Tag: M32

2913. M32 cycle path (58)

This is a gorgeous piece of block lettering on the M32 cycle path from Dott Rotten. I took the photograph on 30 March 2019, and the photo label is ‘Brexit Day’. How my heart still bleeds about the unbelievably bad decision our country has taken, now amplified by the need to work together following the coronavirus outbreak. I suspect our folly (or otherwise) will be scrutinised by our grandchildren, by which time we might have recovered from the economic shock.

Dot Rotten, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2019
Dot Rotten, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2019

Meanwhile, this beautiful piece is expertly sprayed and demonstrates the crossover between graphic design and spray painting. Dott Rotten has used the brick lines to get the proportions of his letters correct, but this piece excels in its 3D letter depth off to the bottom right and the block letter shadow off to the bottom left. Take a good long look to see how this works. A nice clean piece and something a little different.

2899. M32 cycle path (57)

Aah, it is so easy to forget how bright and shiny (or shite and briney as an old colleague of mine used to say) this collaboration was when it was painted. Its quality has stood the test of time and it remained untouched for a very long spell – I think it has finally been painted over.

Dot Rotten, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018
Dot Rotten, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018

The collaboration on the M32 cycle path from 2018 was painted by Dot Rotten (SPOILT), Sled One and Smak. Dot Rotten is an artist Idon’t think I have posted before, but while I have been going through my archive recently I have spotted quite a few of his pieces, so expect more in the coming days/weeks.

Sled One, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018
Sled One, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018

Sled One has done here what Sled One does everywhere and that is turned out a high-quality character piece with great panache and style. The skull s beautifully drafted and has an animated humour about it. A nice touch to have an ASK speech bubble coming out of the cigarette.

Smak, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018
Smak, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018

On the right hand side of the collaboration is a clean, crisp and straight forward Smak piece which stands out from the wall thanks to the yellow outline and bright highlight spots. The whole collaboration has been painted on a shared background and colour selections and was a welcoming sight on this stretch of cycle path.

2894. M32 cycle path (56)

Oh what a beauty from Rezwonk on the M32 cycle path. I think that the most prolific artists are at greater risk of having work that I struggle to post. One of the reasons for this is that I like to present a representative spectrum of the street/graffiti in Bristol and so if an artist paints three walls in a week, I will reserve a couple of them to post at a later date… this is a later date, a much later date.

Rezwonk, M32 cycle path, Bristol, April 2019
Rezwonk, M32 cycle path, Bristol, April 2019

I really love this piece, the colours, the letter style and the details. Set on a flame-coloured background of Rezwonk ‘R’ tags, the letters are supported with a deep 3D shadow that seems to have a vanishing point somewhere behind the ‘Z’. The finishing touches of cracks in some of the letters adds even more interest to the whole thing. Classy.

2884. M32 roundabout J3 (205)

Back to more familiar territory with this absolute stunner from Hemper at the M32 from March 2016. Although it is obvious now to see the letters HEMS, at the time I took these pictures I was less familiar with Bristol artists and in particular the wildstyle writers, so I probably didn’t post this beauty because I didn’t know the artist,

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2016
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2016

I cannot begin to articulate just how good this piece is. The letter style is outstanding, but it is the horizontally graded fills with drips and dots that makes this piece special for me. A very classy piece from a top Bristol artist.

2867. M32 roundabout J3 (204)

Right, so we are going to return to the now for a little while, after a short Covid-19 induced excursion through the archives. This recent piece from Smak at the M32 roundabout is really clever.

Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2020
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2020

The overall effect looks like it has been partially scrubbed by some ‘do gooder’ trying to clean the wall, but it is designed to look like this, which when you consider it, is quite amazing. Clearly recognisable as Smak’s work, his style and class shine through in this original lock down piece.

2852. M32 cycle path (55)

A contemporary stencil from John D’oh on the M32 cycle path was completed shortly before the lock down and mocks the insane and irrational panic buying for toilet roll that obsessed the nation. In my lifetime I’ve not seeen anything like it. In one shop I went to in the early period of this madness I saw a woman send her young son to run into the shop as it opened and grab a couple of large multi-packs – I shouldn’t think they’ve even got through a quarter of it yet. There’s nowt as queer as folk as they would say in Yorkshire.

John D'oh, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2020
John D’oh, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2020

I haven’t seen much from John D’oh since the Cheltenham Paint festival so this was a rather pleasant surprise in a spot that I woudn’t ordinarily associate with him. In this commentary piece he brings together his slightly caustic wit and stencil skills to present us with a retro family, fully masked, clutching their trophies as if this were quite a normal situation. This piece reminds me of the satirical cartoonist Glen Baxter, which is a compliment indeed.

2850. M32 roundabout J3 (203)

There is no question about it, I have seen a whole ton more work by Hemper in the last six months than I have over the previous five years. He seems to be free to paint more regularly for whatever reason. Unfortunately nobody can escape the Covid-19 lockdown and his productivity might be dented for a little while.

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2020
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2020

This is an all-round crowd pleaser with nice colours, gently curved letters and some very pretty fills. Clearly this is the work of a highly experienced graffiti artist and there is an ease and self-confidence about it.

2837. M32 roundabout J3 (202)

Looking back to June 2019 and this rather different offering from Mr Penfold. Those who frequently visit Natural Adventures may be more familiar with his highly designed pieces with ‘liquorice allsort’ colours, often commissions, that adorn many a Bristol shop front.

Mr Penfold, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Mr Penfold, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

I didn’t know Mr Penfold did these character paintings, and this particular one probably remained in the archive due to being unsure who the artist was. How daft am I?… it couldn’t be much clearer, with the writing ‘PENNY’ slapped across the piece. It demonstrates that the human condition is to see what we expect to see and anything that falls outside our assumptions is at risk of being discarded. A more forensic approach might be needed. Love this unusual piece.

2836. M32 roundabout J3 (201)

If there are any silver linings to the Covid-19 pandemic, and I say this fully recognising the horror that faces us all, one would have to be that Mother Earth can take a breather from carbon outputs, chronically stifling air quality, disturbance of species and habitats and rabid consumption that we have all become so accustomed to… a temporary turning down of the global dial. Another silver lining is that with fewer opportunities to photograph street art and fewer pieces being painted, I have an opportunity to delve into my archive and bring you some wonderful work that has been dormant on my computer files for a while. This is a resource I will be dipping into for as long as it takes. A trip down memory lane.

Bad Taste, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Bad Taste, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

First up from June last year is this rat piece from Bad Tast, an artist I posted about not too long ago showing a collaboration with Soap in St Werburghs Tunnel. I don’t know if Bad Taste sprays anything other than rats, but it is an accomplished piece and practiced style and a welcome addition to Bristol street art.

Soap and Bad Taste, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2019
Soap and Bad Taste, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2019

2828. M32 cycle path (54)

Ryder has stamped his moniker all over Bristol, either with the letters RYDER or with his ‘R’ character. Because his work is everywhere, it is sometimes difficult to know whether you have already photographed a piece or not, and that was the case with this one on the M32 cycle path. While I might have photographed it, I haven’t posted it until now.

Ryder, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2020
Ryder, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2020

The obvious thing to comment upon is the dynamic and free-form fill that Ryder has used – not solid, but rather more organic, like the kind of fills you might see from Ugar (what’s happend to him recently?). The whole thing is unusually subtle from Ryder, but look closely and you’ll see that it is a real gem.