A gallery of small installations from the wonderful artist Mutatee. I’m not too sure if she is still active, and these pieces are from a few years ago.
Instagram: @mutatee_
All photographs by Scooj
Mutatee
Tag: Installation
6899. Greenbank (156)
I have only one big regret about the Greenbank spot, and that is that I was very late joining the party, and missed hundreds of fabulous pieces, simply because I didn’t know where the spot was. The hoarding is now entering its final age, as the developments accelerate towards their completion. In the twinkling of an eye, this spot and all the great art it has hosted will be gone forever and largely forgotten.
I don’t know how old this little piece of installation art from LIS is, but I don’t recall seeing it before. It is a wonderful scene painted onto a wooden disc and stuck high up on the Greenbank hoarding. This feels like a bit of a throwback to the kind of work I first saw by the artist, before she discovered spray cans. The delightful scene looks like the corner of a room or studio filled with lovely plant and fungus pictures on the wall. A beautiful little miniature, that I was sorely tempted to purloin, but I am not like that.
6866. Camden High Street, London
I always like to see a bit of installation art, but it is always a bit of a rarity, especially in the UK. It seems to be far more popular in other countries. I remember seeing a lot in Barcelona, for example.
This is a fine ear piece (no pun intended) by Urban Solid, stuck high up on a wall with no danger of it being removed or vandalised. The ear, which looks like it has been there for some time, is accompanied by the words ‘audio surveillance zone’, which is all rather clever and imaginative really. I’d love to see more of this kind of art in Bristol, although we do still have a couple of Gregos masks that remain just about intact.
4856. Porto (14)
I love this. If you are going to create street art in Porto, what better medium to use than tiles? Looking back through my photographs of Porto street art, my only regret is that I didn’t find more of these installations by Berri Blue than I did.
Berri Blue is a Polish/Irish artist working in Porto who believes that interpretation of her work is up to the viewer. Well I fully approve of that, but interpretation of her work could end up down a rather macabre blind alley, so I will take a more superficial viewpoint and thoroughly enjoy the artwork and presentation, including the selection of location. The people of Porto are blessed to have pieces like this one in their city.
4509. Porto (1)
It is unlikely, but it might have escaped your attention that I recently went on a short break to Porto, Portugal, with my daughter, and we had the most incredible time. No pressure, no worries and the freedom to wander round a city with absolutely no agenda or plan. This is the way to see incredible things and make great discoveries.
Like many great cities in Europe, Porto has a graffiti and street art scene, which although still quite young, is most impressive nonetheless. This is the first of several posts of street art from the trip.
Of course, anyone who follows street art will have seen work by Bordallo II on digital media, but to come across a piece (completely by accident – it was my daughter who spotted it down a back street) and see it is the flesh is quite something else. Bordallo II, a Portuguese artist, creates his work from scraps of waste material which he attaches to a wall and paints to create extraordinary ‘installation sculptures’ of animals.
This piece on the south side of the Douro river depicts a rabbit in two halves, the left-hand side is dull and depressing, the right-hand side is colourful, vibrant and optimistic. The piece demonstrates the incredible skill of the artist to create something from nothing and generate different emotions from the viewer within the same work. One less artist on the bucket list.
4132. Leonard Lane (30)
I love my little walks down Leonard Lane, it feels rather secret, old and magical (if you can ignore the smell of piss) and there is always something new to notice. This little character, created and installed by Mutatee has been in the Lane for a while and looks a little worse for wear, but I thought I’d include it in any case because it is all part and parcel of the Bristol street art scene.
It is well worth following Mutatee’s Instagram account @mutatee_ to see how she makes all her characters, it is a fascinating process. The character is from the film Labyrinth, starring David Bowie and a whole host of puppets. I believe the worm is called William. In this cast by Mutatee, the tufts of hair have been broken off, perhaps by someone trying to ‘steal’ the piece. A pity really, because it is little installations like this that add interest and intrigue to the city.
3205. Frogmore Street (12)
Mutatee has been rather quiet with her street art installations this year, but she seems to have started up again recently and this lovely and rather curious figurine is at the bottom of the wall that is famous for Banksy’s well hung lover.
There is another of these figurines in Leonard Lane, which I posted last October. There would seem to be a small floor in the casting of this piece because in both of them there is a small crack on the ladie’s arm. Nonetheless this is a creative and imaginative addition to the wonderful spectrum of free publc art in Bristol.
2945. M32 roundabout J3 (210)
Even though I don’t know the artists (yes artists), I have posted this for two reasons. Firstly I love the composition and transition of blues and secondly because I discovered a piece I had never seen before while photographing the blue faces.
The blue faces piece, although relatively simple in design has been beautifully executed, with each face in a slightly different shade nestling neatly with the one next to it. The eyes give each face a different expression. It looks like it has been signed LEF. Take a good look at the top left hand corner of the piece and you can see a little piece of installation art that has been overpainted…
This is a piece which I assume had been in situ for some time, but which I had not noticed ever before. It is the kind of work that Will Coles might do, but it is not quite his style. Entitled mammal, it reveals bare breasts (something of a rarity in Bristol street art). I love this, and liked it even more for discovering it accidentally.
Two pieces for the price of one, but both artists unknown to me.
2914. Stokes Croft
Another archive piece, this time from #DFTE, on the famous wall on the corner of Stokes Croft and City Road. This is one of #DFTE’s framed pieces, and if I am honest, I’m not entirely certain that it is still there.
The words ‘We are all in this together‘ have a certain poignancy about them today as we sit in the midst of a global pandemic. I like the sentiment, but I dislike the way our government have rolled out this slogan (as if it was their invention) to try and inject some patriotism and collective responsibility for the fallout of coronavirus. I feel a monumental rant cominng on, so I will end the post now before I bore the living daylights out of you. In cheerier times I would appreciate the words more. I am a big fan of the artist and his alternative style.
2829. Christmas Steps (2)
Never was a message from #DFTE more apt and more welcome. As we find ourselves thrown into lockdown in the UK due to the Coronavirus pandemic, acts of kindness must be at the front of our minds at all times. For my part, having patience with my family is probably the single biggest challenge, but I must chill out and see the good. My wife and kids are amazing people and we have a chance to reset the dial in these unusual circumstances.
This is the second piece of street philosophy from #DFTE on Christmas Steps, right at the top (of the lower section). I rather like the fact that another kind soul has slapped a sticker on this framed installation saying ‘you are beautiful’. Bristol street art bringing out the best in us.
Natural adventures 