7267. Coronation Road

Rowdy, Ryder, Taboo, Sage and Solar, Coronation Road, Bristol, January 2025
Rowdy, Ryder, Taboo, Sage and Solar, Coronation Road, Bristol, January 2025

I photographed this building way back in January, but never got round to posting it. I am doing so now, because there was a large fire at the site, a former metalworks, in early October. The building ceased to be in use in 2020, and became an obvious opportunity for graffiti, and several writers from around the city duly obliged. I don’t believe that this was any kind of overall collaboration, more an accumulation of pieces over time from Rowdy, Ryder, Taboo, Sage, Solar, and one other.

Rowdy, Ryder, Taboo, Sage and Solar, Coronation Road, Bristol, January 2025
Rowdy, Ryder, Taboo, Sage and Solar, Coronation Road, Bristol, January 2025

The top row (the former canteen of the building and most severely fire-damaged part – arson, by the way) is a combination collaboration from Ryder and Rowdy, both of whom are significant players on the graffiti scene in Bristol. Taboo’s dominant epic piece takes up the whole of the middle floor, and some smaller pieces from Sage, Solar (PLB) and Phase (?) occupy the ground floor. This is more of an interesting mosaic than anything else really – iconic in its own way, but now alas, ashes.

6987. St Michael’s Hill (7)

Rowdy, St Michael's Hill, Bristol, June 2025
Rowdy, St Michael’s Hill, Bristol, June 2025

When I think about Bristol street art, one of the first images that springs to mind is a Rowdy crocodile. Somehow what he does and how he does it embodies a sense of mischief and humour, edge and naive art, and is at the very heart of the Bristol scene.

Rowdy, St Michael's Hill, Bristol, June 2025
Rowdy, St Michael’s Hill, Bristol, June 2025

I love this little spot at the bottom of St Michael’s hill, which has played host to a few different artworks over the years. I love also that is obviously used to be a butcher’s shop and still has the old tiles. Some crocodiles and a radiant cat decorate the walls and window perfectly and ooze everything that Rowdy is all about. I love this.

6908. Cheltenham Road

Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, April 2025
Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, April 2025

It is very possible that this piece by Rowdy on the shopfront of Don Majors is the closest piece of street art to my home. It is not the first time that Rowdy has decorated this shop, and he has done another great job. The piece is slightly less busy than his last one here, looking a little bit smarter.

Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, April 2025
Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, April 2025

Rowdy is known for his crocodiles and his cats, and has an incredibly distinctive style. His pieces tend to pop up all over the city and are without doubt part of the USP of Bristol’s street art scene, and have been for many years. This cat is looking ever so slightly mischievous – a naughty cat.

Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023
Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023

6662. Cumberland Basin

Rowdy, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2025
Rowdy, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2025

A little while back, it looks like Ryder and Rowdy had a bit of fun in the north side of the Cumberland Basin area, with lots of small pieces dotted about the place. I am assuming this column piece was part of that session.

Rowdy, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2025
Rowdy, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2025

This is so Rowdy… three crazy colourful cats, looking a little bit like children’s drawings. The colours work incredibly well on the pinky red colour of the column. A piece full of mischief and joy from one of the most established street artists in Bristol.

Rowdy

A gallery of crocs and other wonderful characters from the established and popular Bristol Artist Rowdy.

Instagram: @rowdyunofficial

All photographs by Scooj

Rowdy, Andy Council and Acer One, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Rowdy, Andy Council and Acer One, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

Rowdy, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Rowdy, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

Rowdy, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Rowdy, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

Rowdy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024
Rowdy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024

Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023
Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023

Rowdy, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2022
Rowdy, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2022

Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21
Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21

Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21
Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21

Rowdy, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2021
Rowdy, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2021

Rowdy, Chatterton Square, Bristol, April 2021
Rowdy, Chatterton Square, Bristol, April 2021

Rowdy, Stapleton Road, Bristol, May 2020
Rowdy, Stapleton Road, Bristol, May 2020

Rowdy, Stoney Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Rowdy, Stoney Lane, Bristol, March 2020

Inkie and Rowdy, Wilder Street, Bristol, July 2019
Inkie and Rowdy, Wilder Street, Bristol, July 2019

Rowdy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
Rowdy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018

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

Rowdy, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
Rowdy, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017

Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016
Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016

Rowdy, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016
Rowdy, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016

Rowdy, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016
Rowdy, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016

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

Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015

Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015

Rowdy, lilo, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
Rowdy, lilo, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015

Rowdy, lilo, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
Rowdy, lilo, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015

6370. Purdown (79)

Rowdy, Andy Council and Acer One, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Rowdy, Andy Council and Acer One, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

You don’t expect to see production collaborations up at Purdown, so it was wonderful to see this ‘take-over’ by Rowdy, Acer One and Andy Council on the concrete slabs of the derelict anti-aircraft gun emplacement. The light conditions were tricky on both occasions that I went up there, and the photographs don’t really do justice to this creative display.

