Tag: M32 roundabout

5553. M32 roundabout J3 (515)

Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023
Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023

As a rule, Mudra usually paints alongside other artists and it has been a long time since I found a piece that he painted alone… until I came across this one last month. The piece is carefully placed around the southern tunnel entrance on the M32 roundabout, where the River Frome emerges from its culvert.

Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023
Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023

In painting around this corner, Mudra has had to remove the posters that blight this area, doing us all a favour in the process (although a quick trip to the bin might have been in order). Mudra has painted his letters in a subtle blend of colours from bronze to rose to grey/white, an unusual combination that looks quite spectacular. The centrepiece is the skull, taking the place of the letter ‘D’, which has been really well observed and recreated. Sometimes skulls just don’t look like skulls, but this one looks pretty anatomically correct from what I can see. A smoking cigar has been added for additional effect. This is an unusual and unexpected piece from the brilliantly creative Mudra.

5545. M32 roundabout J3 (514)

 

Benjimagnetic, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023
Benjimagnetic, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023

I have spent the morning thus far cleaning up the moderate mess left behind after Miss Scooj’s 19th birthday party – a few friends over before clubbing. As any parent will be heard to say many times in their lives ‘where did all the time go?’. Feeling very old today.

Helping to keep me as young as I can be is the love I have for street/graffiti art, and far from being a bind, writing this blog keeps me inspired, invigorated and happy.

Benjimagnetic, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023
Benjimagnetic, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023

Benjimagnetic is keeping his work ticking over with the occasional piece here and there and this recent one on the M32 roundabout is a fairly calm and modest piece. Sometimes his work is busy and frenetic, but he has gone back to basics with this one. The letters spell out BEN, although perhaps somewhat disguised, with green fills and a skilfully worked yellow border/drop shadow. The vertical lines in purple and pinks add interest, without which the piece might be unexceptional. A lovely sober piece from Benjimagnetic.

5518. M32 roundabout J3 (513)

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023

I think I have COVID. I am not well at all and not really in the mood for writing blog posts, but I have a rhythm, and don’t like to interrupt it. It is amazing just how much COVID has disrupted our lives, not only with the illness and suffering it brought with it, but the battles between sectors of society around anti-vax and conspiracy theories about big pharma etc. The pandemic appears only to have divided us, or at least influencers and politicians have jumped onto the back of ‘wedge’ issues with glee to suit their own agendas. Surely the focus should be on mourning the dead, caring for the sick and creating a better more functional society.

It almost feels like a dream, when lockdowns were in place, and we all wore face masks, what a crazy period in our history. One of the upsides to the pandemic and lockdown is that some street artists, made good use of their out of work time to paint and paint, and one of those was Hemper. Since things have returned to normal, Hemper’s productivity has dropped and we only see occasional pieces from him these days.

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023

This is one of those rare pieces and what an absolute banger it is too. The joyfully colourful letters spell out Hems, but are very well disguised. Hemper has painted a beauty with extraordinary blended fills, some of which bleed beyond the borders of the letters. The whole thing feels very organic, almost alive. Simply put, this is an outstanding piece of wildstyle writing from one of the very best in Bristol.

5512. M32 roundabout (512)

Hiccup (Bloem), M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Hiccup (Bloem), M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

Although this is the fourth piece I have posted by Hiccup (Bloem), it was actually the second one I photographed, and at the time of capturing it, I don’t think I knew who it was by, so it drifted into the dark depths of my archive. On seeing more of her work and locating her Instagram account(s) I was able to identify and start posting her work.

Hiccup (Bloem), M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Hiccup (Bloem), M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

The photographs are terrible, and at certain times of day, if the sun is shining, this stretch of wall can be near impossible to photograph without a certain amount of flaring. Stupidly, I never returned to get some better pictures, so this is it I’m afraid. There are some recurring themes in this piece – a flower with a wire for a stem and speakers for petals, and a hand with pointy nails. Hiccup is a very creative lady and as well as her street art, she makes jewellery and paints nails. I am so looking forward to seeing what she comes up with in future.

5502. M32 roundabout J3 (511)

Mr Crawls, M32 roundabout, Bristol, Agust 2023
Mr Crawls, M32 roundabout, Bristol, Agust 2023

Mr Crawls’ work is always a pleasure to find, but not only that, there is a sense of fun with each of his bird characters, and the effect his pieces have on me is similar to the sensation I get when I find anything by Mr Underbite. Their concepts, although with different characters, have many similarities, and both present their heroes with a certain amount of pathos.

