2697. At Werburghs tunnel (133)

I have been posting pieces by Ments for a few years now, and I consider him to be one of the most creative writers in Bristol. I say this because most of his work has an organic feel to it, but seldom are his pieces even remotely similar.

Ments, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020
Ments, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020

In this one, which was part of a collaborative paint with Sled One, Ments has gone with a mash up of angular spikey green shapes and metallic spheres. The overall effect is a bit peculiar and If I am honest this fusion needs a little bit more work. I can’t for the life of me see any writing resembling MENTS, but it is probably there somewhere. Great to see some early new year work from this fabulous artist.

2619. Upper York Street (19)

A stunning piece by Ments on a great wall. This whole area is being redeveloped, and I fear that the wall may have already been demolished, which is a real pity because it has hosted some really spectacular art. The reduction in available walls to paint in this area is going to be a bit of a challenge for street/graffiti artists and is a pattern being replicated all over the city. It will be interesting to see if new areas become popular painting spots in the future.

Ments, Upper York Street, Bristol, October 2019
Ments, Upper York Street, Bristol, October 2019

The piece is so very typical of Ments’ organic style, and this one has a molten metallic feel about it. The letters spell out MENTS (although the T looks like it is missing). I also get a slight sense of the surrealist Yves Tanguy here, or at least the meltinng shapes and shadows reminnd me of his work. A classy and unusual piece.

1919. Wilder Street (24)

This ‘wonder wall’ in Wilder Street is curated by Where the Wall, a Bristol street art tour business and as such it is rarely if ever tagged. It is almost like a showcase wall which guarantees high-quality artwork. The only downside is that the turnover here is glacially slow, maybe every six months or so.

Ments, Wilder Street, Bristol, December 2018
Ments, Wilder Street, Bristol, December 2018

This piece by Ments is one part of a three-piece collaborative wall which includes Sled One and Smak (to follow). Ments has appeared in Natural Adventures many times, but he seems recently to have had an epiphany and he is really branching out from his trademark ‘organic’ work. The writing spells out MENTS and is beautifully worked. The thing with Ments is that he often deviated from any kind of symmetry in his work and does not confine himself to exacting letter shapes or heights etc, which sometimes makes his work look a little out of proportion. I suspect this is deliberate. Lovely piece.

1807. M32 roundabout J3 (99)

In the past when I have posted work by Ments, I usually describe it as being ‘organic’ in nature, with lots of swirls and unusual shapes making up the letters of his name. In this piece however, we see something quite different. What is interesting about this is that If he had used different letters for this piece, I would not have been able to identify the artist. Conversely, if he changed the letters on his regular style, I would still be able to identify the work from the shapes, tones and colours used.

Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2018
Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2018

This particular piece is easy on the eye and shows us a different side to the talents of the artist. I will be interested to see if he does more of this kind of work in future.

 

 

1781. Thomas Street (2)

On the same recently erected hoarding in Thomas Street where Sled One sprayed his banana piece, is this wonderful organic piece of wildstyle writing from Ments. Normally Ments writes his name, but this piece is so cryptic that although I suspect it says his name I can’t quite make it out, other than an S at the end.

Ments, Thomas Street, Bristol, October 2018
Ments, Thomas Street, Bristol, October 2018

I have always liked the work of Ments because it is so different from pretty much all the rest of the writers in Bristol, usually adopting this mystical, swirly, other-worldly style. His colours often incorporate these purples and oranges. The note ‘Save Hamilton House’ refers to a campaign to protect a building just across the other side of the main road which is at risk of demolition and redevelopment. There are many local studios for artists and the like in Hamilton House and redevelopment would break up this very tight community in Stokes Croft.

1769. Brunel Way bridge (10)

Alongside a rather magnificent Sled One piece i posted a little while back is this really unusual work from Ments. I haven’t seen much of his work for a while, so it was great to find this. In the past I have described his work as ‘organic’ in its form, but this piece represents quite a departure from his previous work.

Ments, Brunel Way Bridge, Bristol, September 2018
Ments, Brunel Way Bridge, Bristol, September 2018

There is a modernist feel to this piece, abstract surrealism almost and I rather like it. The writing spells out MENTS as it does in most of his work, but this time it is a little more legible. The colour selections are quite unusual but seem to work pretty well on this bright red background. More to come soon from Ments.

1559. Upper York Street (12)

I really like the work of Ments and this is a really great example of his organic writing style. It takes a little while to get your eye in, but look carefully enough and you can clearly make out the letters ‘M E N T S’ and once you see it, it is difficult not to see it.

Ments, Upper York Street, Bristol, October 2016
Ments, Upper York Street, Bristol, October 2016

His work is quite unique in Bristol and therefore really easy to spot when you see it. Once again, I’m not sure why this piece has been languishing in my archive for so long, but at least I have posted it now. It was originally painted adjacent to a wonderful Sled One piece and both pieces were of the highest quality from this ASK pair.

1511. M32 roundabout J3 (81)

I haven’t seen any work from Ments for quite a while, so it was great to see this piece which was recently painted as part of the ASK crew paint jam. His work is quite different from other writers, having this rather organic feel to it, rather than the harsher straight lines and angles associated with most block writing.

Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018
Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018

The letters spell out MENTS, but it is difficult to make it out. I think this is a wonderful piece, but I feel that a little more prep work on the wall would have made it stand out even more. The piese was opainted the day before I took the picture, and the suitcase in front of it belongs to Sled One, whose piece I will feature soon.

1160. M32 roundabout J3 (53)

It has been some time since I last saw anything by Ments, so it was fantastic to come across this fine piece recently that was sprayed as part of an ASK paint jam. The wall was given a great backwash of grey-green, and several excellent works produced.

Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017
Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017

Ments has a wonderful organic style to his wildstyle writing, which spells out MENTS…although I struggle to see all those letters. The colour selections are fabulous and work so very well against the backdrop.

Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017
Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017

This is an outstanding piece and welcome return from Ments.

830. M32 Roundabout j3 (39)

I was lucky enough to meet Ments at the Graffiti Nation exhibition opening evening at the Upfest shop in April. As with all other graffiti artists, he looked nothing like the image I had conjured up in my mind. It is interesting what assumptions we are capable of making before actually meeting a person.

Ments, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2017
Ments, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2017

Ments came to Bristol but is originally from East Anglia, and if street art is your thing, it is probably an obvious move to make. This piece is of such a high quality and showcases the organic feel he gives to his work.

Ments, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2017
Ments, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2017

This wildstyle writing is complex, but look carefully and you might be able to make out the letters MENTS. His work is so distinctive and seems to improve from piece to piece.