Mind 49 – Page 2 – Natural adventures

6080. Cumberland Basin

Mind 49, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024

There is an artist in Bristol whose steady progress over the last year or two has elevated him to a high status, and deservedly so. Mind 49 has been painting from an early age, and his development has been a joy to witness, and now he is turning out outstanding pieces on a regular basis. He seems to have found his style and his work reflects a greater confidence.

This is one of a few recent pieces that showcase Mind 49’s portrait style, in which he practically always obscures part or most of the face either by its orientation or the use of clothing or accessories, like these sunglasses. Because of this his portraits feel more grounded, and less posed than some portrait pieces that we see. Brilliant zip by the way. This one is so much better in ‘the flesh’ because my photographs are a little washed out, which can happen on this wall in the afternoon/early evening light. Keep watching this space for a whole lot more from Mind 49.

6033. Lawrence Hill roundabout (18)

Mind 49, Lawrence Hill roundabout, Bristol, April 2024

Lawrence Hill roundabout is a spot that is a little off the beaten track, and most of the graffiti down there is average at best, with a lot of bombers and taggers getting in some practice. Decent pieces tend not to last too long in a pristine state, but having said that turnover is pretty slow. I was therefore privileged on a recent speculative visit to find this beauty from Mind 49.

It has been wonderful to watch Mind 49’s development from a young artist at Upfest 17 when he was a youthful 16 year old painting under the name Mind Control. This piece follows the theme of concealed portraits that he has been painting in which parts of the face are obscured by hoods or glasses or other things and in this case by the fact that the subject is looking away. This style leaves more to the viewer’s imagination and is quite unusual in the street art world. This is a really wonderful piece tucked away from the more common spots.

Mind Control, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

6018. M32 Cycle path (265)

Mind 49 and Wxttsart, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2024

Regular readers may be experiencing ‘déjà vu’ on seeing this fine collaboration from Wxttsart and Mind 49, as they have overwritten and incorporated elements of their last collaboration on this exact spot, and the unobservant might have missed the ‘update’ altogether.

The ‘old’ work is the purple and cream script by Wxttsart running through the middle of the piece which has a clever ‘ripped wallpaper’ look to it and has been augmented with fresh writing at the top and bottom of the piece that appears to spell out MYLK, (milk being Wxttsart’s moniker). The portrait, by Mind 49, is rather larger than its predecessor and beautifully executed. Mind 49 manages to paint informal portraits in a photorealistic style while retaining a softness about them, and this is a prime example. Both artists have combined (again) perfectly to create this striking collaboration piece.

Wxttsart and Mind 49, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2024

5945. Sparke Evans Park (92)

Mind 49 and Fino, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2024

There was a good turnout for the LRS paint jam in Sparke Evans Park last month, with some really good pieces, including this collaborative work from Mind 49 and Fino (previously referred to as 3F Fino in Natural Adventures). The two totally different styles and subject matter of these two artists have combined really well.

Mind 49, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2024

Mind 49 is consistently turning out some outstanding portrait pieces at the moment, and pushing himself to continue refining and improving his work. I understand that his subjects are randomly selected images, and therefore represent anonymity. His style is edging towards photorealism although the textures of his artwork look very much like brush strokes. Great stuff.

Fino, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2024

It would appear that Fino has awoken from his winter slumbers and is starting to paint a little more now, and I was lucky enough to meet him a short while ago while painting with Tao Create on the M32 Cycle path. I thought that he might have moved away, but far from it… just a winter rest. The colours he has chosen for his FINO letters are exquisite, and the fills and borders are beautifully neat and tidy. This is a simple and attractive piece and a great counterbalance to Mind 49’s portrait piece.

5916. Cumberland Basin

Mind 49, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2024

It seems that as soon as I post a piece by Mind 49, I get to photograph another one, such is the rate at which he is painting at the moment. His portrait pieces always have a sense of mystery about them, with the faces often being partially obscured. He leaves much to the imagination, which is clever stuff really, and which reminds me a little of Caro Pepe’s approach to her art.

This is a writing/portrait combination which is really striking in its orange and red colouring. I am not sure that the portrait is of anyone specific, and in his Instagram feed Mind 49 says that this was ‘experimenting’. Well it seems to have been a successful experiment from what I can see. More to come soon.

