Tag: Portrait

1351. Upfest 2017 (137)

The very first post I wrote from Upfest 2017 was this piece by Apset and Ionas, a couple of Greek artists who had arrived in Bristol but had not been allocated a wall. The sprayed a wall in Dean Lane skate park, but then got very lucky and managed to find a hoarding in South Street Park where they produced this fine piece.

Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Both of their Upfest works incorporated an animal paired with a portrait. I think that the animals are by Ionas and portraits by Apset. Both works are great collaborations and something a bit different.

Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I hope that they are coming back this year, and that if they do, that they get allocated a spot, without having to agonise too much. A much needed little ray of Thessaloniki sunshine at a damp Bristol Upfest.

Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

1350. Upfest 2017 (136)

Really, this is one of my favourite pieces from the whole of Upfest 2017, not only because of the quality of work, but because of the cheerful resilience of the artists in persevering with their work in spite if the inclement weather.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

A fine collaboration between N4T4 and Philth which really brightened up the walk between North Street and Ashton Gate.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

These two artists have painted together at the last three Upfests, and although not a true collaboration, their pieces complement each other perfectly.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I walked past these two a few times, and took my favourite picture of the festival (above) of them cheerfully painting in the rain. Such dedication.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The N4T4 piece on the left is a wonderful example of his portrait style, incorporating colours and shapes which combine to make the whole. A blast of exquisite colour and a stunning face.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Contrast this then with the grey scale portrait by Philth on the right. He is as well known for his floral designs as he is for his portraits and this piece is overflowing with flowers that lift the piece to another level.

i absolutely love this wall. Beautiful.

 

 

1344. The Bearpit (123)

Once again I have been doing a little bit of cleaning up of my archives, and I came across this rather unusual Kid Crayon piece from Kid Crayon last July. I am finding that Bristol art from July is often under-represented in my posts, because they get hijacked by Upfest and will remain unshared and unloved in my July folder.

Kid Crayon, The Bearpit, Bristol, July 2017
Kid Crayon, The Bearpit, Bristol, July 2017

This piece reminds me very much of the wheatpastes he used to do and which I used to take great pleasure in hunting down when I first became interested in all this malarkey. A classic Kid Crayon work.

1302. St Werburghs tunnel (16)

The turnover of work in St Werburghs tunnel is quite eye-watering. I don’t visit very often, but every time I go, pretty much everything is new. I went down there deliberately this time to find this piece by Hazard.

Hazard, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, January 2018
Hazard, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, January 2018

It is hard not to be utterly captivated by her work (hers is on the right) which usually features a female portrait, either face on or profile, with beautifully ornate hair and head decorations.

Hazard, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, January 2018
Hazard, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, January 2018

I am not too sure who the piece on the left is by, but the contrast in styles is really interesting and in fact both work quite well together. I’m not sure that this was a collaboration, but I might be wrong. A fine piece.

There is a comment below from Tasha Bee who painted the lady on the left, she says it was a collaboration, and seeing the joint signature now, it all seems obvious.

1294. Upfest 2017 (128)

There is no way that these photographs do this extraordinary multi-layer stencil justice. The subtle layering and shading in the piece are so skilfully prepared and executed. This is a technical marvel by a lovely artist called P0G0 who produced one of the most memorable pieces of Upfest 2017.

P0G0, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
P0G0, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The greyscale piece is offset by the scarlet fingernails of the subject and to finish the piece off P0G0 has added some hexagons in pastel shades…again in contrast with the rest of the piece.

P0G0, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
P0G0, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

P0G0 is one of the true gentlemen of the street art world, a warm and humble fellow who was happy to chat for a long while and who agreed to do an interview with me. Because his written English is not too good, he said he would be happier to do a face-to-face interview, but the logistics of doing so are tricky. So maybe a telephone interview would be best or perhaps I can grab him for half an hour if he makes it to Upfest 2018. A memorable piece and artist.

1268. M32 roundabout J3 (62)

This is a really unusual piece, especially for the M32 roundabout, but it has managed to stand the test of time very well. It is by an artist called Artezes (Cesar perales). I cannot find out much about the artist except that he visited Bristol in August 2017 and left a couple of lovely pieces of which this is one.

