M32 roundabout – Natural adventures

5273. M32 roundabout J3 (478)

Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

This is another busy and eclectic piece from Kid Krishna. An explosion of sub-conscious and conscious thought pinned to a framework of graffiti letters spelling CRIE. Kid Krishna really is a unique artist and interesting character, utterly absorbed in his artwork and constantly challenging his own ideas.

I was lucky enough to meet Kid Krishna just as he was starting this piece, and it is fascinating to see that his starting point was the hand in the centre. The hand and the character hint that the artist might have had a classical art education – the proportions and perspective are expertly painted.

The busy nature of the piece suggests that Kid Krishna has a busy mind, and his work reminds me a bit of Tom Miller’s brain dumps. There is always so much t look at and to try to work out. Lots more to come from Kid Krishna.

5270. M32 roundabout J3 (477)

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

Since the weather improved, which has been about a four-week spell now, this wall has been hit pretty hard with a high turnover of graffiti art, so you have to be on your toes if you want to see it all. Although I have missed several recent pieces here, I was lucky enough to see this absolute beauty by Hemper.

This piece of graffiti writing is indescribably good. Incredible colours, an outstanding 3D effect and stunning design combine to make this one of the best pieces I have seen this year. The letters HEMS are blasting out of the wall from a central vanishing point and smacking you around the face, forcing you to pay attention. One of the best from one of the best.

5214. M32 roundabout J3 (476)

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

‘Who duh fook is dat guy?’ asks Stivs whose portrait pieces are truly outstanding – who knew about this incredible versatility, when he was pretty much exclusively painting his calligraffiti pieces? This portrait piece has very quickly established itself as something of a classic and definitely stands out from the crowd.

I didn’t have any idea who was featured in the piece, that was until Paul H posted this piece on social media and helped me out with identification. It is Conor McGregor – UFC champion, which explains why I didn’t know. Although I like to think of myself as having my finger on the pulse, I am not a wrestling/UFC/boxing fan, it simply isn’t in my nature to watch alpha males (or females) knocking seven shades of sh*t out of each other for our entertainment. Great portrait piece though.

5210. M32 roundabout J3 (475)

Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Unfortunately, this wonderful and unusual piece by Mudra, didn’t last too long before being dogged. I simply don’t get some people and their determination to spoil other people’s work. I know that there are no real rules, especially on illegal walls, but a little bit of respect is always a good thing, and the rule of thumb is that if you are going to go over a piece, you should cover the whole thing, and preferably with something of equal or superior quality.

Mudra’s skull and patchwork of design elements give this piece something of a 1980s surreal look. I expect that there is quite a lot of symbolism in the piece, but I’m not too sure I can work it out. Mudra is one of Bristol’s busiest and most creative artists at the moment, and certainly seems to be enjoying himself this year.

5203. M32 roundabout (474)

Well, it has to be said that Hypo is absolutely smashing it at the moment. Not only is he painting more frequently than I can remember, but he is also raising his own personal bar with each new piece he creates, which I guess reinforces the idea that the more often you paint, the better you will get.

This fiery piece, once again has an attractive symmetry to it, which the letters HYPO somehow allow him to achieve. The letters are beautifully crafted with loads of accessory features, such as arrows and bars. The colour transitions are beautifully done, and the whole thing is really rather beautiful. This is another great piece from Hypo this year.

5198. M32 roundabout J3 (473)

Kosc, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Kosc is always on fire, whether it is his graffiti writing or his character pieces, he never disappoints. This is another outstanding piece of writing painted in day glow orange tones, a colour that he favours, but one that fades if left out inn the elements for too long.

The letters spell out Kosc and have his trademark ‘rivets’ in place at certain junctions in the lettering, making the whole thing look like a piece of metalwork. The transition of fill colours is exceptional, and the shading within each letter creates a fabulous 3D effect. I think that Kosc may have missed a bit of shading on the far left part of the letter ‘K’, a minor detail, but you can’t unsee it.

5194. M32 roundabout J3 (471)

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

In this piece, part of a recent paint jam on the St Paul’s side of the roundabout, we see Laic217 at his magnificent best. A rather evil looking skeleton is set on a fabulous backdrop of church windows in true horror film style, brandishing a gold medallion with the letter L for Laic.

As with all his pieces, the folds of the fabric of the skeleton’s robe are beautifully painted and convey a texture that many artists struggle to portray. Light and shade play a large part in Laic217’s work, creating depth and perspective. This is an outstanding piece from the master of skeletons.

5190. M32 roundabout J3 (470)

Rusk, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Rusk is a lovely bloke, and although I have to remind him who I am pretty much every time I meet him, he always makes time for a chat. I was in the right place at the right time when he and several other artists were having a bit of a paint jam on the St Paul’s side of the M32 roundabout. This was one of a really classy gallery of pieces.

Rusk has painted a graffiti writing and character combination with a little slogan and probable theme of ‘born to die’. The writing is, as always, first class and as neat and tidy as you’ll ever see. The metallic feel is worked hard with combinations of white and grey and clever highlights and stars. Along the top of the piece, the grim reaper is calling out to bypassing pedestrians and cyclists… you’re next. Beautiful work from Rusk.

5178. M32 roundabout J3 (469)

Hire, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

I was lucky enough to run into Hire and Cort when they were painting alongside each other on a rather lovely afternoon a week or two back. You don’t often get to see Hire’s work on this roundabout wall, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him painting there.

As I would always expect, his piece oozes quality and class. Set on a wonderful blue background, Hire has spelled out HIRE and added a wonderful angry bunny accompaniment. Just in passing, this photograph illustrates the weight of decades of paint that has been plastered on this wall and which ripples and bubbles – at some point large chunks of paint will tumble off the wall under its own weight.

The letters are outstanding, and their uniformity of design is touching on calligraffiti. Little puffy clouds are intertwined with the letters. Of course, Hire has given us the extra light of a bunny, that is like a mega-tag for the artist.

5168. M32 roundabout J3 (468)

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Street artists, like the rest of us, go through life cycles, where things like jobs, relationships, health, starting families and capacity have a major influence on pursuing their hobby/lifestyle. Some artists manage to paint through all the challenges they face, others will put down their spray cans for a while, and resume when things improve. Hypo, who for the last few years has been an ‘occasional’ painter, has upped his game of late and is creating some wonderful pieces that just seem to be getting better and better.

This is a lovely piece on the roundabout, incorporating a turquoise and orange colour combination that is made in heaven. I love the opposing symmetry of the Y and P letters, something that is a strong feature of Hypo’s work. I would say that I am really enjoying this revitalisation of form from Hypo and look forward to a summer of fabulous graffiti writing.

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