Another artist I will never tire of is Laic217 and this piece in St Werburghs tunnel is so typical of his great work. Another weed-smoking bucket-hatted skull, which he simply gets better and better at crafting.
Laic217, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2019
I feel a real closeness with Laic217’s work because since I started doing this recording Bristol street art thing in 2015 I have watched his work closely and seen his style develop significantly, and although his subjects are often similar, the depth and complexity of his pieces constantly grows. Love this one.
This is a wild, weird and wonderfully executed piece at the entrance of the Nomadic Community Garden just off Brick Lane by the London-based artist Woskerski. I know that skulls are not everyone’s cup of tea, but they play a hugely important part in the street art scene… don’t ask me why, they just do.
Woskerski, Nomadic Community Garden, London, April 2019
Now any skull has a rather dark look about it, but this one is both dark and slightly crazy. There is something disconcerting about that eye floating in its socket and the X in the other socket. What I love about the piece though is the textures and lines and shading that give the piece definition and depth. A masterful work.
Another fine combo from Laic217 and Cort in St Werburghs tunnel. I feel like I haven’t seen too much from Laic217 in recent months, although actually he is still reasonably productive and I see maybe a couple of new pieces each month.
Laic217, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2019
The Character piece has several themes that we have seen from Laic217 before. A skull, a brick wall, this time in the form of glasses and a brilliantly crafted hoodie jacket complete with zip.
Laic217, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2019
More than other pieces that Laic217 has produced, this one feels surreal, probably because the brick wall obscures the eyes, or more correctly the eye sockets, so the character is dissociated from its surroundings… warning, beginning to sound a little pretentious.
Cort, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2019
It would seem that Cort recently has been rather fond of extending the length of his name, and in this case to CORTONE. I wonder if by lengthening it he gives himself more scope to play around. I like what he has done here, and I particularly like the random white surround with trios of black dots in it. All in all a nice collaboration from these two friends.
Sweet Toof is a London artist who has always had strong links with Bristol especially through his long-standing friendship with Rowdy. Even now, there are several toothy pieces dotted around the city. It is funny, but I have always thought of him as a Bristol artist, because of his legacy here.
Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019
It was extra special to find this triptych of shutters, that look rather recent, when in London last weekend walking in the Brick Lane area with my sister. It doesn’t seem to matter where I pitch up in the world, there always seems to be a Sweet Toof piece close by.
Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019
These three are really rather special, and have a feel of ‘see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil’ about them. It is nice to see the three different aspects of the skulls. Obviously that Master’s degree from the Royal Academy of Arts was not wasted.
Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019
I do like Sweet Toof’s work very much indeed, always blending mortality with humour in his incredibly distinctive style. Great find.
Top Cat by Deamze looks on at a recent piece by Laic217. While not quite up to the very high standards we have come to expect from Laic217, this is still a rather striking piece Bering many of the hallmarks used by this artist.
Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2019
I would guess that this was probably painted rather quickly, and perhaps not enough thought was given to the proportions of the portrait. Whatever the reason, the top of the head and hat is a bit squished. I am rather fond of the skull shirt decorations though. More from Laic217 soon I hope.
This distinctive mural is by Danish artist No Title. From his biography in the Upfest programme we are told that he is influenced by organic natural structures and the systems of the body. Well this piece certainly runs true to form then.
No Title, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
The simple two-tone scheme lends itself to picking out the details of the piece and works as a kind of reverse silhouette. Interesting work, full of symbolism.
My recent discovery of a Tim Marsh piece, kindly left behind after Upfest 2018, was accompanied by two other pieces of which this is one by Ione, another artist who had visited Bristol for the festival.
Ione, Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol, March 2019
I have already posted Ione’s official Upfest piece a little while back, a piece that was full of character and an interesting style. This is another in that vein. Looking at it carefully now as I am writing this post, I think that there are two artists involved here, one, Ione, who painted the face and possibly another (Salt?) who painted the vase and skull. I think this might require further investigation.
Salt?, Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol, March 2019
This brings into sharp focus the difficulty of writing about street art, but in particular writing about visiting artists whose work one is less familiar with and therefore less able to be certain of. I think I tend to be a little too up tight about being accurate and authoritative, when sometimes it would be wiser simply to enjoy the art in front of me.
Zake is an artist who is really coming out of the shadows and making a bit of a name for himself. I first became aware of him last Summer but I don’t know if that was because he was reasonably new to the Bristol scene or whether I just hadn’t spotted any of his work before.
