Tag: Sage

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.

6189. Brunel Way (278)

Sage, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024
Sage, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024

Sage is an artist who emerges every once in a while in Bristol, and could never be described as prolific, indeed he has been rather quiet for some time now, so is was great to see this piece, which was part of a larger collaborative paint a week or two back. 

Sage, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024
Sage, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024

I know that I have several of his pieces in my archives that for some inexplicable reason I have never published. He is a talented writer, and for a while dotted the streets of Bristol with his capped character mega tag. This writing has a bit of a retro-psychedelia feel to it and is accompanied by a couple of interesting characters on the right. This is a classy piece, and I rather hope it might indicate increased activity from Sage.

3707. M32 roundabout J3 (321)

This large collaboration goes back a few weeks, and I have already posted the fourth element, the Daz Cat character, a little while ago. The remaining triptych is by Face 1st, Sage and Soap, and is really rather special.

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2021
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2021

To the left is the familiar work of Face 1st painted in a dazzling chrome. The letters FACE contain a feature used by Face 1st before, the introduction of a couple of  swords. Quite what these swords symbolise I can’t say, but they appear to be driven into the smiling girl’s head, which is a little unsettling to say the least.

Sage, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2021
Sage, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2021

The middle section is, in my view, outstanding. The character by Sage just has something about it that really chimes for me. It is the perfect centrepiece to the triptych and really shows off Sage’s talent. The cartoon-style character somehow seems to fit the PWA ‘brand’ really nicely and reminds me of a very early PWA wall in St Paul’s (now gone)

Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2021
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2021

On the right, as is so often the case in these PWA collaborations is a very nice piece of writing, also in chrome, from Soap. Lots off bones and gems in this veritable archeological/geological piece. The soap tag forms the centrepiece of tis complex piece.

Another wonderful PWA collaboration for us all to enjoy.

3684. Dean Lane skate park (412)

Wow, another epic piece from four of Bristol’s brightest young artists, Nugmoose, Sage, Slakarts and Mudra. I’m not too sure that this lot have a crew name sorted out, but it is definitely time they got their act together.

Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021
Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021

First up is another bold and unusual alien piece from Nugmoose in which there is something mysterious going on with the roots of a plant entering the character’s ear via a jar with alien writing on it. Imaginative and creative.

Sage and Slakarts, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021
Sage and Slakarts, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021

In the middle of the collaboration is some lovely writing from Sage adjacent to something rather different from Slakarts. The cartoon-style character resembles a farmer Giles type with a piece of grass dangling from his mouth – more creative stuff.

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021

Finally, the collaboration is rounded off with a delicious blend of writing with a character incorporated into it from Mudra. The eclectic shapes and sizes of letters spell out MUDRA encompassing a Freddie Mercuryesque character complete with moustache and specs. He signs off with his customary @ symbol.

This is a truly creative collaboration from a really decent group of lads, and I can’t wait to see more from them as the year unfolds.

3602. Purdown HAA Battery (26)

There are dozens of these mega-tags all over Bristol and it took me quite a long time before I realised that they were by Sage. This one at the Purdown battery has an outstanding view of North Bristol behind it… such a great location.

Sage, Purdown, Bristol, March 2021
Sage, Purdown, Bristol, March 2021

Most of these mega-tags are monochrome quick ones, but it seems that Sage has taken a wee bit more time with this one, giving his capped character  little bit of extra decoration. Often, the location can be as important as the art, and I think this is a good example of that.

3544. M32 Cycle path (114)

Readers of Natural Adventures will be familiar with cat pieces by Daz Cat, but I think this is the first Time I have posted anything by Sage. I actually got lucky because I met the pair for the first time when they were painting this rather nice collaboration. Such nice people… and like policemen and doctors and teachers, so young.

Daz Cat, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2021
Daz Cat, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2021

Daz Cat told me that he was using up dregs for this piece, not that you’d know it. This cat is full of colour and detail and the three-quarter profile has given Daz Cat some different perspectives to play with.

Sage, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2021
Sage, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2021

Sage, I think is responsible for some interesting mega tags that I have seen about the place without knowing who they were by. This, of course, is a bit of writing and I think he likes to do writing and characters in equal measure. I need to find and write about more pieces from Sage.