I said in my post about the rather unusual Upfest piece by Will Coles that I would write about more of his work that he left behind in various places in Bristol. This is the first of those.
Will Coles, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017
The clever thing about this and his other pieces is that they are all disguised or camouflaged in some way and that most passers by will not see them. I only stumbled across this one myself, because I had noticed a new Mr Draws piece on the wall of the Gents, and looked up.
There is something funny about a skull with LOL written on it…I’m not sure what, but it tickled me anyway. More from Will Coles soon.
Upfest always has a knack of introducing you to something just that little bit different, and for me this year, the most interesting finds were several sculptures dotted around the place by Will Coles.
Will Coles is a sculptor born in Warwickshire but who has spent time in Suffolk, as a child and in London and Glasgow, before moving to Sydney, Australia. He has now returned and is living somewhere in Europe (his own words).
Will Coles, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
His street work, judging by his website, is eyecatching to say the least. He has a subversive streak and takes a long look at modern culture upon which his works offer an interesting commentry. This particular piece may make the viewer uneasy on several levels. Add together the images and messages with the tarnished brass plaque appearance of the piece and you have a classy piece, which will shock. Because of its location and ‘part of the street funrnitue’ appearance, many who came to Upfest will have totally missed the piece.
Will Coles, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Luckily he did another one in Blue, just in case you missed the first one.
Serendipitously, I found another of his pieces in Bristol this afternoon, and didn’t know it was by him until I started a little research to write this post. Funny how things like that happen.
Will Coles, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I definitely like his work, and will keep my eyes peeled to see what else he left behind in Bristol after Upfest.
In late January I had a meeting in Exeter for which I had arrived a little early. I decided to head for the High Street to see if I could grab a bite to eat. What a great decision that was. I am not familiar with Exeter, especially the central shopping area, so the last thing I was expecting to find was this very impressive piece etched into a wall by the Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto, who works under the name Vhils.
Vhils , High Street, Exeter, January 2016
Exeter is not a city known for its street art culture, and this piece is a grand statement in the main shopping area, rather isolated and alone, but very, very impressive. I have seen work by Vhils on the Interweb many times, but seeing it up close like this was a genuine treat.
Vhils , High Street, Exeter, January 2016
His unique approach to creative street art, is to etch or scratch away the rendered surface of a wall back to the brickwork to create his large portraits. The overall effect is to carve something with a bit of depth and texture, albeit in binary colour schemes.
Vhils , High Street, Exeter, January 2016
I must say that I was really surprised to find something like this in Exeter and praise the authorities who commissioned the work. I am sure it is a constant talking point for residents and visitors alike. Happy days.
The first in a series of short articles on street art.
Bristol, thanks in part to Banksy, has become a centre for some great street art, so much so, that the tourist information office advertises tours of some of the best. How things have changed over the last thirty years.
Today a new installation appeared at the bottom of Park Street, right in front of one of the most famous Banksy murals (the naked man hanging out of the window one).
Unknown artist, Park Street, Bristol, July 2015
It is a protest piece, but the messages are somewhat confusing, and it seems rather out of place in Bristol. Maybe there is some political jibe (that links it to Bristol) that I am not aware of; but it is new, and unusually a sculpture rather than a mural and for this reason I have decided to feature it. It is not clear who created it. If I find out I will update this article.
Natural adventures 