Mr Crawls, M32 roundabout, Bristol, Agust 2023
Mr Crawls, M32 roundabout, Bristol, Agust 2023

I am a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to photograph this one a little sooner because it has been tagged a little and it looks like some posters were plastered over the top of it too. This character is a goose wearing a rather warm looking hat. I imagine that the goose is resting from a cold weather migration – he reminds me a little of a WWII pilot, if you know what I mean. Nicely conceived and painted – lots more from the artist in my archives.

5500. M32 roundabout J3 (510)

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023

As I said in the last post, today is a very busy day, so this is a short one. Face 1st for me is one of the most distinctive faces of Bristol street art. His style embodies the city, and is unlike anything I have seen in other parts of the country. I firmly believe that regions of the country have ‘house’ styles, as do different countries, and for me Face 1st is key to the Bristol style.

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023

This fun piece takes the form of a laughing (toothy) girl with big hair spelling FACE, a meme that Face 1st paints a lot. Fabulous work from the tireless artist, as always.

5487. M32 roundabout (509)

Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023
Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023

An occasional visitor to Bristol, Minto is always very welcome, as the pieces he leaves behind are always out of the top drawer. This one painted alongside Hemper and others, a week or two back is really rather different and a total banger.

Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023
Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023

I’m not sure what this is all about, but there are three main components to this piece. The first and most obvious is the VW camper van, with a character sitting in the passenger seat, leaning out of the window. The camper van alone would have been more than enough to satisfy my interest. However, Minto has added a second component of some graffiti writing in the same orientation as the van, spelling out his name with a cracking style and colours. Finally, and slightly out of place with the whole thing Minto has painted a Wylie Coyote cartoon character. I’m not sure that the character adds much but it is fun nonetheless. Perhaps he was simply using up a bit of paint, as it looks a little crudely painted. Minto is an artist who will always be welcome in Bristol.

5484. M32 roundabout J3 (508)

Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023
Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023

Pekoe has undergone something of a step change in her work this year, making a bold decision to start concentrating on her letters and moving a little away from her portraits. A part of me is a little saddened by this, because I love her portraits, however I am also excited that she is developing her writing, which usually incorporates a small portrait within it, such as in this piece.

Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023
Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023

The first thing that jumps out at you about this piece is the happy and colourful design. Some of the colour is picked up from the piece she has overwritten, but somehow they blend rather nicely. Pekoe’s blue full capital letters spell PEKOE, with the ‘O’ being replaced with a slightly sad/grumpy looking portrait (it’s in the mouth), are nicely filled with shapes and symbols we associate with her work. I am looking forward to seeing where this change in direction takes us.

5473. M32 roundabout J3 (506)

Sled One, M32 roundbout, Bristol, August 2023
Sled One, M32 roundbout, Bristol, August 2023

I would have to say that seeing new artwork pretty much every day of my life fills me with deep pleasure, but there are some artists that max out that feeling and one of them is Sled One. Possibly better known for his wild and surreal character pieces, Sled One is a fantastically accomplished graffiti writer too, as this piece on the roundabout demonstrates.

Sled One, M32 roundbout, Bristol, August 2023
Sled One, M32 roundbout, Bristol, August 2023

I guess the thing that stands out in this beautifully crafted piece is the fill in the letters SLED1. To me the fill looks like an old stone wall with a choppy sea alongside. Whatever it is meant to be, what is remarkable is that it is contiguous throughout the letters, creating a scene to be viewed through the letters. Some mint-green flashes add further interest. This is a masterful piece of writing from one of Bristol’s best.

You can view a gallery of Sled One’s extraordinary work here

5464. M32 roundabout J3 (505)

Hiccup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023
Hiccup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023

I saw this gorgeous piece a little while ago, but kept it on file until I found out who it was by. It turns out that it is by Hiccup (Bloem) who is a rising star in the Bristol street/graffiti art scene and whose works are popping up all over the place. There is something very special about the red/grey/white/black combination of colours that works exceptionally well, and which Decay built his early works on, to great effect.

Hiccup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023
Hiccup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023

The piece in Hiccup’s Instagram is called Speaker Flowerz, and in doing so says what it is. The piece is creative, striking and nice and clean. For an artist who has only recently been painting walls, Hiccup has hit the ground running and fast becoming one of my favourite new artists. This piece is right up my street, and I am very much looking forward to seeing what new creations she comes up with.