Tag: John d’Oh

1417. The Bearpit (129)

I recently found out, from reading an interview with John D’oh, that he tends to create these single layer political stencils for places like The Bearpit, where their lifespan may at times be only a day or two. His more complex multi-layered work is reserved for walls where longevity is more likely…an utterly understandable position.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2018
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2018

This piece is highly critical of Theresa May and the growing problem of homelessness and rough sleeping that is plaguing towns and cities across the UK. I really like the work he does and the way he uses his art to express political ideas. Much of his artwork tends to encourage ‘embellishment’ from passers by, and this one is no exception. The ‘cock and balls’ motif being put to good use.

Keep it going John D’oh.

1315. Leonard Lane (15)

Who doesn’t love Salvador Dali and especially a greyscale multi-layer stencil tucked away in a dark alleyway by John D’oh? OK, so a kind of rhetorical question designed to answer itself. This is a brilliant piece of work. A stencil artist, a surrealist and a cat…it doesn’t get much better.

John D'oh, Leonard Lane, Bristol, November 2017
John D’oh, Leonard Lane, Bristol, November 2017

In my view, John D’oh is a highly talented, prolific and perhaps slightly overlooked artist on the local scene. His pieces, small and large, simple and complex are almost taken for granted, but each is a little gem. It is so utterly worth stopping to look at and admire his work if you get a chance. I doff my cap in his general direction…wherever he is.

1242. The Bearpit (114)

I love this. Here we see John D’oh at his most hard-hitting, exposing two of the easiest targets on earth and keeping the debate alive. Never one to hide from political comment, he produces topical pieces with alarming speed, unlike me who seems to take an eternity to publish posts.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, December 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, December 2017

These single layer stencils are part of the furniture in The Bearpit and in other parts of Bristol, and John D’oh a permanent presence, reminding us to search our conscience and get fired up. So much more to come.

1223. The Bearpit (113)

Back in October 2017, John D’oh had a lot of fun spraying a whole load of stencils in The Bearpit. This was one that he seemed to be particularly fond of.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017

It would appear to be a homage to ‘Where the Wall’, a Bristol company that offers street art tours, wall curation and graffiti experiences. This would seem to be a genuine tribute, but with a history of cynicism towards and lampooning of the establishment, one can never be too sure with John D’oh.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017

As a group, these stencils take on quite a dynamic colourful feel and it is interesting to see how different they look on different backgrounds. John D’oh has been very busy this winter and long may it continue.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017

1211. The Bearpit (111)

I have said it before recently, that John D’oh has been busy stencilling this autumn/winter, with much of his work appearing in The Bearpit. He has also done some other highly satirical Banksy tributes in Cheltenham, but I haven’t yet seen them.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, December 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, December 2017

Always edgy and often political, John D’oh’s work, more than any other artist in Bristol is a target for tagging and dogging. He is clearly not held in the same regard as other artists, but that is the way for political artists…not everyone will agree with them. The Queen stencil has had the eyes sprayed red…which possibly enhances the menace of the piece.

 

John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, December 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, December 2017

I apologise for the quality of the images, which were rather compromised by the low light levels…I was on my way to do some Christmas shopping and the light was fading fast. I thought I’d include them anyway.

1185. Leonard Lane (14)

John d’Oh has been very busy lately on the streets of Bristol, but this is the first time I have seen his work in Leonard Lane. Typical of his work, he takes a strong political line, and in this stencil he celebrates a Corbyn revolution.

John D'Oh, Leonard Lane, Bristol, November 2017
John D’Oh, Leonard Lane, Bristol, November 2017

This is beautifully worked, and of course I particularly like it because of its edge. There are many more pieces by John d’Oh that I have in my archive and I might have to start bunching them together, simply to be able to share them.

700. North Street, loft conversions

Sometimes collaborations really work well, and this beauty between Decay and John D’oh is quite a beauty. Half way along North Street, I first saw it during Upfest (it was a weekend and the shutters were down) although I don’t think it was sprayed for the festival.

Decay and John D'oh, North Street, Bristol, July 2016
Decay and John D’oh, North Street, Bristol, July 2016

It is a striking shutter piece and John D’oh’s stencil is rather special. I am not sure who it is of, but it works so well with the colours favoured by Decay. For me this is a special Bristol piece to be treasured.

672. The Bearpit (45)

Photographing street art and posting it on digital social media can be a frustrating thing sometimes. Some bloggers or Instagrammers, put up their images within hours or minutes of finding a new piece. This is great for getting a picture of ‘what’s new’ but is usually unaccompanied by any sort of narrative, and rarely a location…I don’t understand why people are so guarded. Others like myself, like to add a little bit of a back story…sometimes a little tedious (I’m sorry)…to give the reader just a little bit more than a snapshot. The big disadvantage of the latter approach is that images about contemporary news events seem rather out dated by the time I get to post them. A case in point is this witty ‘love is’ piece by John D’oh in one of the tunnels of The Bearpit.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017

So my apologies to all for the tardiness of this post, but I think it is still worth including in the blog. I don’t need to say much about the subject matter – it has been world news after all. I love the subtle (?) reference to Trump’s hair. This is a fun piece ridiculing the ridiculous.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017

574. The Bearpit (33)

Very close to the Mr Klue/Decay collaboration, John D’oh has been busy with his 2016 stencil. A great many of John D’oh’s pieces are edgy or political, but this one I think captures the feelings of a majority of Bristolians, that for many reasons 2016 was not a good year, and the Grim Reaper is welcome to it.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

I love John D’oh’s stencils as they are usually contemporary with uncomplicated messages and often replicated in several sites. Both of these were in the same area of the Bearpit, and there was at least another one too.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

I very much hope that 2017 brings more hope and joy to the city, but I suspect it won’t. I sense a rebellious undercurrent will oppose injustice in all it forms and be expressed in a typically Bristolian way. Graffiti art will play its part, and John D’oh will most likely be at the heart of it.

460. North Street

On a shop front in North Street, there is this tiny micro-stencil by John D’oh. It is really beautiful, and something of a departure from his more political art. Saucy, and I love it.

John D'oh, North Street, Bristol, July 2016
John D’oh, North Street, Bristol, July 2016