Tag: Leonard Lane

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.

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1255. Leonard Lane (14)

Leonard Lane is one of my favourite spots. somehow it feels more exclusive than some of the other more popular spots, and it is tucked away in the deepest heart of old Bristol. The Lane has become more popular with ‘established’ artists in recent weeks, with both Decay and John D’oh making themselves at home in this narrow space.

Skor85, Leonard Lane, Bristol, January 2018
Skor85, Leonard Lane, Bristol, January 2018

Now it is the turn of Skor85 and this curious piece. What I like about her work is its dream-like stories that unfold in front of you. This one involves two people rather happy about something and high fiving. Meanwhile, the lady with her bunny ballet outfit brandishes a cutlass and the man is holding a dead rabbit. What on earth… . It doesn’t matter. I love this piece, which is nicely framed too. It would be great to see more of this kind of work in the heavily tagged lane.

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.

1181. Leonard Lane (13)

I love Leonard Lane. It is a strange thing I know, to love a narrow claustrophobic alleyway that smells a lot, but I can’t help myself. It was one of the first places I used to visit regularly to photograph street art and graffiti, and I return periodically soaking up its unique atmosphere.

Decay, Leonard Lane, Bristol, November 2017
Decay, Leonard Lane, Bristol, November 2017

It has been a long while since anything decent went up in Leonard Lane, and how fitting that it should come from Decay. I am still trying to understand the words that accompany this piece ‘my direction will not be controlled by my excuse’.

Decay, Leonard Lane, Bristol, November 2017
Decay, Leonard Lane, Bristol, November 2017

Reverting back to his normal reds, greys and blacks, Decay has really nailed this new addition to the Lane. It is also interesting how the piece has brought out the grille in the wall, which might otherwise have gone unnoticed. A lovely piece.

1027. Leonard Lane (12)

OK, so I know I have already posted this cheeky little rat before, but that was in North Street and this one is in my favourite Leonard Lane. I really am a bit dense sometimes…it has taken me until now to get the joke. The reference in the piece to Banksy relates to his signature rat that he used in many of his early works, and there is me thinking this was a squirrel. Thick, that’s me.

Chinagirl Tile, Leonard Lane, Bristol, August 2017
Chinagirl Tile, Leonard Lane, Bristol, August 2017

Chinagirl Tile really seems to get around Bristol when she comes for Upfest, which in my view is a pretty good thing. This rat is down the dingiest lane, the perfect spot for it, and will not have been seen or noticed by too many people. Still more to come from this brilliant ceramic specialist.

 

 

846. Leonard Lane (11)

Sirens is getting rather busy all over Bristol at the moment, and here is a recent piece that he produced in my favourite Bristol backwater, Leonard Lane. What to make of this piece?

Sirens, Leonard Lane, Bristol, June 2017
Sirens, Leonard Lane, Bristol, June 2017

What Sirens has done here is create a green space in a sea of messy graffiti. I believe it is metaphorical as well as physical and therefore has a double impact. Even more unexpected is that this is, so he says on his Instagram account, a six layered stencil and took a long time to do.

Sirens, Leonard Lane, Bristol, June 2017
Sirens, Leonard Lane, Bristol, June 2017

The abstract nature of this work is at complete odds with the chaos that surrounds it. A small green window of tranquility. It has an impressive impact on those that venture down this ancient lane.

829. Leonard Lane (10)

Since I first ‘found’ Leonard Lane about two years ago, I have been back many times to see if there is any new art down there. Sometimes I get lucky, and this was one of those occasions.

Unknown artist, Leonard Lane, Bristol, April 2017
Unknown artist, Leonard Lane, Bristol, April 2017

This is an unusual piece by an unknown artist (please let me know if you know who painted it), who seems to have used the narrow alleyway to practice some outdoor fine art. The reclining woman is nicely painted, but it is the face that steals it for me – really nicely done.

Unknown artist, Leonard Lane, Bristol, April 2017
Unknown artist, Leonard Lane, Bristol, April 2017

It seems incongruous placed alongside graffiti and tags, but somehow it enhances the piece somewhat. A bit like a DIY PichiAvo piece. I would love to know more about this unusual piece, but suspect it will remain a bit of a mystery.