5763. M32 roundabout J3 (548)

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

Ooh! The colours of this wonderful piece by Hypo burst out of the wall and immediately infect the viewer with a sense of optimism and wellbeing (results based on a survey of one!). A sensibly neutral buffed wall add to the sense of energy and excitement generated by this cornucopia of colour.

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

The letters spell out HYPO as you’d probably expect, with a couple of nice graffiti arrows incorporated. I really like the way that Hypo produces something utterly different with each of his pieces, although there is always an underlying style that seems to permeate through. A delightful piece from Hypo.

5758. St Werburghs tunnel (398)

Hypo, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2024
Hypo, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2024

One of the artists I have most enjoyed over the past 12 months or so has been Hypo, who has been out and about a lot during that period (in part due to poor health and recovery). I think that part of the secret to his success is his choice of letters, which are really playful, and allow a lot of flexibility. Some letters and combinations of letters simply don’t work as well as others.

Hypo, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2024
Hypo, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2024

I sense a little bit of a Hemper influence in this piece, which is quite elaborate and intricate. Hypo has selected some cheerful light colours that interlock, creating an integrated whole that is nice to look at. I’m not too sure that the copper outline quite works, but on the whole this is a fine piece of writing.

5672. M32 roundabout J3 (530)

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023

Last week I posted a piece by Hypo that showed something of a development of his style into a more cryptic wildstyle approach. This piece on the other hand is the more familiar graffiti writing we expect to see from Hypo, and what a colour-burst it is too.

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023

The letters are clear to read, and there is a real sense of joy and optimism about the piece. The colours come together as if they were sweets in a jar and the whole thing looks almost edible. I love the design, and the colour fades and decorations, I think though, and I know I am nit-picking, that the black shadow might have been a little tidier. Beautiful work from Hypo.

5661. M32 roundabout J3 (527)

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023

I met Hypo for the very first time when he was painting a piece adjacent to this one, which I sadly never got to photograph, because it had been painted over by the time I returned. What a lovely and interesting person Hypo is. I mentioned to him that he has been smashing it lately not only in quality of his pieces but in the quantity of them that he was turning out. He explained that he had been seriously ill a little while back and that while he was unable to work he was painting as part of his rehabilitation. It was good to see him looking well. It is amazing how our health completely shapes out lives, our losses and our opportunities.

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023

I would not describe this as a typical Hypo piece, being a little more cryptic and busy than his more typical work. The black and white letters have plenty of extra details and lines and have been filled sparingly with coloured spots and stars. There are some nice shout outs to Hemper, Ulow, Soker and Minto, which puts his peers into clear context. Hypo painted this piece alongside his LDub mates Dun Sum and Zeks. Nice transformative work.

5486. L Dub (45)

Hypo, L Dub, Bristol, August 2023
Hypo, L Dub, Bristol, August 2023

The last thing I expected to find on a recent trip to L Dub was this vibrant piece by Hypo. L Dub tends to be the province of artists like DJ Perks, Dun Sum, Donz, Laic217 and a raft of DBK artists, so it is always quite a surprise to find work from central Bristol artists adorning the walls there. This surprise was a pleasant one.

Hypo, L Dub, Bristol, August 2023
Hypo, L Dub, Bristol, August 2023

The bright green background immediately grabs one’s attention and the graffiti writing itself fits the typical Hypo model perfectly, with a horizon running through the middle of the letters, a mechanism he uses a lot, and the near bilateral symmetry of the letters HY|PO. Another lovely piece from the artist who is having a very productive 2023.

5376. M32 roundabout J3 (494)

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023

Although his frequency of painting has slowed just a little since the spring, Hypo continues to have a sizeable presence in Bristol, which can only be good news. I will be brutally honest about this piece and say that I don’t think it is his best work. The concept and letters are all good, but the colour transitions through the piece feel a little lost and I am thinking that the grey background might not be helpful in this respect.

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023

Don’t get me wrong, I think it is still a lovely piece of writing, but I know that Hypo has recently been smashing it and this one doesn’t quite make the bar IMO. I guess consistency can be difficult to maintain, but I know that he will be out and about again with another banger. I look forward to his next piece.

5284. M32 roundabout J3 (479)

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

Tick-tock, regular as clockwork, Hypo keeps turning out new pieces, each of which is a welcome addition to his expanding and improving portfolio. I have definitely seen an improvement in his work in recent months, and although he has been around for a long time, I think he is reaching a new level.

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

Hypo continues to produce pieces with an element of symmetry to them, achieved through shapes and colour schemes. I have seen him use this kind of fill pattern in the past (Upfest 2017), producing what looks like a horizon on a landscape. Another great piece from Hypo.

Hypo, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Hypo, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

5203. M32 roundabout (474)

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

Well, it has to be said that Hypo is absolutely smashing it at the moment. Not only is he painting more frequently than I can remember, but he is also raising his own personal bar with each new piece he creates, which I guess reinforces the idea that the more often you paint, the better you will get.

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

This fiery piece, once again has an attractive symmetry to it, which the letters HYPO somehow allow him to achieve. The letters are beautifully crafted with loads of accessory features, such as arrows and bars. The colour transitions are beautifully done, and the whole thing is really rather beautiful. This is another great piece from Hypo this year.

5168. M32 roundabout J3 (468)

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Street artists, like the rest of us, go through life cycles, where things like jobs, relationships, health, starting families and capacity have a major influence on pursuing their hobby/lifestyle. Some artists manage to paint through all the challenges they face, others will put down their spray cans for a while, and resume when things improve. Hypo, who for the last few years has been an ‘occasional’ painter, has upped his game of late and is creating some wonderful pieces that just seem to be getting better and better.

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

This is a lovely piece on the roundabout, incorporating a turquoise and orange colour combination that is made in heaven. I love the opposing symmetry of the Y and P letters, something that is a strong feature of Hypo’s work. I would say that I am really enjoying this revitalisation of form from Hypo and look forward to a summer of fabulous graffiti writing.

5152. M32 roundabout J3 (463)

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Hypo has had a new lease of life recently – perhaps his work/domestic circumstances have changed, but he is out and about painting more than I have seen since 2015, so much so, that I felt compelled to compile a gallery of his work last week.

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

As well as an increase in the quantity of his work, I feel like there is a commensurate improvement in the quality of it too. This is a lovely piece that pops out of the wall thanks to some clever shadow work and use of white highlights. There are several colour transitions in his fills, at least seven, and the finishing with dots works nicely too. In most of Hypo’s work there is a bilateral symmetry and that really comes to play in this piece. Fabulous work from this established Bristol artist.