It is quite amazing just how vibrant the street/graffiti art scene is in Bristol. So far I have published 31 different artist galleries, but this is just scratching the surface of the talent in the city (and beyond). Every day I will find something by artists I have never heard of before (I am still learning), maybe because they don’t paint very often or maybe because they are new or sometimes our paths simply haven’t crossed. This really nicely worked collaboration is by Awkward and Benjimagnetic, neither of whom I know about.
Awkward and Benjimagnetic, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
From looking at their Instagram accounts, which I found by looking up #jointhecloaks featured at the bottom of the piece, it looks like both are well connected to the music industry. The skull on the right was by Awkward, and the writing by Benjimagnetic. I think that the latter does more graffiti work and has several pieces posted on his Instagram feed. On my first encounter with these two I woud say that their work is accomplished and this piece certainly caught my eye. I wonder if I’ll be seeing any more of it around the place.
This unusual piece by Tom Miller is an advert for a band called Mama Jerk and the Lady Fingers. At this point I should like to thank Tom for introducing me to something wonderful and new. I am not very good at keeping up with the contemporary music scene in Bristol, I don’t go out much and when I do it is usually to visit friends or to eat out. Live or loud music I find great fun but a bit isolating, because my hearing is getting worse and I can’t hear anything people say to me and I have not yet learned the fine art of lip reading. Back to the point. In researching this piece, I checked out Mama Jerk on the interweb, and guess what… I loved their quirky fusion music. Furthermore I fully recommend that you take a look at or listen to their track ‘mountain’ you won’t regret it. This piece celebrates their second EP.
Tom Miller, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
If I am brutally honest, this is not the best piece by this brilliant artist, but I forgive him wholeheartedly for introducing me to something I think I might enjoy for some time to come. The writing is ok, but the creatures are a little bit more what we would expect from Tom Miller and have an added element of mystery or menace about them with the white crosses over their eyes. A great outcome from following my passion for street art.
Woah, what happened here? Thank you Paul H for pointing out that the commentary about this piece was missing. A WordPress glitch I think, and most annoying as I had spent quite some time putting together some words to accompany this advert piece in the tunnel by Inkie. I find that I am always caught in two minds with advert pieces, because they take away the edge from street art and swerve into commercialism. There is nothing wrong with that per se and almost always they are promoting local music, so I suppose I should just get with the programme.
Inkie, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
The piece itself is written in classic Inkie font and promotes the album Ease and Squeeze by Kaotik Kartel, a reggae/dancehall/dub band from Bristol/Jamaica. I don’t actually mind too much what Inkie is painting about, it is always great to see his work and this one in the tunnel was a great surprise.
This magnificent Elvs piece near the entrance to St Werburghs tunnel didn’t last too long, but then again, nothing seems to last too long in there at the moment… probably something to do with the incessant wet weather we’ve been having since December.
Elvs, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
As always, Elvs presents us with a meticulously finished piece so distinctive in its style. The horizontal graduation of the fills is exceptional as always and the 3D shading with a central disappearing point is nicely done. Another keeper from the DBK artist.
Just wow! Another epic collaboration in St Werburghs tunnel, this time from Rezwonk and Nightwayss, featuring Dennis the Menace from the fabulous old comic the Beano. I am guessing that this might have been prompted by the recent Storm Dennis that wrought havoc across the midlands and the rain from which is still causing flooding in Ironbridge, Shrewsbury and Worcester.
Rezwonk and Nightwayss, St Werburghs, Bristol February 2020
I took a walk with the dog last week to the tunnel and got lucky, because the pair were still hard at work painting this outstanding piece. The dog became a little unsettled when Nightways was jumping up and down rollering his pink border along the top of his piece. The barking was loud and I had to move on, and returned a little while later when he had calmed down. My own Gnasher slightly cramped my style.
Nightwayss, St Werburghs, Bristol February 2020
It was great to stop and chat with both artists and an additional bonus was that DJ Perks was down there too admiring the work and we were able to catch up too. It seems that I missed Paul H (again) by only a few minutes, but that is how it happens… beig in the right place at the right time.