Acer One, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Acer One, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

Starting in the Centre and on the margins, Acer One has painted one of his mind-boggling impossible triangle pieces, displaying great technical skills and accuracy. This is the third such piece I am aware of that he has painted in this spot.

Andy Council, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Andy Council, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

Andy Council, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Andy Council, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

On either side of Acer One’s centrepiece, Andy Council has painted his trademark ammonites in living-fossil form, each using his composite method to stitch together the creatures from components to make a whole. The dusky pink background used by Acer One and Andy Council works very nicely with their respective colour schemes.

Rowdy, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Rowdy, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

Rowdy, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Rowdy, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

Finally, bookending the collaboration, Rowdy has joined in the fun with a fabulous collection of Bristol crocodiles. More than any other active artist in Bristol, I think that Rowdy represents that raw, quirky, subversive and original talent that underpins the whole graffiti/street art scene in the city, and long may it last. This is a fabulous production piece from the trio of great artists.

5891. St Werburghs tunnel (412)

Rowdy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024
Rowdy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024

Although he doesn’t paint all that often these days, Rowdy is responsible for some of the most iconic street art in Bristol. His crude pieces, often featuring his trademark crocodile, have been a mainstay of the Bristol scene for decades. He painted this small piece during Ryder’s RAW paint jam a couple of weeks back.

Rowdy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024
Rowdy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024

In this piece, Rowdy has painted a masked cat character hovering above a vibrant nigh time urban scene. There is an energy to the piece and a hint of subversion which I like. Of course a vertical green crocodile is in attendance. Of course, as is common in many works in the city at the moment, it is accompanied with the words ‘Free Palestine’. It is always a pleasure to see anything by Rowdy.

5041. Cheltenham Road

Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023
Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023

Rowdy doesn’t paint all that often, so it is always a huge pleasure to see his work when he does. This shop is literally around the corner from where I live, and has recently had a facelift, painted by Rowdy. It had already had the Rowdy treatment before, but this is a serious upgrade.

Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023
Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023

Of course, we have Rowdy’s famous crocodile design, not just one, but a float of them (correct collective noun – a bask, if they are on land). It is the reclining cat, however, on the top panel that steals the show for me, a cat that has appeared sveral times elsewhere in Bristol, which makes me think that I ought to publish a Rowdy gallery sometime soon.

4224. Brunel Way (139)

Painted a little while ago on a column shared with Andy Council is this magnificent crocodile piece from Rowdy. My first photographs of the piece weren’t very good so I have had to delay this post a while until I managed to get something a little better. The light conditions under Brunel Way are always a challenge.

Rowdy, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2022
Rowdy, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2022

The bright and contrasting colours of this piece make it stand out, and it certainly grabs your attention, but I am not too sure what the significance of the medieval-style heraldry is all about. The crocodile gives away the artist, and it is always great to see a new Rowdy piece, as they don’t appear all that regularly. This is a fun column piece.

3867. Upfest 2021 75×75 (38)

Nothing from Rowdy for a long while and then two posts in close succession, what joy. Rowdy is held in high regard in Bristol. He is a friend of Banksy and one of the early graffiti artists emerging from the Bristol scene in the 1980s. Probably the biggest public impact that he has made is his trademark crocodile which adorns various buildings around the city.

Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21
Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21

This magnificent beast for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days festival is the largest and most prominent piece I have seen by Rowdy since his piece in Stokes Croft that came tumbling down with the demolition of buildings around the Carriageworks.

Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21
Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21

I am very fond of Rowdy’s crocodiles and other crazy creatures and it is fitting that Upfest should honour him with such a large wall, which just happens to be a perfect fit. Wonderful stuff.

Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016
Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016