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.
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.
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.
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’.
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.
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 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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I have been hanging on to these pictures for a long time now. They are a set of works that were drawn and pasted up by Jonesy for the Human Nature project in Leonard Lane in July 2015. These are harrowing drawings that highlight some of the perils threatening our environment and wildlife. There is a tortured feeling to these pictures.
Jonesy is probably better known for his sculptures, and I thoroughly recommend taking a look at some of his work on this Inspiring City website.
Each of these images is nightmarish and foreboding. Knowing what we know now about Trump and his intentions these warnings have even more potency about them.
Leonard Lane has become a bit tatty since the Human Nature project and it could really do with a Human Nature II project – nature fights back. Keeping my fingers crossed.
A trip down memory/Leonard Lane. Some of my earliest posts were from this incredible little alleyway that defines the boundary line of the old City. It is full of little treasures, and this is one of them. A beautiful bear by Stewy. This bear has suffered the indignity of having several additions scribbled on it, but thankfully was given a bit of a makeover a couple of months ago. It is not in pristine condition, but then again very little of the street art in Leonard Lane is.
Stewy is a master stencil artist who specialises in creating stencils of well known people, and in this street is a work he did of DJ Derek before he went missing and passed away. The lane is also strewn with a menagerie of Stewy animals, perched and placed along its length.
Inspired by Frankie Beane’s recent post featuring ATM I thought I would share some wildlife street art by the artist in the wonderful Leonard Lane. This thin lane that follows the boundary of the old city wall is festooned with natural history street art instigated by a project called ‘Human Nature‘. Some 18 artists including ATM and Stewy took part, and I have posted several works already in this blog.
My challenge was to demonstrate that ATM, although a specialist in painting birds, has also painted some stunning creatures, including this moth and beetle.
I stroll down Leonard Lane about once a week, hoping to see something new. Some of the works have been tagged and are getting a little ragged…maybe time for a revamp?
8/10
This rather beautiful and unusual piece by The Krah, is hidden away in the dark reaches of Leonard Lane. The Krah is a London-based artist/street artist, who was raised in Greece where he was a prolific graffiti artist during the 1990s.
He has a fabulous website that shows off his work, and is really well presented…well worth checking out. This piece is typical of many of his works and has that designed feel to it that can also be seen in Inkie’s and Zesk’s work.
A lovely and refreshing work.
The works in Leonard Lane never cease to surprise or challenge. I saw this today, and didn’t pay too much attention to it, then stumbled into a comedy double-take (fortunately nobody was watching).
To say that this street has a lot of experimental art/graffiti is an understatement. But this one has me intrigued. I don’t know the artist, and there are no signatures that I can make out.
The work has a backdrop of random graffiti, which I guess was there before. Overlaying it are four wheatpaste circles of decreasing sizes that have replica images that have been lifted from the backdrop. It is very clever, and has left me wondering how it was done.
Definitely one for Tate Modern.
8/10
Natural adventures 