Tag: Politics

234. Dean Lane skate park (4)

I am very pleased with these pictures. I caught a glimpse of ObjectØØØ at work last weekend on an Instagram movie made by Annikapixie in which she was showing off a new piece that she was working on…to follow. I recognised the spot and so went looking for the piece on a lunchtime walk. I found it.

ObjectØØØ, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, May 2016
ObjectØØØ, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, May 2016

ObjectØØØ has a very particular style that is quite unlike anything else I have seen in Bristol. It is very organic and combines a naturalist’s view with oddities and political thoughts. It is an acquired taste, but one I admire.

ObjectØØØ, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, May 2016
ObjectØØØ, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, May 2016

In addition ObjectØØØ has pasted a small sketch onto this piece and the close up shows that he has a very strong command of biological sciences. I can see the claw of a decapod, a scolex (from a parasitic tapeworm), dentition, wing structure, an animal cell, twigs and a climbing plant. I am interested in why he has left such a tiny sketch on his work. This stuff is quirky…and remember…’eat the rich’.

232. North Street hoarding (3)

John D’oh is a very naughty political artist whose work I enjoy immensely, whether I agree with his assertions or not. Whenever I see his stuff I can’t help smiling at his cheeky nerve. I suspect it gets him into trouble occasionally, but I like the edge he brings to the Bristol street art scene. This time it is the turn of the Queen, a reference to the band of the same name and her position on Brexit as portrayed by some media outlets (in particular the Murdock News International Media group).

John D'oh, North Street, Bristol, May 2016
John D’oh, North Street, Bristol, May 2016

Not only is the content of his work noteworthy, but his execution using stencils and his profusion of work is impressive. I have a large backlog of his work, much of which is politically no longer contemporary, but nonetheless an indicator of political issues in 2010s Bristol.

191. The Bearpit (11)

Turnover in The Bearpit has reached staggering proportions lately and I am really struggling to keep up. This wonderful stencil by the fabulous John D’oh, is one of several highly political statements directed at current Government Ministers.

In this instance it is the turn of George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whose recent budget was perceived as being one of the most unfair in decades.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016

John D’oh is another Bristolian artist, whose works are becoming more and more frequent on our streets. His website is worth a quick gander. I love this political stuff, it is edgy and full of vitriol whilst managing to present humorously. As you can see below though, it is not to everyone’s taste. The piece appeared less than a week ago and is already defaced.

John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016
John D’oh, defaced, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016

Planet v economy

 

Winning the global

race is irrelevant if

there are no runners.

 

by Scooj

60. Picton Lane (1)

My lunchtime stroll today took me to Montpelier, the heart of alternative Bohemian Bristol. Although I live nearby, I don’t know the area well, so I was in for a treat. I veered off the main roads into the back streets, and found walls festooned with murals, mostly by very local artists.

Mau Mau and Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
Mau Mau and Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015

I came across this political piece, which speaks volumes about the severe cuts which are destroying public services. It is a collaboration between Rowdy and Mau Mau. Rowdy is known as one of the longest-standing graffiti artists in the UK, and paints a lot of crocodiles and jagged teeth. Mau Mau’s trademark is a fox, which features in most of his works.

Mau Mau and Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
Mau Mau and Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015

This was, as far as I can make out, painted on 27 October 2015; so really recent. I am pleased to have seen it so soon after completion.

7.5/10

S.O.S.

 

Secretary of

State for the environment,

I don’t believe you.

 

by Scooj

Commentary on a speech made by Elizabeth Truss on 14 October, entitled Open Environment.

Politics

My grandmother said

‘Steve, it’s a mucky business’;

by God she was right.

A different emphasis

A departure from the natural history haiku today

 

Public sector cuts

diminish the services

we take for granted.

 

by Scooj

I work in the public sector and with the UK election in full swing I thought I would start to voice my thoughts through haiku. It isn’t just health and education (which are reasonably well protected) it is all the other public services we should be worried about. Especially when it comes to the environment.