Tag: Neon

3850. Upfest 2021 75×75 (32)

Many of this year’s Upfest pieces have been on large, premium walls, often over-painting previous masterpieces, but not all. There are a few standard sized boards at the Tobacco Factory car park that are the perfect size for graffiti writers. One such writer is Candie Bandita from London who specialises in script and lettering, particularly on shutters, and whose name is derived from a Commodore 64 game called Candy Bandit… not one I remember, but I was an Amstrad user addicted to Elite.

Candie Bandita, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 2021
Candie Bandita, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 2021

The piece is a very special piece of writing in perfect colour matches with a superb metallic look to it achieved with clever use of white fills and shiny white stars. Setting it off perfectly is the neon pink Bandita glowing across the base of the piece. This is really accomplished graffiti writing and a privilege to see in Bristol. Shame that the Tobacco Factory café have elected to place a table right in front of the wall… keeping it real I suppose.

2288. M32 Cycle path (30)

There is no stopping Smak these days and this is another corker of a piece tucked under the M32 along the cycle path. This was painted alongside a whole bunch of other artists who had made the trip over the Severn Estuary from Wales to leave their mark in Bristol. There was a bit of a theme of  ‘zebra’ stripes in the pieces that were painted.

Smak, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019
Smak, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019

As Smak pieces go, this one is not as complex as some of his pieces, but it is wonderfully crisp and the neon pink A is to die for. In recent pieces I have noticed that Smak is enjoying giving the A a bit of special treatment and some of them have been outstanding, this one included.

1972. M32 roundabout J3 (119)

There are not enough great words to describe the work of Sled One. One after another he turns out the most incredible pieces that explode with colour and imagination. I have noticed that often his compositions are amalgamations of bits of ideas that all come together to create a magnificent whole.

Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2019
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2019

This piece is quite extraordinary, pulling together bird parts to form a bird skull/head stuffed with leaves and plants. Another bird wing and beak juts out of the back of the head – I am not sure what is happening there.

Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2019
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2019

The whole piece, although adorned with a cartoon smile and glint in the eyes, also for me has a darker side, but I can’t put my finger on why that might be. Even his signature is classy, a pink neon moniker a la Voyder. So Good.

1738. Upfest 2018 (49)

There is one artist in Bristol whose work manages to attain higher levels each and every time I see it. It is of course Voyder who I have raved about many times in this blog before. At Upfest 2018 he really pulled out all the stops and painted this outstanding piece. Is there no end to his talent?

Voyder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Voyder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

This new wall for Upfest was in my view an unquestionable success and gave some bigger ‘permanent’ space for artists who can go big. The cars in the picture above give you a feeling for how big these pieces are.

Voyder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Voyder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Voyder is probably best known for writing his name in a variety of styles, but always utterly recognisable as his work, which reminds me I must do a gallery of his work when I have a bit of spare time.

Voyder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Voyder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

It is difficult to get across how good this piece is, both technically and in its clever subject material. I would take a long shot and guess that this is a self-portrait composed of three main elements: his faceless upper torso; a brown brush stroke of paint across his face; his familiar signature. This makes for at least three very different textures to the piece, each of which would be able to exist alone.

Voyder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Voyder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

The hands are beautifully worked and full of expression – I have not seen much of this kind of work from Voyder before although I know he has painted portraits before. The brown brush stroke is something he has been playing with for the last couple of years and appears in many of his pieces these days. I am told that the fill in the Voyder signature is a backdrop to a design screen. To cap the whole thing off nicely we have one of his trademark neon lines running through his name. A heavenly piece from this master of Bristol street art.

1632. Dean Lane skate park (150)

An eye-catching piece in Dean Lane by Jee See (G.C. – Goshiku Chavu). On a black background, he has worked this neon green seismic piece really well. It reminds me of early green screen computers and video games like Space Invaders.

Jee See, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2018
Jee See, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2018

Jee See is another of those Bristol street artists who consistently turns out great work and furthermore he sprays in spots all around the city. Some artists prefer to stick to their own patch. More to come from Jee See soon.

1576. M32 roundabout J3 (89)

I haven’t seen a new Voyder piece for ages, so was very excited when I knew this one had been painted at the M32 roundabout. Unfortunately this is one of the spots that is obscured by the sun and shade effect from the adjacent trees. Now I love trees as much as the next man, but not when they do this to sensational graffiti art works like this one.

Voyder, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2018
Voyder, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2018

Even with the variable light conditions on this piece it is possible to see the sheer excellence of this top writers talent. Once again we see a return of his neon squiggle that he draws so perfectly and balances off the whole piece of writing. I have run out of superlatives to describe just how good this guy is – perhaps it is just better to look and marvel.

1115. Raleigh Road, Vector (16)

It is all too easy to become a bit blasé about Voyder’s incredible writing as everything he does is of such a high standard and in a class of its own. One expects perfection and usually that is what he gives. This piece, in one of his favourite haunts is so crisp and clean and beautifully set off by the neon green flash.

Voyder, Raleigh Road, Bristol, October 2017
Voyder, Raleigh Road, Bristol, October 2017

Unfortunately, the true colours of the piece haven’t really come across very well as I took the pictures on a bright day, but the wall was in the shade. Nonetheless the quality of the piece shines through.

Voyder, Raleigh Road, Bristol, October 2017
Voyder, Raleigh Road, Bristol, October 2017

I really like the clever way he seems to be able to lift the neon squiggle from the writing by giving it a shadow that drops below the lettering, giving it a stunning 3D effect. Do I like this piece? Do you need to ask?

737. Raleigh Road, vector (11)

This is a picture from some time ago…another that slipped through the net. It happens all the time. It is a piece by Voyder, who is quite one of the best writers in Bristol. I took this when the gates were shut, and so the angle of the picture is not too clever, and unfortunately there are some rather unattractive bin bags to one side.

Voyder, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2016
Voyder, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2016

The colour gradient is beautifully worked, and the brush stroke effect masterful. The highlight of the piece though surely has to be the neon pink squiggle, which is made to stand out not only by its colour, but also by the feint shadow it casts. Brilliant.

Voyder, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2016
Voyder, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2016

458. Upfest 2016 (55)

My favourite piece of the 2015 Upfest was the incredible geisha by Dan Kitchener on the wall of the Salvation Army shop. It was fantastic then to have DanK return to Bristol this year. His spot was slightly off the beaten track, and I didn’t find him until the Sunday when it was all a bit drizzly.

Dan Kitchener, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Dan Kitchener, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Dan Kitchener had pretty much stopped spraying for a while and was leaning over the lift and chatting to a friend when I took a couple of the pictures. He really wasn’t too impressed with the weather.

Dan Kitchener, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Dan Kitchener, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

The piece, once it was revealed, turned out to be something of a reflection of the weather in which it was produced. In fact much of Dan Kitchener’s work creates the effect of wet night time scenes viewed through a car windscreen…or that is how it feels to me.

Dan Kitchener, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Dan Kitchener, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Looking closely at the woman with the umbrella, allows you to see that part of the picture away from all the distraction around it, and it is just beautiful. Step back and add in all the bright lights and you have the most vibrant scene.

Dan Kitchener, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Dan Kitchener, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I am always so impressed with his work, and I could look at these scenes he creates for hours, studying all the details and effects. It is hard to believe that he paints these things with spray cans. Yet another artist at the very top of his game.

Dan Kitchener, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Dan Kitchener, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016