Rezwonk, St Werburghs, Bristol February 2020
Both of these pieces are stunning and it was really interesting watching them bring their work to life. I find the whole process of spray painting totally counter-intuitive, and I think I am going to have to put in a whole load more practice this spring and summer. Rezwonk was writing REZER with the fills, which he then put outlines on; in other words did the colouring in before there was anything to colour in (does that make sense?).
I understand that Nightwayss painnted the Dennis and Gnasher characters from pictures on his phone. What a talent to be able to do that. It was great to see some recent work from him as he has been a little dormant on the streets this winter. This NIGHT absolutely makes up for it though.
Nightwayss, St Werburghs, Bristol February 2020
All in all, this is a spectacular collaboration and lies in the same place where Rezwonk and Decay painted a Dr Seuss Cat in the Hat scene last year. Keep it going folks… even with the difficuly light conditions this is a fabulous wall.
Rezwonk and Nightwayss, St Werburghs, Bristol February 2020
I first met Sirens a few years ago in The Bearpit when he was contributing to a paint jam, I think organised by Georgie. I have had a soft spot for his work ever since. His scenes are most unconventional and unlike anything else you see in the city. Often his work contains strong horizons and vanishing points and that interface between humanity and nature.
Sirens, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
I also know that Sirens enjoys the chalenge of painting in corners, a form of anamorphic art that needs to be viewed from a certain angle in order to make sense. This naive style is instantly recognisable and although not technically up there with some of the Bristol masters, it is original and in a way aesthetically pleasing. I haven’t seen any of his work for ages so it was great to find this one at the tunnel.
Just outside St Werburghs tunnel there are several caravans and mobile homes, which give the area something of a distinctive character. It seems to be a situation that the local residents, council and police put up with, although one never knows how long patience will last. Several of the vehicles get little make-overs every now and again, and this little caravan has been decorated by Minto.
Minto, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
This is a particularly nice caravan pieve, as sometimes they can look a little perfunctory or rushed, but not this one, it is a beauty. I haven’t seen too much of Minto’s work, which I guess is because although he lived in Bristol for a while, he now lives in London and I imagine only visits from time to time. Great to have this mobile piece though.
Mr Klue is going through a productive and creative patch at the moment, and it is a real pleasure to see his work springing up all over the place. This large piece in the tunnel at St Werburghs is a bit of a feast for the eyes.
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
Unfortunately, the light in the tunnel has goofed up the colours a bit and a car was parked in a place where I couldn’t swing to the right to get more natural light on the image. Why do people park in the tunnel? Sadly I can’t go back to get more pictures, because it has already gone. Turnover in the tunnel is so high at the moment, probably because we have had so much rain.
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
The piece itself is classic Mr Klue fare with the added bonus of a character and his top hat, most likely influenced by Carroll’s mad hatter. Mr Klue has used this imagery several times in his murals and it adds another layer of mystery to his abstract work. A grand piece.
Well, he’s on fire really isn’t he? Each time I do my rounds of well known street art spots there seems to be a Smak piece lurking there somewhere. This relatively recent one is bang in the middle of St Werburghs tunnel. I am quite pleased that the photograph has come out reasonably well considering the dire light conditions there.
Smak, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
This has all the elements of a typically technically brilliant Smak piece. Sensational design and lines, clean and tidy, wonderful 3D and fill work. I’m not sure he ever has a ‘bad hair day’ and if he does, I’ve yet to see it.
This is a really nice piece by an artist I call Corupt (because that is what he most commonly writes, although he also writes Stik) unusually he has written BS3 in this piece which is a postcode reference to the Southville and Bedminster area of Bristol (south of the river). It is unusual for an artist to paint a postcode outside the area of that postcode.
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
The piece is beautifully painted, with a fine spotty fill and nice 3D shading on the letters. My guess is that Corupt may have been a bit pissed off that his background was about six inches shy on the right hand side, it would certainly annoy me. It matters little to the overall quality of the piece.
Natural adventures 