Artezes (Cesar Perales), M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2017
Artezes (Cesar Perales), M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2017

I would describe this piece as fine art street art – it feels as though the artist has had a classical training and then taken to the streets…only a feeling. Another artist who has done this is Bristol’s very own Tom Miller.

Artezes (Cesar Perales), M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2017
Artezes (Cesar Perales), M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2017

The subject for this piece is really interesting, and the hot cup of coffee has something magical about it, drawing the eye up towards the purple steam. This is a wonderful work by an irritatingly obscure artist.

1204. Upfest 2017 (14)

Surely one of the most endearing and sympathetic partnerships is that between Copyright and Gemma Compton. At this year’s Upfest these two produced this beautiful collaboration in the very busy yard behind the Steam Crane.

Gemma Compton and Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Gemma Compton and Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I met them on the Friday, when they were able to make a really good start before the festival started on the Saturday – I think it ws a wise choice as this pub gets incredibly busy.

Gemma Compton and Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Gemma Compton and Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

In this piece, so typical of their collaborations, Copyright stencilled the female figures and Gemma Compton created the intricate butterfly wings in her favoured blue tones. The piece as a whole fills this slightly awkward space brilliantly and the eye is drawn along from left to right and back, scrutinising the symmetry of the piece.

Gemma Compton and Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Gemma Compton and Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The couple managed to dodge the showers and the crowds to pull off one of the best pieces of the festival and one that screams out Bristol from every inch. Both of these artists produce wonderful artworks for sale, marginally outside my affordability although I might just have to save up – how great it would be to have some of their originals hanging up at home.

Gemma Compton and Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Gemma Compton and Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Not only do I like their work, but I like both of the artists. They are always happy to have a chat and don’t appear to mind me bothering them when they are at work. Probably my next interview targets.

1195. Little Italy, New York (2)

Deep in the heart of Little Italy, in amongst all those wonderful restaurants is this incredible piece by Tristan Eaton. It is of course a portrait of the gorgeous Audrey Hepburn, disguised in a patchwork of colours and patterns, a little like the work Louis Masai produces.

Tristan Eaton, Little Italy, New York, October 2017
Tristan Eaton, Little Italy, New York, October 2017

Tristan Eaton has a wonderful website which is well worth a click or two. His description of this piece is as follows:

This piece was painted in August or 2013, for The Little Italy Street Project and The Little Italy Merchants Association. Located at the corner of Broome & Mulberry at the entrance of Little Italy.

This was one of the outstanding street art pieces from my recent short trip the New York.

1180. Upfest 2016 (160)

This was unquestionably one of the most memorable portraits of Upfest 2016. It is a face with a wonderful expression and crazy hair. The artist of this piece is Xemayo, about whom I know nothing and there wasn’t even a biography in the festival programme.

Xemayo, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Xemayo, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

From his Facebook page I can make out that he comes from Valencia in Spain and his full name is Xemayo Gonzalez Vidal.

Xemayo, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Xemayo, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

It would appear from looking at his feed that much of his street artwork takes on the form of these large portraits, often pulling faces. I love this upfest piece.

1167. Upfest 2017 (106)

There can be few better ways to honour a fellow street artist than to paint an enormous portrait of them, and this is precisely what Ian Phenna did at Upfest 2017. The portrait is of the magnificent Nol, who was himself painting during the festival.

Ian Phenna, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Ian Phenna, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I do not know about Ian Phenna or his work, although his Upfest Biography says that he is a mixed media portrait and figurative artist originally from Liverpool. He has a dramatic approach to portraiture, often with hidden themes…

Ian Phenna, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Ian Phenna, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I really like this piece, and especially like the additional homage to Nol…the inclusion, albeit in greyscale, of one of his little monsters in the bottom right of the portrait. There are stencilled numbers all around the piece, something that Nick Walker likes to do too, but I don’t know the significance of them.

Ian Phenna, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Ian Phenna, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I think the whole thing is called ‘BrizNol’ which I rather like. This is a thoroughly enjoyable piece and one of my favourites from the festival.