539. The Bearpit (30)

The Bearpit is a great place for graffiti/street artists to do quick pieces. A place where graffiti is tolerated, perhaps even encouraged, and with plenty of nooks and crannies to leave mark.

RIP, The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2016
RIP, The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2016

This is a piece by RIP that I photographed back in August 2016. I am not sure who the subject of the stencil is, so I must confess that it is slightly lost on me, but it is another fine piece from this urban guerilla whose regular visits to Bristol are always welcome.

I am informed by Duncan that it is Kurt Cobain – thank you.

537. Dean Lane skate park (30)

This is a piece from back in July, and one that was probably overlooked by many. It is by the fabulous Angus and was sprayed at about the same time as his ‘Purple Rain’ tribute to Prince. It would seem that Angus was experimenting with 3D circles/spheres at the time, and I think they work rather well.

Angus, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2016
Angus, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2016
The writing in the centre of this piece on a skate ramp spells out the four elements – earth, air, fire and water. This is a nice simple, but technically well executed piece by one of Bristol’s regulars. It is always a pleasure to find an Angus piece.

536. Upfest 2016 (75)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS ALL!

I haven’t seen much micro stencilling since I started writing about street art and graffiti art, so it was a real discovery to see this incredible stencil by Eins92. I’m sure it was no reflection on the artist, but there was no biography in the Upfest programme, so I have had to dig a little deeper to find out anything about him.

Eins92, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Eins92, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Eins92 is a German street artist who has recently spent some time in the UK going to various urban art festivals and leaving behind his little treasures. There is a really good interview with him in this Global Street Art feature. I can’t believe I didn’t photograph another of his stencils on the other side of the bus.

Eins92, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Eins92, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

This work is so intricate, and the stencils he cuts are so incredibly tiny. This is really skilled work and he produced it perfectly.

 

 

530. Gathorne Road (1)

Some of the most satisfying graffiti art is often the simplest. RIP is a great example of an artist who is highly accomplished at producing multi-layer stencil canvas pieces, but is equally at home with sharp, witty street stencils like this one. RIP is from Staffordshire, but a regular visitor to Bristol where he works with other SSOSVA artists.

RIP, Gathorne Road, Bristol, April 2016
RIP, Gathorne Road, Bristol, April 2016

There are actually two RIP stencils, the lower one of which I have seen in several other places. It would appear from the writing above this work that stencils are not to everyone’s taste. I like this picture because it speaks loudly of the way street art is and the sense of anarchy (albeit benign) that surrounds it.

 

 

 

512. Upfest 2016 (69)

I have said on a number of occasions that one of the great privileges of Upfest is that we get to see so many artists from all over the country and beyond. This amazingly moving stencil is by Mister Feeney who is a spray paint artist and maker of stupid videos, so his Facebook profile says.

Mister Feeney, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Mister Feeney, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something haunting about this stencil, or familiar, I’m not sure which. It reminds me of the famous National Geographic cover of the woman with the headscarf and amazing eyes.

Mister Feeney has been a stencil art prize finalist for the last three years and it is easy to see why. His Facebook stream is well worth a visit, and you get to see first hand just how accomplished he is. This is a fabulous piece.

 

478. Jerome Street, Shoreditch (1)

Back to Shoreditch where I found this great stencil by Unify. It is called Go Fly Your Kite and features a teddy bear that has been used in other works by the artist. I first came across Unify in Bristol with this No Blowing Bubbles piece on the wall of the Highbury Vaults. It is still there.

Unify, Jerome Street, Shoreditch, September 2016
Unify, Jerome Street, Shoreditch, September 2016
I haven’t seen any more of his work in Bristol, but the more I wander around Shoreditch and Camden Town, the more pieces I am finding. I like his work a lot, and will post more when I am able to.

Unify, Jerome Street, Shoreditch, September 2016
Unify, Jerome Street, Shoreditch, September 2016

460. North Street

On a shop front in North Street, there is this tiny micro-stencil by John D’oh. It is really beautiful, and something of a departure from his more political art. Saucy, and I love it.

John D'oh, North Street, Bristol, July 2016
John D’oh, North Street, Bristol, July 2016

452. Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare (5)

Even if you haven’t seen the film series – ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street‘ you will almost certainly have seen representations or images of Freddy Krueger, the villain of the piece. If you haven’t, then here he is in all his nightmarish glory. This is a magnificent stencil piece by JPS (who else), that faithfully conveys the Krueger character.

JPS, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
JPS, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
I have written a lot about JPS and how much I admire his work, and it is when you get up close to pieces like this that you really appreciate his incredible skill. His love for the entertainment industry and the characters it creates provides him with plenty of material.

JPS, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
JPS, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
JPS seems to enjoy the horror, sci-fi and adventure genres as well as straying occasionally into cartoon characters. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…JPS is pretty much responsible for me writing about street art in the first place, so he is in my view, a bit of a hero, an inspiration. 

445. Dean Lane skate park (21)

Since I’m on a run of posting about artists that I know little about I thought I’d include this understated work by Jee See on one of the ramps at Dean Lane skate park. There are other works by Jee See scattered around the city in the bearpit, in St Werberghs tunnel and in Montpelier, but he remains elusive on the Interweb.

Jee See, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2016
Jee See, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2016

Many of his pieces feature a girl’s face, sometimes in revolutionary garb, and there is something very compelling about the artwork. I can’t put my finger on it, but it feels edgy and interesting. More from this local artist to come.

437. Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare (4)

Tucked away on the left hand side of the Tropicana as you enter, is this wonderful stencil of the Weird Girl (Cynthia) from the Tim Burton film Frankenweenie. It is a beautiful piece by the talented German artist PZY.

PZY, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
PZY, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016

Her work bears many similarities to the work of JPS, and perhaps it should come as no surprise that they are partners. Quite a lot of stencils by both of them are to be found at the Tropicana.

PZY, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
PZY, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016

I really love this piece. It has such character, weirdness and a tiny bit of menace. You can find more of her fabulous work on her Facebook page which is worth a look.