Tag: Pasteup

2789. Jamaica Street (17)

There is not a big culture of wheatpasting in Bristol, compared with say Shoreditch or Barcelona, so it is always a pleasure when or ‘established’ artists stick up a few pieces here and there. I apologise for the poor quality of the picture below – I hate it when that happens, but am too lazy to go back and take a better one.

Georgie, Jamaica Street, Bristol, February 2020
Georgie, Jamaica Street, Bristol, February 2020

This little one by Georgie could easily be mistaken for an advertising poster for fizzy drink manufacturer Coca Cola, with its deliberate use of colours and fonts. I can’t quite make out whether this is an ironic piece with its ‘Enjoy Life’ tag line, or whether this is a genuine upbeat piece. I’ll let you decide.

2670. Stokes Croft

I think that this is the last qWeRT pasteup of our googly-eyed friend that I managed to find after a visit to Bristol by the artist a few weeks ago. This yellow love-heart character was pasted on a wall that sees quite a lot of tagging action, and not long after I took this picture the wheatpase became quite badly tagged, which is a pity.

qWeRT, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2019
qWeRT, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2019

There is something rather special about qWeRT’s wheatpastes, and it seems that all of them carry messages of love and hope and who can complain about that? Unlike spray paint, paste ups eventually get wet and peel away, a process that can take a few weeks in exposed places to a few years if they are more sheltered. This one I fear may not last too long.

 

 

2373. Leonard Lane (20)

This is the second of several recent wheatpastes from Copyright scattered around Bristol that I have found. Obviously it has been here long enough for the elements to damage it a little, but it still holds that extraordinary charm he seems to create with ease and grace.

Copyright, Leonard Lane, Bristol, July 2019
Copyright, Leonard Lane, Bristol, July 2019

Copyright often presents his work in this symmetrical way, and symmetry seems to play a large part in many of his pieces. The beautiful model is created using a stencil, and the symmetry comes from reversing the stencil or the print. Whatever the technique, the outcome is stunning. Now to find the other wheatpastes… if they still exist.

2339. Ludlow Close

I shared a great walk with fellow street art photographer, Paul, around St Paul’s a couple of weeks back, and this stunning wheatpaste/stencil had us both stumped. Obviously it is a picture of Haile Salassie, but the untitled piece left us with a bit of a mystery.

Alphahol, Ludlow Close, Bristol, July 2019
Alphahol, Ludlow Close, Bristol, July 2019

After a bit of a social media hunt, I tracked down the artist as Alphahol, who I believe is based in Blackburn, so he must have come down to Bristol for the St Paul’s Carnival. I know nothing more about the artist. The piece has some similarities with the work of Stephen Quick and even more so About Ponny. To turn a fabulous stencil piece into a wheatpaste is a technique used by several artists and an effective way of gaining reach for the art. I have to say I think this is an absolute cracker and a perfect location/time for the piece. Come back and visit soon.

2230. Stokes Croft

Well you have seen a couple of these now in recent posts, so you should be able to tell me the artist’s name. It is of course yet another sensational wheatpaste by French artist Tian who visited Bristol in early May, I think. Once again I am left uncertain who is featured in this stencil paste up, but the detail on the tattoo is incredible.

Tian, Stokes Croft, Bristol, May 2019
Tian, Stokes Croft, Bristol, May 2019

I absolutely love this one, not only for its technical brilliance, but also for the interesting pose and picture selected and more so the exact spot where the piece was pasted. A window that was already fairly heavily fly-posted and stickered is no dominated by this beautiful woman. One of my favourites of his great portfolio of work. Still many more to come.

1661. Upfest 2018 (12)

To celebrate 10 years of Upfest (I can’t believe I have only been to three of them) D7606, a wheatpaster and I guess unofficial artist at the festival scattered ten paste up balloons, each with a famous face, high up on the main streets of Bedminster.

D7606, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
D7606, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

These are the first two that I found, one with Twiggy and the other with Elizabeth Taylor. Finding each was like a prize, and the hunt was great fun. I bumped in to D7606 several times over two days and as ever, he was very happy to talk about his work and experiences.

D7606, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
D7606, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

I love the addition of a string to each of the balloons which was loose and able to blow around in the breeze. D7606 told me he had to paste them high up, so that they didn’t get pulled down. Several of them have gone already, but not to trophy hunters, rather, they have been pasted over with new advertisements. These balloons were a worthy addition to the 10th Upfest…hats off to D7606.

D7606, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
D7606, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

1603. North Street

The great thing about visiting wheatpasters is that rarely do they come to town and leave only one paste up. Rather they tend to leave a trail of little treasures dotted about the place, and that is exactly what qWeRT did on a recent trip to Bristol.

qWeRT, North Street, Bristol, July 2018
qWeRT, North Street, Bristol, July 2018

I particularly like this one of our googly eyed hero riding a scooter. The placement is in a little alcove that has been a honeypot for small stencils and wheatpastes, but is in its last throws as a street art spot due to the completion of a new development adjoining it. This is one of the things I am noticing about Bristol at the moment, it seems that there is a decreasing number of places where street artists can do their work. Gentrification is on the move and with it comes displacement. Of course, we all want a prosperous and attractice city, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

1588. Melville Terrace (2)

A yellow man in swimming trunks and a rubber duck’s head. This could only be the work of one man, and just in case you were in any doubt, he has rather helpfully signed the piece over the top. It is of course Face the Strange.

Face the Strange, Melville Terrace, Bristol, June 2018
Face the Strange, Melville Terrace, Bristol, June 2018

I’m not entirely sure when he pasted thie piece up, it looks quite old, but I don’t recall seeing it at Upfest 2017, so maybe he visited Bristol after that and put it up, or maybe I just hadn’t registered it before. It is a fine wheatpaste and appeals to my surreal tastes.

1561. Melville Terrace

Ooh, look at this magnificent wheatpaste by qWeRT on a side road just off North Street. In my eyes this is beautiful, not only for its cuteness, charm and sentiment but also because of the perfect placement.

qWeRT, Melville Terrace, Bristol, June 2018
qWeRT, Melville Terrace, Bristol, June 2018

I have said before on this blog that half the art of paste ups is the location, and qWeRT has absolutely nailed it with this one. There is a framing with the red line on the wall and the little bit of vegetation sets it of brilliantly. I love the artwork, I love my picture and this makes me happy.

1531. Stokes Croft

I have said many times before that I like artists from out of town coming to visit and leaving behind little gifts. I haven’t seen any new work from qWeRT in quite a while in Bristol, so it was great to stumble upon this one in Stokes croft last week.

qWeRT, Stokes Croft, Bristol, June 2018
qWeRT, Stokes Croft, Bristol, June 2018

These cute wheatpastes feature a goggle-eyed character, in this instance assuming the shape of a broom with its fingers creating a heart shape. It is difficult not to like these paste ups. I only wish qWeRT would make the trip from London more often.