Tag: St Werburghs

2015. St Werburghs tunnel (62)

A new week, and to celebrate I am introducing you to an artist to the pages of Natural Adventures, Atchue. Although I have seen some of his pieces before, I have not known who the artist was until recently. The good news is that I have some of his work in my archives and I can dig it out when I do some of my ‘housekeeping’.

Atchue, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Atchue, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

His work tends to be big, pink and bold and cartoon in style. This face reminds me of the artwork you used to see in comics like the Beano, Beezer and Dandy. The little quote on the side seems to reflect the thoughts of this marginally grotesque character…”Boobs covered in Angel Delight, yum yum”.

There is something endearing about this gurning character, and certainly it is eye-catching. Nice one to start off with.

2007. St Werburghs tunnel (61)

I think that Subtle is a really classy graffiti writer, and his collaboration with Rezwonk at Dean Lane last year will go down as one of my all time favourites. This is another humdinger, beautifully designed and executed and with a little character just for good measure.

Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

The character is Dexter from the 1990s cartoon Dexter’s Laboratory, and he really adds something special to this piece. I love the way the bubbles from his flask are replicated all over the writing.

Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

This is a high-quality piece which is well conceived and nicely proportioned. Although there is complexity there, it is really easy on the eye. More please.

1996. St Werburghs tunnel (60)

These two have collaborated a few times before and it is always a treat when they do. Somehow the styles of Tasha Bee and Mr Draws complement each other so well. Perhaps it is their love of lots of colour or their soft designs – I don’t know, but they work well together, and both such nice people too.

Tasha Bee, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Tasha Bee, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

There is something rather happy about Tasha Bee’s face, perhaps the hint of a smile…an enigmatic smile maybe? This is great to see, as some of her faces seem quite serene or sad even. Not this one. Maybe my eye is distracted a little by the big grin of a Fiva piece which they have painted over.

Mr Draws, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Mr Draws, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

I have said it countless times before, but I make no bones about saying it again, I will never tire of Mr Draw’s work and his relentless productivity. Even when he’s not spraying walls, he is always working on sketches or paintings. The including of an uncertain smilie adds to the charm of this piece. A lovely collaboration.

1995. St Werburghs tunnel (59)

I am really interested in the evolution of Decay’s work, which seems to have been a focus for him since the beginning of the year. I am used to seeing his trademark black, white, grey and red pieces with concentric layers emanating from the centre. More recently he has been playing with a larger range of colours and trying new ideas. We still get to keep the little character though.

Decay, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Decay, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

I really like this even if it takes a little getting used to, and if you haven’t yet worked it out, it is a piece of writing that clearly spells out DECAY once you get your eye in. Really looking forward to seeing more of this from Decay, and hoping to catch up with him again, it has been a long time since we last met.

1939. St Werburghs tunnel (58)

I have held back for a long time from posting any work by Spoilt (I am guessing that is the artist’s name) because I know nothing about them nor the work he/she produces. All I have seen is a few pieces of writing about the place with the word SPOILT.

Spoilt, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018
Spoilt, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018

On going back through my archives, the odd piece keeps popping up and maybe the time is right to start posting a few. I have noticed that Spoilt has painted with members of RAW, but I don’t think that Spoilt is a member of the crew – maybe just a friend. Technically this is a good piece which is why I am posting it. One of a growing number of Bristol graffiti writers.

1929. St Werburghs tunnel (57)

Another stunner from the re-vitalised Mr Klue, who is on a real roll at the moment. This one was at the farm end of the tunnel, which, from a photographic point of view is preferable to pieces in the middle.

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018

The colours of this piece work nicely with the smoky texture of the patterns. If I work really hard I can see the letters KLUE, but this might be wishful thinking in overdrive. Yet another eye-catching and lovely piece from Klue Wone.

1904. St Werburghs tunnel (56)

I am really pleased to see that Face 1st and Soap have teamed up again, it feels like a while since they last collaborated, to produce this beautiful piece. The two distinct halves are joined by the hair of Face 1st’s girl.

Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018
Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018

I love the concept of Face 1st’s character sketching out an idea in her black book, there is a lovely story unfolding and it brings a whole extra layer to the piece. This really is something special.

Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018
Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018

The Soap half of the collaboration is yet another great example of just how good his writing is with the blue and lilac elements almost resembling stained glass windows. I always feel these two artists are so modest with their work, and it is a pity that something like this is lurking in the darkness of St Werburghs tunnel…it deserves more prominence.

1903. St Werburghs tunnel (55)

What a wonderfully clever piece this is from Fiva, who has used his trademark block letters to spell out his name but has repeated the word in a different font through the letters in a way that gives the whole thing a 3D look. This piece uses techniques that are used by Pref ID who is a master of this kind of visual wordplay.

Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018

As is often the case with Fiva’s work, he leaves us a character as additional interest in the piece. I really like his work and only wish he did more but realise that he, like many other street artists, is likely to have a real job and maybe family and can only get out to play when time and circumstance permit.

1901. St Werburghs tunnel (54)

Mr Klue, as I have mentioned before has been on a bit of a binge lately, and has produced as many pieces in the last couple of months as he has for the rest of the year. This is something that should be celebrated, as his work is emblematic of the down to earth Bristol street art scene.

This piece in the tunnel at St Werburghs by Mr Klue has an ephemeral, wispy, smokey quality to it. I think that the letters spell out KLUE, and the whole thing is a little different from his normal offering in that it is less complex somehow.

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2018
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2018

I guess that when writing letters, there is less freedom for the abstract artist…sure you can do swirls and twirls and disguise the letters, but they are still letters. With the free-form abstract work one usually sees from Mr Klue, there tends to be a little more richness, texture and content. Having said all that, I rather like this and the colour selection too works for me.

1859. St Werburghs tunnel (52)

Deep in the heart of St Werburghs tunnel, and painted in insipid colours to match the poor and rather orange lighting, is this magnificent piece by Zake. I have only recently tracked him down on Instagram, and he doesn’t give away much, so for the time being I can’t shed much light on the piece nor the artist.

Zake, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2018
Zake, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2018

I have only seen his column pieces under the M32 to date, so this was a real treat of a find. The piece as a whole is mildly disturbing, probably in part because of the lack of pupils in the eyes and the centipedes framing the faces, let alone what is coming out of their mouths. This is such an original piece and one that really works for me, but it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.