Tag: Rat

2464. Cheltenham 2019 (3)

The whole Cheltenham experience was new to me, but I had heard of the Honeybourne Line before I went to visit the town for the Paint Festival earlier this month. This disused railway line is now a beautiful footpath leading from the station into the town centre. The tunnels under a footbridge often play host to street/graffiti art, and the walls are buffed each year for the Festival. I will be posting more pieces from this spot in due course, but this first one is by Thisone.

Thisone, Paint festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019
Thisone, Paint festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019

I have seen (and posted) some of his work from London, but this is the first time I have seen his work away from the capital. His archetypal work is in shades of black and white with an animal or bird as a central character, usually dressed with some jewellery. This curious piece meets all of these criteria, but the beast is an unusual one, looking like a cross between a bird of prey and a rat. I was lucky enough to meet the artist, and will talk more about our encounter when I post his other Festival piece in due course.

2361. Leake Street tunnel, London (8)

I have seen one or two pieces by Roo in Bristol, and might even have seen some in London before, but this one is one of the most memorable so far. It features a rather self-satisfied rat sitting on a pot of paint, with a brush in hand, and I think we have to assume he painted the ROO in the background.

Roo, Leake Street, London, July 2019
Roo, Leake Street, London, July 2019

I am wondering if this piece was painted for the #Do1Cancer campaign, as many other pieces down there were hashtagged with the campaign. To me it looks like Roo has been very clever and turned the pot of Dulux paint into a ‘DU1’, if this is the case then I doff my cap, if not then I have seen something that was not intended. Either way this is a delightful piece from the London-based artist.

2304. M32 roundabout J3 (151)

This is the second angry mouse/rat character I have posted by Saik One, and it is great to see more work from this relative newcomer to the streets of Bristol. It was painted on the southern M32 roundabout wall and happened to be adjacent to another street art rat whose creator is unknown to me.

Saik One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Saik One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

I think that Saik One has hit upon a winning formula in terms of a clean piece and highly identifiable character, I am interested however to see where this starting point takes us. I have a piece of writing by Saik One somewhere, so I know there is some range there. More to come from this emerging talent.

1601. St Werburgs city farm

There are quite a few of these large rocks dotted around Bristol, I think originally strategically placed to stop people illegally parking on curbsides. Several of them have been brightened up by the brilliant artist Rowdy. Best known for his toothy crocodiles, this artist has a knack for turning the mundaine into something interesting.

Rowdy, St Werburghs farm, Bristol, July 2018
Rowdy, St Werburghs farm, Bristol, July 2018

Seeing the world through a different lens is a skill. Helping others to see your visions is a gift, and one that Rowdy exploits with ease. This rat, I’m sure, is a favourite with the thousands of visitors to the city farm, young and old alike. I’ll see if I can dig out some more of his ‘rock works’.

1287. Allen Street, New York (1)

I took an awful lot of pictures of the street art in New York, and probably only scratched the surface, but I think that these breaks in my Bristol posts will probably be a regular occurrence for a long while to come.

Sheryo and The Yok, Allen Street, New York, October 2017
Sheryo and The Yok, Allen Street, New York, October 2017

This is a wonderful collaboration called Rat Boi, by Sheryo and The Yok, which was sprayed in April 2017. It was commissioned by The New Allen, an art foundation created by Baby Brasa and Milan Kelez…I read that bit you know.

Sheryo and The Yok, Allen Street, New York, October 2017
Sheryo and The Yok, Allen Street, New York, October 2017

I don’t know either of these artists, but this is an eye-catching piece that for me has a retro feel to it, albeit in a contemporary context.