Adjacent to the M32 roundabout is a little side road where I like to park when I photograph street art in the area. There are always one or two caravans parked up here too, generally occupied by homeless people. Actually this is becoming quite a big issue in Bristol at the moment, as there are an awful lot of these old caravans appearing all over the city being used as temporary homes. The homeless suituation in the UK is reaching crisis point and austerity continues to hit the marginalised hardest.
Ryder and T-Rex, M32, Bristol, May 2018
On the upside, the caravans are used as canvases for many of the street artists as the ‘owners’ really don’t seem to mind the decoration. On this one we have a rather nice quick collaboration from T-Rex and Ryder. There is real movement in that dinosaur.
Ryder’s work can be found all over Bristol, and increasingly I am enjoying his particular style of writing. In this piece he has gone for some really bright colours and a spotty fill to the deep shadow. His characteristic eyes and teeth filling some of the spaces in the lettering.
Ryder, M32 cycle path, Bristol, July 2017
Whether it is with his RAW mates, T-Rex, Rusk or Smak, or on his own, Ryder consistently turns out great work.
A wonderful new collaboration between Ryder and T-Rex which was part of an informal paint jam organised by Smak. Unfortunately many of the pieces sprayed on the Saturday were sprayed over by the Sunday. I think this one remains.
Ryder and TRex, M32, Bristol, February 2018
This is quite a common format for this pair, with Ryder spelling out his name in the centre, and dinosaurs book-ending the writing. The orange and blue combination work nicely, especially on such a dull day. Ryder often inserts eyes and teeth into his letters to give them a bit more character.
Ryder and TRex, M32, Bristol, February 2018
T-Rex’s T-rexs are always fun to see, and can be found all over the city. The one on the left has been painted running down the hill towards the letters, making really good use of the site.
Ryder and TRex, M32, Bristol, February 2018
Finally the dinosaur on the right is emerging from the bushes making a stealthy attack. Altogether this is a nicely executed and fun collaboration.
This is an unusual pice of writing from Ryder. I don’t think it is the writing itself that is unusual, rather it is the bare wood hoarding behind it. Usually a backwash is applied to make the piece stand out on a single colour. Not only does this piece ignore such things, it also spans around a concrete pillar.
Ryder, Wilder Street, Bristol, May 2016
Ryder is a fine Bristol writer, who I was slow to pick up on and appreciate, but I am a fan of his work now. This one does look a bit like a jelly though, all sort of wibbly wobbly, and the shading has a kind of electric/cosmos feel to it. Unusual.
The artist who has tagged this door is called Ryder, and this is his shorthand that he sprays quickly as something of an elaborate tag. His writing work though is exceptional, see some examples below. The door itself is a little-used side door which accesses the Lakota club.
This part of Stokes Croft is quite a difficult area to set up a business, especially in the food sector. There are already quite a lot of cafés and restaurants which cater mostly to the Bohemian set from Montpelier. This particular restaurant ‘Meat Liquor’ was targeted more at the young student market, but I understand it had to close after less than two years, due to incidents in the area and in the restaurant. The area has the highest incidence of drug dealing in Bristol and maybe the closure was connected to that. Anyhow, the hoardings have gone up, and not long after that the graffiti art arrives.
Ryder and Aspire, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017
This, I believe, is a collaboration between Ryder and Aspire (the bird man) who must have been visiting from London where he now lives. The writing says Ryder and the bird I think is a turkey, so this must be a festive piece. I looks a little like it might have been done reasonably quickly, but it certainly adds colour and vibrancy to the hoarding.
The fifth RAW piece on this Upfest wall is by Ryder, whose work is just going from strength to strength at the moment. His use of colours in this piece is exceptional, and the wildstyle writing is everything I have come to expect from him.
Ryder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
There is so much going on in this piece, and the different letter styles combined with different colour schemes is somewhat reminiscent of the work of Sky High. I cannot emphasise enough how much I am enjoying the work of Ryder, I’m just surprised at how long it took me to properly register his stuff.
Ryder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Ryder was sandwiched between Jaksta and his trusty painting buddy T-Rex…a good place to be.
Fish and chips, horse and carriage, Morecambe and Wise…these are all things that we are accustomed to seeing together and so it is with Ryder and T-Rex. This is a rather nice little collaboration in Bedminster by these two painting buddies.
Ryder and T-Rex, Bedminster, Bristol, September 2017
The radioactive R on the left is an icon that Ryder uses quite a lot, particularly when he is doing a quick throw-up. This one is a little more elaborate than some I have seen recently.
Ryder and T-Rex, Bedminster, Bristol, September 2017
The dinosaur is obviously by T-Rex, this time opting for a rather fetching lilac colour, which seems to be in vogue at the moment in Bristol. There is something familiar and comforting about a collaboration between these two.
Ryder and T-Rex, Bedminster, Bristol, September 2017
On the day of ‘Boogie Down Bristol’, a mini festival organised by Inkie in the Full Moon pub, a great many graffiti artists converged on this area of Stokes Croft, and RAW (Read and Weep crew) were represented by Ryder and T-Rex who created this magnificent collaboration right next door to the pub.
Ryder and T-Rex, Stokes Croft, Bristol, July 2017
It was something of a miracle that they managed to get anything done, such was the pedestrian traffic stopping to admire the work and have a chat (including me).
Ryder and T-Rex, Stokes Croft, Bristol, July 2017
I can honestly say that I think this is my favourite Ryder piece, it is in my view brilliant. The letters spell out Read and Weep and each one is individually crafted and filled with vibrant colours and patterns. Something of a masterclass for wannabe writers.
Ryder and T-Rex, Stokes Croft, Bristol, July 2017
Ryder has a signature element to his style, and that is to put eyes and other features into the holes of the letters, so in this instance the first ‘E’ has eyes and teeth.
Ryder and T-Rex, Stokes Croft, Bristol, July 2017
I also had the fortune to meet T-Rex for the first time, and having overcome the embarrassement of assuming that she was a male artist, we chatted for a while. Her work on this piece is magnificent also, with dinosaurs ‘bookending’ the writing with balance and skill.
Ryder and T-Rex, Stokes Croft, Bristol, July 2017
The plants decorating the whole collaboration are also by T-Rex.
Coming across this piece and finding Ryder and T-Rex while they were spraying was hugely fortunate. I had actually come down to the area to visit the It’s All 2 Much gallery which was hosting a Tom Miller exhibition. I suppose in life as well as in taking in the streets, you won’t see anything if you don’t look – a recurring theme on ‘Natural Adventures’.
I’ve noticed that Ryder’s work just seems to be getting better and better lately. His use of colours and textures in his writing has gone on to a new level in recent months and this is a prime example of a classy piece.
Ryder, Upper York Street, Bristol, June 2017
This is a more complex design than some of his previous work and it is only just possible to make out the letters in this wildstyle piece. both the top blue and bottom yellow portions go through a colour/shade gradient vertically which creates an impressive effect. I am liking =his work more and more. Expect further posts.
Natural adventures 