1004. The Bearpit (89)

I took these pictures a while ago, but have always had the intention of posting them. First though I had to do a bit of homework. The piece appeared in The Bearpit back in January 2017, and was not by any of the artists I am familiar with.

The work itself is on the face of it quite simple, featuring a key, a knife, a feather and some twigs. Once you step back, you will notice the whole thing spells out LOVE…there is a lot of thought and symbolism in this and it is a much more complex piece than one might think on first inspection.

Riky Boy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
Riky Boy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

The colours of the piece , whether accidental or deliberate, are significant because the red white and green are the colours of the Italian flag and the artist Riky Boy comes from Milan. I am guessing he was passing through Bristol and left us a present, because I haven’t seen any of his work here since.

Looking at his Instagram account, it would seem that the ‘key’ motif is one he uses a lot, and would appear to have some deeper significance for the artist. I find this work and other pieces I have seen online rather intriguing. Riky Boy’s style is quite unique and raw, but there is a great deal of emotion and intellegence behind his work. A really satisfying find.

Once loved

 

Through the mist of time

thoughts of you evaporate

into the ether.

 

by Scooj

788. The Bearpit (70)

This is the second paste up by qWeRT that I have posted in recent days, and it is right in the middle of The Bearpit, but I’ll wager most people who pass through won’t even have spotted it. Another wonderfully happy piece, with a bug-eyed character holding up uits hands and creating a heart shape. Simple but pleasing.

qWeRT, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017
qWeRT, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017

I really like qWeRT’s work that has started to appear in Bristol. I am guessing that the artist visits from time to time, and lays down a trail of  wheatpastes probably in one session – if you get lucky, like I did, you might find several of them in a single linear walk.

qWeRT, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017
qWeRT, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017

A really welcome visitor to the streets of Bristol. You might just be able to see that has been placed in front of the Cheba and SPZero76 pieces.

First love

.

We were lovers once

those affections did not last

but they were not lost. 

.

by Scooj

696. The Bearpit (52)

It is always great to see a new Tom Miller piece, and this is a wall he has favoured in the past. I can’t keep up with this particular wall, and have some pieces that have never made it to the blog. Maybe if I was retired…

Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017
Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017

This work has all the hallmarks of a Miller piece; body parts bursting with a suffusion of colour and ‘imaginite’ – the way thoughts might look if they could be painted. There is a little story going on here, chasing after love perhaps. I would like to think it is a happy picture and not a morose or sad one. I really am a big fan of Tom Miller’s work.

Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017
Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017

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

Human need

 

When all’s said and done

there is only one thing; we

just want to be loved.

 

by Scooj

622. Upfest 2016 (92)

Gemma Compton was selected as the featured artist for Upfest 2016, and her work appeared on all the promotional material for the festival, including the maps, programmes, digital social media and even the painting a mural on the Upfest shop.

Gemma Compton, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Gemma Compton, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Having put in all the hard work she was rewarded with a nice white wall to work on, and she produced this fine piece in collaboration with Copyright.

Gemma Compton, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Gemma Compton, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I saw her busy at work on the piece, which took longer than the two days to complete, but I didn’t stop to chat, as I guessed she might have had enough interruptions over the two days. I regret that now, but I’m sure she’ll be back this year.

Gemma Compton and Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Gemma Compton and Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

The other half of this collaboration, Copyright,  is also no stranger to street art in Bristol and I have featured his work several times on this blog before. Gemma painted the left hand side of the heart, and Copyright the right. They are partners and this heart is a lovely way to mark their relationship.

Gemma Compton, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Gemma Compton, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Their styles are different, but complement each other well. One thing in common is that the subjects of both artists are pretty much always female. A nice piece…pity about the car parked in front.

Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

618. M32 cycle path (4)

Ok, I’ll admit it, I am having a bit of a thing about Laic217’s work at the moment, and it won’t stop here. We see him once again experimenting with a figure distorted behind broken glass. There is a story here, the heart shape in the hole in the glass betrays that much. Laic’s faces and figures inhabit that territory between realism and cartoon, very much the province of street artists, where walls and boards provide the canvass.

Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2017
Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2017

This is a haunting piece, and lacks the humour and lightheartedness of many of his pieces, but it is intriguing and different and sets itself apart. Not to everyone’s taste I am sure, but I so much enjoy finding his works.

Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2017
Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2017

No prizes for spotting the rather nice 3Dom eye character adjacent to this piece.

Your face

 

My memories fade

and nothing lasts forever;

I can’t revive you.

 

by Scooj