Zake, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2019
This piece is a little bit different and has some similarities with artwork by Laic217…which can only be a good thing. A skull leaving its host through the mouth is surely an odd concept, but one which allows Zake to experiment beyond his faces. Skulls are difficult to get right, but this is not too bad at all. I love it that Zake is more mobile and seems to have teamed up with some of the PWA artists and friends. A lovely surprise piece in the tunnel.
How is it possible that I can still keep finding Laic217 pieces in my archive? This one is from October last year on the M32 cycle path but probably didn’t get published immediately on account of the poor light quality. This particular wall is very hard to photograph without getting flaring from the sun or bright sky behind it. So much about photographing street art is dependent on light quality and time of day – I get it wrong too often, but with a full-time job I am rather constrained in the times I get to go out.
Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2018
I rarely say this about Laic217’s work, but in my view this is not his best. The shirt material is exceptional , but I am just not sure about the face. I think a partially decomposed face is probably very difficult to do and the teeth and nose don’t quite seem right. Having said that it’s all still pretty good and utterly likeable. Will I be able to dig out some more oldies from Laic217…?
A collection of brilliant street art by Bristol artist Laic217 – quite a few skulls here!
All photographs taken by Scooj
Laic217, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2023Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023Laic217 and Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2023Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, October 2023Laic217, River Avon, Bristol, October 2023Laic217, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2023Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2023Laic217, St John’s Lane, Bristol, June 2023Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023Hire and Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023Laic217, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2023Laic217, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023Laic217, River Avon, Bristol, April 2023Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2023Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, December 2022Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, September 2022Laic217, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2022Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, August 2022Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2022Laic217, Spake Evans Park, Bristol, June 2022Laic217, M32 roundabout, Brisol, March 2022Laic217, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2022Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2022Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, January 2022Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2021Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, December 2021Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021Laic217, Catherine Mead Street, Bristol, November 2021Laic217, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2021Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, September 2021Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, September 2021Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, September 2021Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, September 2021Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2021Laic217, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, July 2021Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2021Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, June 2021Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2021Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2021Laic217, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2021Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, March 2021Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, March 2021Laic217, River Avon, Bristol, March 2021Laic217, River Avon, Bristol, March 2021Laic217, New Stadium Road, Bristol, March 2021Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2021Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, January 2021Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, January 2021Laic217, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, Jnuarty 2021Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2020Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2020Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol August 2020Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2020Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2020Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, June 2020Laic217, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2020Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2020Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2020Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2020Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2020Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2017Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2019Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2019Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2019Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2019Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, August 2019Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2019Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019Laic217, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2019Laic217, Wilder Street, Bristol, May 2019Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019Laic217, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2019Laic217, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2019Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2019Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2017Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2018Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2019Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, January 2019Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2018Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, February 2018Laic 217 and Cort, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, September 2018Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2018Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2018Laic217, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2018Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2018Laic 217, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2018Laic217, M32 roiundabout, Bristol, October 2016Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2018Laic217, M32, Bristol, May 2018Laic217, M32, Bristol, May 2018Laic217 and Cort, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018Laic217 and Cort, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018Laic217 and Cort, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2018Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2018Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2018Laic217, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2018Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2018Laic217, Ashley Road, Bristol, July 2017Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017Laic217, Wilder Street, Bristol, December 2017Laic217 and Cort, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2017Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2017Laic217, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017Laic217, M32 junction 3, Bristol, September 2017Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2017Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2017Laic, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, July 2017Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2017Laic217, Old Bread Street, Bristol, June 2017Laic217, New Stadium Road, Bristol, May 2017Laic217, M32, Bristol, June 2017Laic217, M32, Bristol, June 2017Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2017Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2017Laic217 and Cort, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2016Laic217 and Cort, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, May2017Laic217, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, April 2017Laic217 and Hire, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2017Laic217, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2017Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2017Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2017Laic217, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2017Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017Laic217, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, March 2017Laic217, M32 junction, Bristol, February 2017Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, February 2017Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2017Laic217, King Square Avenue, Bristol, February 2017Laic217, Ashley Road, Bristol, January 2017Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2017Laic217, Wilder Street, Bristol, January 2017Laic217, Old Bread Street, Bristol, January 2017Laic217, Old Bread Street, Bristol, January 2017Laic217, St Werbergs, Bristol, September 2016Laic 217, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2016Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2016Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, September 2016Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2016Laic217, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, June 2016Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2016Laic217, Wilder Street, Bristol, May 2016Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2016Laic217, M32 Roubndabout, Bristol, March 2016Laic 217, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2016Laic 217, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, March 2016
Natural adventures 