5071. Dean Lane skate park (571)

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

Somehow, I always feel comfortable when I see pieces by Hire. Hire was one of the first artists I spoke to, and I have bumped into him several times over the years. He is a mild-mannered, quiet and modest man whose particular style of graffiti writing is always on-point.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

In this small piece, beautifully presented on a dark green buffed wall, Hire has written the letters BF, which I think relate to a crew – possibly a Polish crew. The jagged letters are superbly picked out by the cream border, and the whole thing is given a lift with the black shading surrounding the writing. A class act.

4940. Dean Lane skate park (557)

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022

I rarely miss posting anything by Hire if I can help it, so I was surprised to find this outstanding piece from this gifted artist in my March archive. On the upside, I guess, I am sharing it with you now. Even though I am currently going through an unpublished back-catalogue of street art, there is at least 50% still unpublished, which gives me a minor panic attack.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022

The striking colours used in this piece are divine and the writing itself, spelling HIRE, is outstandingly painted. The fine lines cutting through the middle of each letter is what elevates this writing from the good to the exceptional. This is an absolute belter of a piece from a lovely artist.

4835. Dean Lane skate park (541)

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2022

I have long been an admirer of Hire’s (pronounced Heerae) work since I first came across his unique style of writing in a collaboration with Laic217 in 2017.Although his writing has morphed during that time, his style remains distinct and recognisable.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2022

I do like it when graffiti/street artists buff the wall first or frame their pieces in some way, as it allows the viewer to pick out the beauty of their work without distraction. This writing, spelling out HIRE is outstanding and in your face… there is no escaping it, it must be looked at, it is shouting out from the wall. His distinctive angular lines with points or thorns, and lines running down the middle of the letters providing depth, creates an overall impressive statement skilfully painted. A fine piece of work.

4642. Dean Lane skate park (518)

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 222
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 222

How fantastic, a classic piece of Hire writing with the inclusion of one of his rabbit characters, still looking as unsettling as ever with its narrow eyes and huge teeth. I am so pleased that he continues with his work, albeit not as frequently as when I first encountered him. In this picture you might notice a rather irritating bit of fencing with a blue tarp attached to it. It has been in Dean Lane since they started developing the building next to the skate park, but it has been abandoned, and is really bloody irritating. I think it needs to be removed into the street, but it is more than a one-man job.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 222
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 222

Hire’s letters have softened a little in recent months, but still have that characteristic sharp and pointy edge thing going on, always with an underlying edge or threat, which graffiti always lends itself to so well. I like this piece, it kind of reminds me of when I first met Hire several years ago.

4561. Brunel Way (163)

There is never a time when I am not excited to find a piece by Hire (pronounced Hee Ray, just in case you were wondering), whether it is one of his character rabbits or  some of his highly technical writing, it always brings a smile to my face and it feels like life is good, in spite of the turbulent landscape.

Hire, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022
Hire, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022

This gorgeous piece under Brunel Way is an absolute beauty. The letters are easy to read and the artwork less frenetic than we might be used to. Set on a clean, buffed grey wall and with glowing orange tones, the red letters and deep grey and white 3D shadow are clearly defined and stand out. This is a finely crafted piece from a talented graffiti writer.

4411. Dean Lane skate park (487)

It would seem that Hire has returned to a fairly regular rhythm, having not painted very much during the lockdowns. This is, of course, great news, and the work he is presenting at the moment is as good as it has ever been.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022

This stunner was painted a couple of weeks ago, and Hire has achieves a certain amount of symmetry in this piece, although a closer look will reveal that it isn’t symmetrical at all, it just looks that way. Hire has created a very clever piece indeed and it is beautifully presented and executed. So good to see him painting regularly.

4349. Dean Lane skate park (477)

I have always and will always love the work of Hire. Hire is one of a large contingent of Polish artists in Bristol, each one bringing something rather special to our city, and becoming part of its rich cultural heritage.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022

This is a beautiful piece of writing set on a deep rich red background, giving it something of a sumptuous feel. I have to confess that I am not quite sure what the repeating pattern of letters says, I am used to picking out the letters HIRE or BF, but this is a bit of a mystery. As an exercise in repetition is is a stunner, and you might have a bit of fun playing ‘spot the difference’ between the three sections. Fine work from Hire.

4251. Cumberland Basin

Like many artists, Hire seems to have woken up from a bit of a pandemic slumber. Artists seem to have split into two camps over the last two years; those that went to ground and are now slowly emerging, and those that took advantage of the disruption and Furlough to paint like never before. Hire certainly belonged to the former.

Hire, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2022
Hire, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2022

This is a nice double piece of ‘BFs’ from the Polish artist. I believe BF is a crew, but I don’t know what it stands for, anyway, Hire has gone for two different stylistic approaches to the letters and the end result is rather pleasing. His talent overfloweth.

4156. Dean Lane skate park (450)

Hire, an artist who I like very much, has been a little bit more active over the last month or so, which is great to see. This is a tribute piece in Dean Lane, which sat alongside one of his other recent works. I’m not too sure about the background to the tribute.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

Nice letters and colours combine to spell out DALLA in a rather subdued style, compared to Hire’s usual busy work. A very nice piece indeed.

4092. Dean Lane skate park (441)

I met Hire in Dean Lane the day before he painted this beauty, and he was basically sizing up the wall looking where would be best to paint his new work. I hadn’t seen him for quite some time, but he remembered me and even remembered my name, which felt good, and we chewed the fat for a little while, before I had to dash.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

I like, and have always liked, Hire’s work. His graffiti writing has a distinctive jagged appearance of edges and shapes that remind me of medieval weapons and blades. The letters are sophisticated, spelling HIRE, and the colour transitions beautifully worked, with a bright band running horizontally through the piece. So good to see both the artist and his new piece.