Tag: Political

565. Upfest 2016 (76)

2016 was a highly charged year on the political front, and many artists who came to Upfest presented various viewpoints and commentaries on the major issues of our time. One of the most compelling was this incredible portrait of Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition.

Andy O'Rourke, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Andy O’Rourke, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
The quote next to the portrait reads:

‘When you cut out a man’s TONGUE, you are not proving him a LIAR, you’re telling the world that you FEAR what he might say’

This was a view supported by many on the left of the Labour Party, and is a nice quote. The portrait itself is really stunning, and captures the man extremely well. right down to the beige suit.

Andy O'Rourke, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Andy O’Rourke, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
I like O’Rourke’s entry in the Upfest programme which reads…‘Born to dabble. Wannabe polymath. Jack of all trades, master of nuns. Photorealism, anamorphic illusions, trompe l’oeil, cartoons, calligraphy, digital stuff, itchy feet.’ Great biog.

494. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (19)

This is a small piece by the wonderful Bristol street artist Face F1st whose works are always centered on a styalised face each one with a different decorative feature. In this one he has placed a small octopus on the face’s head. This is a political anti-Brexit piece which is articulated clearly, and the octopus represents the Brexit narrative ‘brainwashing’, which appears to be stifling any intellectual debate about what kind of Brexit British citizens might want (in particular the 48% who voted against).

Face F1st, Stokes Croft, Bristol, October 201
Face F1st, Stokes Croft, Bristol, October 2016
I like all of Face F1st’s work and enjoy spotting them, they always feel slightly understated and he tends to select untidy walls to spray. Face Fist belongs to the PWA crew, Pirate Wall Art which includes Soap. Looking forward to more from PWA and Face F1st.

454. Upfest 2016 (51)

There is something dark, political and edgy about What Have I Done Now’s work. His paste ups are full of menace, like this one (called laugh riot) of a riot police figure, waving a US flag and adorned with Mickey Mouse ears. Taking a swipe at some attitudes in a small wheatpaste without words is part of the skill of this kind of street art.

What Have I Done Now, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
What Have I Done Now, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
This piece was situated in the small lane at the bottom end of Dean Lane skate park where it joins North Street. I think some bits of it still remain. I have also found in my Upfest archive his ‘official’ piece for the festival and I will post it shortly.

This is one for the fans of political street art, an art form that seems to be slightly out of vogue at the moment.

348. Upfest 2016 (7)

Meeting the artists was, for me, one of the great pleasures of being at Upfest this year, and so it was with stopping to chat for a while with ObjectØØØ. Heaven only knows how he and other artists managed to get on with their work with all the interruptions.

Object000, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Object000, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

ObjectØØØ is an artist I have been watching develop over the last year, as he has taken more to the street art scene. His works are so very distinct…unlike anything else I have seen on the streets. More of his works here and here.

Object000, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Object000, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

This is another great piece by him and carries all the hallmarks of his work: a contorted body, a bird wing, tentacles and a phrase he uses a lot ‘eat the rich’. I find his work unusual and also rather inspiring. His work oozes with angst and rage but to me also seems to be striving for a freedom just out of reach.

I do hope I’m not turning into too much of a street art critic/bore.

283. The Bearpit (21)

In Bristol, most of the political street art seems to be created by stencil specialists. I guess the technique lends itself to writing messages and combining them with famous, iconic or striking figures.

Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016
Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016

In this beautifully executed example by Dice 67, we see a homeless man holding up a banner, while behind him there is a group of Tory politicians, in what appears to be a police line up. The Prime Minister is accompanied by Gove, Hunt, Osborne and one other. The Tory manufactured mantra since the coalition has been ‘we’re all in it together’. Obviously it is not the case, as the wealthy continue to get wealthier and the poorest in our communities are dropping through the cracks.

Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016
Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016

Whether I agree or not with this piece is irrelevant in so much as it is a fantastic work and worthy of greater exposure. Dice 67 is a brilliant stencil artist, and I always love it when he visits Bristol and leaves something like this behind.

Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016
Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016

He signs off the piece with his usual spray cans. A great work.

242. Jamaica Street (5)

I first saw this work as it was being completed by ObjectØØØ on 21 April 2016. I stopped to have a chat with the artist who works nearby. The PRSC (People’s Republic of Stokes Croft) Outdoor gallery is a space where artists can display their works legally and with permission.

ObjectØØØ, Jamaica Street, Bristol, April 2016
ObjectØØØ, Jamaica Street, Bristol, April 2016

ObjectØØØ was putting this piece together because the previous work by Cheba had been badly tagged, after only a matter of days, so he decided to replace it.

ObjectØØØ, Jamaica Street, Bristol, April 2016
ObjectØØØ, Jamaica Street, Bristol, April 2016

As I have come to expect from ObjectØØØ’s work, there is a strong political/social message accompanied by swirls of whitewash and subtle patterning as you draw closer. This is quite a stark piece, where the message forms the framework for the artwork.

ObjectØØØ, Jamaica Street, Bristol, April 2016
ObjectØØØ, Jamaica Street, Bristol, April 2016

I am really growing to like these curious pieces and rather hope to bump into ObjectØØØ again soon to talk more with him about his work.

ObjectØØØ, Jamaica Street, Bristol, April 2016
ObjectØØØ, Jamaica Street, Bristol, April 2016

 

239. The Bearpit (17)

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago in one of the tunnels of The Bearpit, a spot favoured by Decay. His style is so utterly unique,  always using the same black, white, grey and red colours, and his freestyle approach tends to have concentric rings of shapes spreading from the centre, although I think he works from the outside in.

Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2016
Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2016

This is a nice political piece, demanding a stop to Tory cuts and incorporating a visual prompt. Nice drips. There is room for filling in the blank here…one for the taggers?

1. Park Street

The first in a series of short articles on street art.

Bristol, thanks in part to Banksy, has become a centre for some great street art, so much so, that the tourist information office advertises tours of some of the best. How things have changed over the last thirty years.

Today a new installation appeared at the bottom of Park Street, right in front of one of the most famous Banksy murals (the naked man hanging out of the window one).

Unknown artist, Park Street, Bristol, July 2015
Unknown artist, Park Street, Bristol, July 2015

It is a protest piece, but the messages are somewhat confusing, and it seems rather out of place in Bristol. Maybe there is some political jibe (that links it to Bristol) that I am not aware of; but it is new, and unusually a sculpture rather than a mural and for this reason I have decided to feature it. It is not clear who created it. If I find out I will update this article.

4/10

 

One for the planet

 

So the die is cast

not Dave, not Ed, not Nige, no!

Natalie for me

 

by Scooj