Another fine character piece from the irrepressible Bean, on the long hoardings (getting less long by the month) along the Bristol to Bath cycle path. Subsequent to my visit to thak this picture, he has added another character piece adjacent to this one.
Bean, Greenbank, Bristol, October 2023
The character, painted in his distinctive two-tone style, is representative of a sub-culture, with baseball cap, gold ring and chain and spray can to hand – I hasten to add that most street/graffiti artists don’t look like this, but they certainly paint like this. Still more to come from the prolific Bean.
This is the second Cobo piece I have posted in a short space of time and the second featuring a cat, which is nice to see. His big fat chrome/grey letters spell out Cober and are full of depth and character, and resemble large monolithic rock formations.
Cobo, Greenbank, Bristol, October 2023
The cat is not exactly what I would call cute, but is a really nice addition to his writing. Overall, this is an impressive and imposing piece from an accomplished artist, who has a preference for decorating transport vehicles, but who has done a great job here.
Dog Bless the Band, Greenbank, Bristol, September 2023
If the writing is curiously-shaped, monolithic and coloured in earthy muted hues, then it is highly likely to be by Dog Bless the Band. If it also spells MOTEL, then it is definitely by him. This modest piece fits all the criteria perfectly.
Dog Bless the Band, Greenbank, Bristol, September 2023
So earthy is this piece, that it appears to have emerged from the soil beneath it, perfectly matching the undergrowth that seamlessly rolls along the ground and up the hoarding. This is deliberate and skilfully done. I like the comment “I’m 37% nettle stings”, an occupational hazard, painting this stretch of hoarding. In my view, this is a really classy piece painted in a style, touching on anti-style while just about remaining within certain conventions. Love it.
More from the RBF Barbie extravaganza, this time from Barbie Bbygwya or Barbie Flux, both of which would make brilliant Barbies in my opinion. I can’t help thinking that Bbygwya probably had to work really hard with this piece, because it really isn’t representative of her style. What it does show, however, is that Bbygwya is very talented and versatile.
Bbygwya (Flux), Greenbank, Bristol, August 2023
The letters are big, bold, and have a 3D drop shadow, and the writing really pops out from the wall. I love the words “this Barbie hates cops”, because it makes me laugh. The little egg is an artefact from an RBF Easter paint jam, which has been pimped with a pink flower and pink handbag, all in the Barbie spirit. I really rate this unusual piece from a lovely artist.
The Barbie RBF paint jam is the gift that keeps on giving, and this is Barbie Bnie’s interpretation of the theme. Bnie has definitely stepped out of her normal style, as in fairness, have all the other artists, to create this stylised writing to match that of the Mattel doll brand. Lots of pink, a heart, soft curves and a yellow border.
Bnie, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2023
I think that the paint jam theme was an inspired and contemporary choice, and gave us a glimpse at how an all-female crew (and Jody) would interpret and fashion their Own Barbie style. For me, the heart with a ‘Hi’ in it perfectly captures the mood. I have a feeling, although I can’t be certain that Bnie had more than a hand in creating the RBF (Resting Barbie Face) piece that accompanied the paint jam pieces, but was unsigned, although the more I look at it the less sure I am. Great work from Bnie.
The sun wasn’t being kind when I took these pictures of Mind 49’s wonderful car piece recently, and these photographs really don’t do justice to the vibrant green paint used for the car. This amazing piece I find a little paradoxical, but I have got my head around it. There are elements that are a little ‘off’, for example the tyres are a little out of shape, and yet the reflections in the glass and panels of the car are nothing short of brilliant. The windows in particular give the impression that the car has been parked under some trees. An amazing effect.
Mind 49, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2023
Sitting over the car is a huge number 49, a number that plays a significant part in Mind 49’s life, having changed his moniker from Mind Control a year or two back. If you look carefully, he has also written the letters MIND in tiny little letters over the side of the car. This piece is a real treat and one of my favourite of the year so far. Note to self: isn’t it about time we had a Mind gallery?
Occasionally, the Resting Bitch Face crew (RBF), an all-female group of painters is joined by a male, which is what happened here when Jody joined in with the Barbie paint jam at Greenbank a few weeks ago. His inclusion definitely fitted in well with all the other pieces, and he embraced the theme with gusto.
Jody, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2023
This is a beautifully crafted and mischievous take on Barbie, providing a little bit of body art and a nose ring to give this graffiti Barbie a bit of an edge over her more conventional selves. Jody has painted a photorealistic portrait of the doll, and managed to convey the plastic toy qualities of her skin and makeup, large eyes and fake hair.
Jody, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2023
I absolutely love this portrait piece, but in loving it, it is important not to overlook the technical skill and versatility of an artist at the top of his game.
What fun it has been to follow Evey’s progress as a graffiti writer over the last few years. She has come a long way, and this recent RBF paint jam Barbie piece, I suspect, may have stretched her somewhat, and she has carried it off brilliantly.
Evey, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2023
The font is Barbieish, without conceding too much to the Mattel brand, but also works very well as an Evey piece. Some nice clean lines and solid fills, although some colours are a little bit thin in places. I only recently discovered (a tip from I bee W) that spray cans often have a little graphic on the can describing how thick or thin the paint is – good to know and explains why sometimes you can use twice as much of one colour than another. This is a fine piece from Evey on what looked like it was a super-fun day.
Peggy is a tattoo artist and street artist who paints wonderful floral murals about the place. She is an active crew member of RBF (Resting Bitch Face crew), and joined in with their recent Barbie paint jam up at Greenbank. What I particularly like about this piece is that Peggy, who I imagine is fairly principled, has not created a piece that is overtly ‘Barbieised’.
Peggy, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2023
This floral design might have conceded a little bit more pink than Peggy might ordinarily use, but she has kept to her overall style, which I admire. This is one of her larger pieces and is a great example of her beautiful flower designs. Fabulously presented, the piece also has some little feature stars that create focal points that draw the eye, but also provide a bit of sparkle. A wonderful non-Barbie, Barbie piece.
Popular culture has had a bit of a renaissance recently with the release of the Barbie move, which I must confess left me a little cold. For all the hype, clever role-reversals, and funny one-liners, I can’t help feeling that Mattel will be laughing all the way to the bank and that their self-deprecating and rather too knowing involvement has paid off. I guess there is a failure on my part to connect with Barbie as a concept, as her world and mine never collided until now.
On the upside though, Barbie has been an inspiration in the street art world, and this piece by Unity, is one of many from an RBF- Barbie paint jam on the long hoarding at Greenbank (more from this paint jam to follow).
Unity, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2023
Unity is an artist in the RBF crew who lives in Wales and occasionally comes to Bristol to paint with her friends. I managed to have a short chat with her at the Cheltenham Paint Festival recently, and she is a lovely lady. Her working of her name in the Barbie font and colours is brilliant and very tidy indeed. She totally captures the spirit of Barbie in her own way and carries it off very well. Plenty more to come from this fun paint jam.
Natural adventures 