John d’Oh – Natural adventures

7646. M32 roundabout J2 (24)

John D'oh, M32 roundabout J2, Bristol, April 2026 — John D’oh, M32 roundabout J2, Bristol, April 2026

Where to start? There is so much to unpick in this political stencil piece by John D’oh. I’m not sure that I can offer too many of my own thoughts that the piece provokes, but I am sure that they are shared to varying degrees by many.

The action of Israel (the state of) depicted by death handing over a flower to a small innocent child holding a teddy bear is very powerful and rather moving. The faux reassurance hiding behind the violence is what comes across most strongly. I could write an essay about this, but I am resisting the temptation and am time-limited. John D’oh doing what he does best.

7612. M32 roundabout J2 (20)

I expect that Popeye will be a familiar character for many, although post-millennial cohorts are unlikely to identify strongly or even at all with the iconic character. Certainly, John D’oh provides an indication of his likely age with this characterful stencil underneath the M32 motorway.

John D’oh skilfully blends the Popeye character with contemporary politics making a link between spinach greens and the Green Party, with the words ‘Eat green, vote green’. This is a particularly salient message with the upcoming local elections next month in which the Greens are expected to do rather well, picking up disaffected left of centre voters.

7606. M32 roundabout J2 (19)

John D'oh, M32 roundabout J2, Bristol, March 2026 — John D’oh, M32 roundabout J2, Bristol, March 2026

Another piece (and there are so many more to come) from John D’oh’s under-motorway gallery. This is a humorous piece, which leans into smutty, which I guess is all part of the edginess of street art.

The fine stencil of a young woman is accompanied by the words “Things not to say on Valentine’s day: You might not be my happy ever after, but you could be my happy ending?”. On a picky point, the second half of the sentence doesn’t read as a question, and I think that the ‘you’ and the ‘could’ are the wrong way round. The piece has the potential to cause offence, although I think the emphasis is on humour. Not one of his best ideas, but nonetheless part of his varied portfolio.

7589. M32 roundabout J2 (17)

Another wonderful stencil piece from John D’oh’s outdoor gallery underneath the M32. There is no annotation, just an image of a woman speaking into a megaphone, from which flowers are cascading.

The piece tells a story which I guess is open to interpretation. I think it speaks of protest and peace, a little bit like Banksy’s famous ‘flower thrower’. The piece is beautifully presented, simple and thought-provoking. Good to see.

7532. M32 roundabout J2 (13)

In a world filled with terrifying and depressing headlines, it is refreshing to be able to enjoy a moment of lighthearted humour, and this lovely column piece by John D’oh under the M32 is just what the doctor ordered.

How often have we heard that ‘love is just around the corner’? Well, John D’oh takes the saying literally with this two-part stencil. A simple and clever piece that would bring a smile to even the most cold-hearted viewer. Just another piece in a superb ‘gallery’ of John D’oh’s work under the M32 adjacent to Eastville Park.

7522. M32 roundabout J2 (11)

After what feels like a lengthy absence, John D’oh has been hitting a particular area of Bristol pretty hard recently and making it his own. There is a large area of supporting columns under the M32 north of J2 on the motorway and adjacent to Eastville Park to it’s east, and this is where he has established a veritable gallery of his stencil work.

John D’oh’s work, often painted in single layer stencils (one colour), usually blends humour with political commentary, and even adds a sprinkling of pathos from time to time. He is never one to shrink away from the big discussion points of the day as you can see in this piece depicting the shredding of important files by the Trump administration. As an aside, I find it unfathomable that the MAGA cult still worship this man in spite of his obvious and overt disregard for everyone and everything, especially his blind followers. Watch this space for a rush of wonderful John D’oh stencils from this spot.

5670. M32 Spot (176)

John D'oh, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2023 — John D’oh, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2023

With his finger pretty much always on the pulse, it was only a matter of time before John D’oh would create a stencil commentary piece about the war in Gaza and here it is. In this column piece, John D’oh presents a touching and tender piece that also references Bristol and Banksy.

The message is clear, and one I think anyone in their right mind would agree with – ‘teach peace’. A young child and teddy look on at the right approach to conflict – the correct example throwing flowers and the incorrect version throwing Molotov cocktails. Along with most of us, this piece is asking for conflict to stop.

4906. M32 Spot (153)

John D'oh, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2022 — John D’oh, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2022

Happy Christmas all

A quick message today from the Grinch, via the skill of John D’oh, for all you dog lovers out there – ‘a dog is not just for Christmas and should not just be given away or discarded’.

A beautiful stencil piece featuring the Dr, Seuss character.

4865. Horfield skate park (12)

John D'oh, Horfield skate park, Bristol, November 2022 — John D’oh, Horfield skate park, Bristol, November 2022

Christmas has come a little early this year in the form of this great stencil piece by John D’oh at Horfield skate park. It is a strong reminder that as we head into an unusual Christmas period with the backdrop of our very own cost of living crisis, we need to be mindful that there are others facing constant troubles far worse than our own. This stencil reminds me of an answer I give to my children when they ask me what I want for Christmas and I give them the same reply every time (I am a dad after all); “all I want for Christmas is world peace”. The answer is deliberately both humorous and serious, a blend John D’oh achieves here.

This piece also reminds me of a Costah piece that I posted a few days ago from my trip last June to Porto, which represents a street artist acting as a chronicler of these troubled times, something that John D’oh excels at. Let us all wish for peace this Christmas.

4834. M32 Spot (150)

John D'oh, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2022 — John D’oh, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2022

This is a cheeky piece from John D’oh in the style of a saucy seaside postcard but drawing in some political commentary about our current economic crisis, and he carries if off really well, in my view.

This piece was painted on a column that previously played host to a Boris Johnson stencil, also by John D’oh, and reminds us of the important role played by political commentators, whether writers or artists, in documenting current events and the impacts of political decisions on society as a whole. Something a little different from John D’oh to enjoy.

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