Tag: Moon Street

2232. Moon Street (71)

For the last 11 years there has been a rather mad festival centered around the Stokes Croft area called RaveOnAvon. It is frankly a bit of a booze, drugs and music party that is focussed on three or four live music venues but spills out onto the streets from dusk until dawn. You simply would not believe the mess the following morning. The links between graffiti art and the Bristol music scene are close, and this rather funky piece by Jaksta rather emphasises the point.

Jaksta, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019
Jaksta, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019

You know you are getting old when one of your children actually goes to an event such as this one. I didn’t ask too many questions. Jaksta, a member of the RAW crew, is a brilliant character artist and creates these wonderful exaggerated bodies ina cartoon style that never disappoints. It is also great to see something decent appear on this particular bit of hoarding, because recently it has been a bit trashy.

This was the last RaveOnAvon ever, because most of the music venues’ days are numbered. They are due to be demolished soon to make way for… da da daah… student accommodations. Gentrification will rob us of a major strand of Bristol culture and provide housing, not for those that really need it, but for the ever-growing student population in Bristol. Of course, students need to live somewhere, but I fear this particular growth bubble will burst, and maybe then affordable housing will become available.

2222. Moon Street (70)

Rezwonk is another street artist who seems to have found an extraordinary energy level this year, developing his writing in spots all over Bristol. This time he has produced a rather nice solo piece, but in recent weeks he has painted a lot in collaboration with Decay.

Rezwonk, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019
Rezwonk, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019

Here he spells out REZER, an obvious shortening of his ‘name’. It is an interesting moniker because the letters are quite harsh in capital form, lots of straight lines, in contrast for example with my own SCOOJ, which is much more curvy. I wonder if the names are directly or indirectly responsible for the development of a style… very probably.

This is a nice piece of writing, which sets me up nicely for a new piece of his that I photographed yesterday in Dean Lane that is outstanding, and which I will post in due course.

2221. Moon Street (69)

I don’t know much about DNT, and have met him only the one time, but recently he has been very busy on the streets indeed and this is just one of several new pieces decorating the Stokes Croft area. DNT appears to be a creature of habit and rarely seems to paint in some of the other popular spots around the city, instead seeming to prefer his own neighbourhood.

DNT, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019
DNT, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019

This face is in typical DNT style. Highly colourful, and the whole piece being made up of elements or segments which on their own don’t appear to be recognisable, but when presented as a whole make up a fine picture. I really rather like this piece which has plenty of interest, but also has something mysterious or even absent, if that makes any sense at all.

2218. Moon Street (68)

Aah… Moon Street, one of the last remaining strongholds for street/graffiti art in the Stokes Croft area. Gentrification has arrived and is accelerating and it won’t be too long before most of these walls are gone and replaced with yet more student accommodations. The entire city is being overrun with these, surely the bubble has to burst at some point.

Anyhow, here we have quite an unusual and rather lovely little piece by Face 1st in one of his favoured spots.

Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019
Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019

I think that this might have been a bit of a practice, because since he painted this apple in Moon Street, I have seen it (on Instagram) as part of a collaboration elsewhere in Bristol… I must hunt it down, one of many that I haven’t yet found. Face 1st’s characteristic girl’s face is incorporated as part of an apple which appears to have been sliced and has ‘stuff’ brains maybe falling out. A slightly macabre scene and unusual for Face 1st who normally paints such charming faces. Nice to see him pushing the boundaries.

2165. Moon Street (67)

A highly unusual piece in Moon Street by DNT on the wall where his three-eyed cat used to be. I met DNT (Dante) for the first time just as he was finishing this piece off. Like several street artists that I am acquainted with, he has a larger than life personality and didn’t seem to mind too much chatting about the piece. He said he wasn’t too happy with the the colour scheme and was suggesting that he had run out of a particular colour.

DNT, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2019
DNT, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2019

The copper tones remind me of a large tribute piece he did in The Bearpit a few months ago. It almost looks like two discrete works, the copper surround with soft lines and patterns and in the centre a red and yellow heart in a much more blocky style. Here DNT is showing his love for BS1. A nice piece, but I do miss the cat.

DNT, Moon Street, Bristol, December 2015
DNT, Moon Street, Bristol, December 2015

 

2158. Moon Street (66)

DNT has a unique style that is difficult to describe sometimes. He has an interesting and thoughtful choice in colours in most of his work and the subject of his paintings often seem to be rather free and fluid, almost as if he created it on the spot. I’m not sure if that is how he works, but that is how it comes across to me.

DNT, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2019
DNT, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2019

This piece, on one of my favourite walls, is a striking lion’s head which kind of emerges from a background of about five strong colours. It is incredible how the face and mane stand out with all the busyness going on. While this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I am rather drawn to it. Certainly it is unusual. I met DNT for the first time last week and he seems to be a really nice guy, larger than life and interesting, and in the short conversation we had, I can certainly see where some of his creativity and difference come from.

2154. Moon Street (65)

I recently posted a collaboration piece by ‘Ware’ and Jaksta from Upfest 2016, and I stated then that I wasn’t very familiar with ‘Ware’s work. Well nothing has changed there except that I now know his Instagram moniker is @mickeyraw and I able to see when he has painted new work. I found this one down in Moon Street recently, and it is a fine piece of wildstyle writing by this RAW artist.

Ware, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2019
Ware, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2019

The colours work really well together and the execution of the piece is truly first class. I am looking forward to seeing more from ‘Ware’ or do I call him Mickeyraw? I started with Ware, so will continue until I know better.

2143. Moon Street (64)

In Bristol it would seem at the moment that one is never far away from a Mr Klue piece. He is keeping very busy indeed, and this was from a couple of weeks back, during a paint session with Mr Sleven and DNT.

Mr Klue, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019
Mr Klue, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019

Using, what I am guessing are his favourite colours (he uses them a lot) he has created another calming abstract writing piece that possibly spells out KLUE (or you can even read WONE – Mr Klue’s surname). His light touch pieces always have an ephemeral feel about them, that they might just waft away on the breeze. Still loads more to come.

2128. Moon Street (64)

Together with Zake (see previous post), Panskaribas is emerging as one of my favourite new(ish) arrivals on the Bristol scene. Both artists are becoming more bold with their wall selections as their confidence grows and it is a great thing to witness. I would continue to describe Panskaribas’s work as cubist doodles in spray-paint with a dash of surrealism thrown in.

Panskaribas, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019
Panskaribas, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019

One can see all sorts of references to various modern art movements in his work, but his skill has been ion blending these and coming up with something quite unique and really unusual in street art. An acquired taste perhaps, but so worth spending time to look at what is going on in these paintings – do I spot some Matisse in here?

2114. Moon Street (63)

Not quite as prolific as he has been in the past, but still keeping things ticking over is the brilliant Laic217 painting in one of his favourite spots in Moon Street. I think the dimensions of the wall lends itself to his portraits.

Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019
Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019

In this piece we see a return to several ideas used in Laic217’s work which link back to a theme of flammability. A melting face, which Laic217 has used to great effect many times,  that spells out his name. Spray can caps for eyes recessed deeply into the eye sockets and a bucket hat which in this case seems to be fashioned out of a spray can.

Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019
Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019

I will never get bored with his work and if I am honest probably look forward to discovering his work more than any other artist… it is like a game.