5883. Greenbank (110)

Mind 49, Greenbank, Bristol, February 2024

Mind 49 is establishing himself as something of a new force in Bristol street art and graffiti writing, expanding his range and pushing boundaries with every new piece he creates. He is perhaps better known for his portrait pieces, that seem to capture the subject in an unconventional pose, but he has been working on his writing too recently.

This recent piece, on the ever-diminishing hoarding which borders the Chocolate Factory development, demonstrates perfectly Mind 49’s writing style. Spelling out MInD, the letters are beautifully filled with a beautifully selected set of soft colours, which abut with one another with lines, stars and circles. Great drop-shadows, borders and decorations finish the job off nicely. We are lucky to have Mind 49 hitting a bit of a purple patch… long may it last.

5865. Church Road

Mind 49, Church Road, Bristol, February 2024

Hoardings are irresistible to street artists, graffiti writers and taggers alike. They provide a safe and clean canvas, temporary in nature, for spray paint creativity, and Mind 49 has grabbed the opportunity to decorate this hoarding in Church Road with both hands. Mind 49 is making a big impact on the street art scene in Bristol, and his portrait pieces in particular are turning heads all over the city. I am guessing from the frequency of his new work that he must have moved to the city, or in the neighbouring area.

Mind Control, Church Road, Bristol, February 2024

The portrait is really striking, and his style is fascinating. It is not photorealistic, but is representative. His can control though has a paint brush quality that is softer than the harsh crispness of photorealism. This is a really great piece, and he appears to improve each time he hits a wall. I am looking forward to seeing where he takes us in 2024.

5756. Picton Lane (16)

Mind 49, Picton Lane, Bristol, December 2023

It was dark when I took these pictures. I had been doing a little Christmas food shopping in the wonderful Italian delicatessen C&T Licata and Son Ltd in Picton Street, just around the corner. I figured I’d walk home via Picon Lane, just on the off chance that there might be something there that I hadn’t seen before, and was rewarded with this amazing Mind 49 piece alongside Kosc.

The light conditions are a little poor, but the quality of the piece from Mind 49 is clear to see. He has painted a fabulous transition halfway along the frog where it changes from full colour to chrome and grey, while maintaining the patterning and depth. The piece is rounded off with a nice big chrome 49 and an interesting patterned green background. I daresay the whole thing looks rather better in the daylight, but I don’t pass by this way all that often and thought I’d post these pictures rather than delay.

5746. M32 Cycle path (245)

This collaboration is one panel of an end of year paint jam on the M32 Cycle path, parts of which have hosted some outstanding pieces in 2023. This piece brings together the styles of two incredibly different artists, Mind 49 and Wxttsart (recently rebranded as Whatsxmilk).

The unmistakable anti-style calligraffiti from Wxttsart spells ‘Mindout’, a clear reference to his painting partner. The letters are beautifully constructed and consistent in form, and this writing is a little more conventional than some of his work. The contrast with Mind 49s portrait couldn’t be more marked.

There is something slightly elusive about much of Mind 49s portraits, a vagueness that allows the imagination to fill the gaps. There is an absence of sharp focus, so often found in photorealism, that makes Mind 49s pieces so special. The subject’s features are partly obscured by the shadow of the cap, adding some mystery to the piece. The folds in the material of the cap are beautifully worked. This is a fine piece and fine collaboration. A great way to end 2023.

5678. M32 roundabout J3 (532)

Mind49, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023 — Mind 49, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023

Well this one took me a little bit by surprise, because it is a piece of graffiti writing from Mind 49 who doesn’t usually major on his writing, in fact I think this is the first writing only piece I have seen from this talented artist. Some of his portrait and other pieces have included a few letters, but nothing on this scale.

Everything that you’d expect to see from a good graffiti writer is here… nice letter shapes, great colours and fills. The only thing that I think he needs to work on, and I am being super-picky, might be his outer border, which can be really unforgiving if the line is very thin. All in all, great to see something different from Mind 49, although, to be fair, all of his work is different from piece to piece. The piece fits a time context, with the ‘Free Palestine’ shout out.

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