jagged teeth. Mau Mau’s trademark is a fox, which features in most of his works.
Mau Mau and Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
This was, as far as I can make out, painted on 27 October 2015; so really recent. I am pleased to have seen it so soon after completion.
This building and its immediate neighbours are arguably the most painted walls in Bristol. Artwork is over-sprayed weekly or sometimes more frequently. You have to be quick if you want to photograph any of it, and some of it is really good.
Hoax, Stokes Croft, Bristol, October 2015
I love this wonderful stencil. I am guessing it is a self-portrait of the artist, but I have no idea who that artist might be. I might have to do some digging around. From the comments below, it would appear to be a piece by Hoax. It is gone now (Jan 2016). Another addition, now in April 2016, I have just noticed a wonderful Face F1st next to the hoax stencil. I am a huge fan of Face F1st.
Hoax, Face F1st, Stokes Croft, Bristol, October 2015
Another weird and wacky wheatpaste from Kid Crayon that I posted some time ago to illustrate a haiku, before I started posting about street art.
Kid Crayon, Mark Lane, Bristol, July 2015
I really am warming up to his uncomfortable portraits and his choice of spots. It is strange, but until you start looking for his works you simply don’t see them, or if you do, they don’t seem to register. They are all over Bristol, and I have several more lined up to post.
Kid Crayon, Mark Lane, Bristol, October 2015
I see this boy/man eating cheese most days, and it always makes me smile.
This is an interesting work by the very prolific Sepr. I am not too sure what the story is with this, but the pigeon has the ring! The work is immediately adjacent to the Andy Council mural featured in a recent post.
This mural rather dates itself with its portrayal of the obsession of the selfie. I guess it is called ‘I’m taking a selfie’. It is one of several works in the immediate vicinity that have the ASK signature on it.
ASK collaboration, Jubilee Street, Bristol, October 2015
OK, so I am new to all of this, but it took me quite a while to find out who or what ASK is. It turns out that ASK is a Bristol crew, the acronym stands for After School Klub. As far as I can work out, there are four members of the ASK crew, and they are Epok, Sokem, 3Dom and Sepr. I am not sure which of them is behind this particular work, which is perplexing.
ASK collaboration, Jubilee Street, Bristol, October 2015
In addition to ASK, some of their individual or collaborative works are tagged with ASK KTF or ASKTF. The KTF is another TLA (Three Letter Acronym) which I understand to be ‘Keeping Things Fresh’. I will feature more of their works soon.
UPDATE June 2016 – There are at least 14 or so members of ASK, but I still don’t know which members are responsible for this piece.
I had originally thought that this was an advertising piece, because it is so well proportioned and executed. Of course I was wrong, and have grown fond of the ‘So far so good’ mural by Akarat and Hoax.
Hoax and Akarat, Gloucester Road, Bristol, October 2015
Akarat is another Bristol street artist who has emerged from the hip hop and reggae scene. His works usually have some kind of social commentary to them. His favoured techniques would appear to be similar to those used by Nick Walker; stencils and sprays, freehand and rollers. He often collaborates with Hoax another Bristol artist who also enjoys making political statements. I’m not sure why, but Hoax’s signature has been painted over since this was completed.
While shopping today in an old Bristol department store, Gardiner Haskins, in an area I don’t often visit, I discovered a whole area of street art that I haven’t seen before. So many murals.
Sepr, Midland Street, Bristol, October 2015
I love this Sepr mural ‘no petting’ it is quirky and humorous. He is incredibly prolific in Bristol, and I am pleased to have found this work. More from this area to follow.
There is a lot of building work going on in the old centre of town, mostly the construction of accommodation blocks for students. Of course this means that there is a fair amount of permitted street art space on the hoardings around the sites.
Andy Council, Nelson Street, Bristol, October 2015
Andy Council is an artist who lives in Bristol. His works usually incorporate dinosaurs or other animals and architecture, and much of it is about Bristol. You can see his work all over the place, frequently in community spaces that need brightening up. He is also the ‘go to’ designer for all sorts of leaflets and other communications material.
Andy Council, Nelson Street, Bristol, October 2015
This work painted in 2014 is a typical piece. It is temporary and likely to be gone soon.
During the ‘See no Evil’ event in Bristol in 2012, Conor Harrington dropped over from his native Ireland and painted this mural in his distinctive style. It is called ‘the Duel of Bristol’.
Conor Harrington, Broad Street, Bristol, October 2015
Harrington now lives in and has a studio in East London. Like so many before him, he started off as a graffiti artist, but is now a celebrated muralist gaining worldwide acclaim. There is more about him in this excellent Frankie Beane post.
Conor Harrington, Broad Street, Bristol, October 2015
This mural happens to be located in one of my favourite parts of Bristol, tucked away behind the church of St John the Baptist and through the old city gate – I love the way it is framed by an ancient/modern setting.
Conor Harrington, Broad Street, Bristol, October 2015