Tag: Stencil

322. The Bearpit 23

There are some artists who are so very hard to trace, and that is all part of the game. One such artist is The Agent…or at least that is what I think his name is. Another member of SSOSVA and another stencil artist. The Agent has a liking for dressing up Minions in rather menacing costumes or personas – in this instance a banana toting Frankenstein’s monster.

The Agent, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016
The Agent, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016

I have only seen a couple of his works around the Bristol area, suggesting that he is perhaps a visitor. I will update this post as and when I find out more. Who can’t resist a Minion?

UPDATE – I met The Agent at Upfest 2016, and he is most definitely from Bristol, furthermore, he is the father of another great Bristol street artist. So it just shows how easy it is to get things wrong…and embarrassing at times too. All part of the game.

319. North Street, Coop Pharmacy

This is the first of many posts I will be making from an artist known as RIP. This is a ‘cheeky little one’ that RIP seems to be very fond of. He is a stencil artist based in Stoke-on-Trent, but obviously a frequent visitor to Bristol, and in particular North Street. The stencils are often, but not always, political and are sprayed in the ‘tolerated’ illegal spots.

RIP, North Street, Bristol, January 2016
RIP, North Street, Bristol, January 2016

RIP is an active member of SSOSVA (the Secret Society of Super Villain Artists) (or not so secret now…) an international collective of artists founded in 1921 by Silent Bill – or so it says on their website. Other members I have featured include Dice 67 and John D’oh.

I don’t know why I haven’t posted RIP’s work before because there is a lot of it around. Don’t be surprised to see a rash of posts in the coming weeks.

318. Leonard Lane (8)

A trip down memory/Leonard Lane. Some of my earliest posts were from this incredible little alleyway that defines the boundary line of the old City. It is full of little treasures, and this is one of them. A beautiful bear by Stewy. This bear has suffered the indignity of having several additions scribbled on it, but thankfully was given a bit of a makeover a couple of months ago. It is not in pristine condition, but then again very little of the street art in Leonard Lane is.

Stewy, Leonard Lane, Bristol, September 2015
Stewy, Leonard Lane, Bristol, September 2015

Stewy is a master stencil artist who specialises in creating stencils of well known people, and in this street is a work he did of DJ Derek before he went missing and passed away. The lane is also strewn with a menagerie of Stewy animals, perched and placed along its length.

307, North Street hoarding (4)

John D’oh is a political stencil artist, and he has been oh so very busy recently. This recent piece, in a little alcove on North Street, really chimes with me. It is a promotional piece for the upcoming Upfest event and in fact there are two of the stencils side by side in this location. Technically, this piece is excellent.

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

The best bit about this piece is that it features a guy called Jeff, who sells ‘The Big Issue’, a magazine I have referred to previously in my posts. He is my local seller, and I like to buy my copies from him. He can usually be found in Stokes Croft, in North Bristol, but this stencil is in North Street (rather confusingly) in South Bristol.

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

There was a nice feature in the Bristol Post (I cannot find a link) about the stencil and how pleased Jeff was to be the subject of it. I’ll have to talk to Jeff about it next time I see him. Great work, with a great subject promoting a great event.

283. The Bearpit (21)

In Bristol, most of the political street art seems to be created by stencil specialists. I guess the technique lends itself to writing messages and combining them with famous, iconic or striking figures.

Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016
Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016

In this beautifully executed example by Dice 67, we see a homeless man holding up a banner, while behind him there is a group of Tory politicians, in what appears to be a police line up. The Prime Minister is accompanied by Gove, Hunt, Osborne and one other. The Tory manufactured mantra since the coalition has been ‘we’re all in it together’. Obviously it is not the case, as the wealthy continue to get wealthier and the poorest in our communities are dropping through the cracks.

Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016
Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016

Whether I agree or not with this piece is irrelevant in so much as it is a fantastic work and worthy of greater exposure. Dice 67 is a brilliant stencil artist, and I always love it when he visits Bristol and leaves something like this behind.

Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016
Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2016

He signs off the piece with his usual spray cans. A great work.

269. Dean Lane skate park (9)

There are a great many talented artists out there, I mean really talented, that choose to paint on the walls of our streets from time to time. I guess these people must enjoy it, because the work is often so fleeting, and the footfall of appreciating viewers is small. What I am rather clumsily trying to say is that creating street art, because you can must be very fulfilling, and that is a good thing.

Lemak, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, June 2016
Lemak, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, June 2016

This incredible piece is by Lemak, and in my view is technically brilliant. However, it is tucked around the back of some skating ramps and will be seen by so few people before it is over-painted. I have my photograph, and I am very happy with that, but a part of me feels sad that all the effort that has gone into this remarkable stencil? work will be lost so soon.

Lemak, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, June 2016
Lemak, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, June 2016

I have been writing about street art long enough to know that the ephemeral nature of it is understood and accepted by all, but when confronted by a piece such as this I wish it weren’t so. Lemak was the artist who created this beautiful tribute to DJ Derek back in April 2016.

Lemak detail, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, June 2016
Lemak detail, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, June 2016

258. Sydenham Lane

I believe The Krah is only an occasional visitor to Bristol, so I was surprised and rather pleased to find this small stencil on a door in Sydenham Lane. I was not looking for any street art, but simply taking a short cut…or different route down into Stokes Croft. This was my reward.

The Krah, Sydenham Lane, Bristol, May 2016
The Krah, Sydenham Lane, Bristol, May 2016

I wrote a short post about a lovely piece The Krah did in Leonard Lane, which was rather different in technique to this delightful stencil. Sometimes these small pieces can be the most pleasing, and they sit very neatly on the vast spectrum of all that Bristol street art has to offer. As with so many stencils, there is a sinister side to this girl – the grenade and machine gun remind us that we live in a violent and crazy world.

236. Ashley Road (6)

Another splendid paste up by Copyright. I featured another of his posters last week from Dean Lane skate park, and as a pair they are quite brilliant. How much I would love to own them and have them hanging at home.

Copyright, Ashley Road, Bristol, May 2016
Copyright, Ashley Road, Bristol, May 2016

His work is technically superb and his subjects always beautiful. Better than that though is the location and framing of this wheatpaste. Copyright has put some thought into how it should look…a common trait with pasters. Since seeing these two wonderful works I have found two more sprayed walls by Copyright, so plenty to keep me busy. The backlog is ever growing.

232. North Street hoarding (3)

John D’oh is a very naughty political artist whose work I enjoy immensely, whether I agree with his assertions or not. Whenever I see his stuff I can’t help smiling at his cheeky nerve. I suspect it gets him into trouble occasionally, but I like the edge he brings to the Bristol street art scene. This time it is the turn of the Queen, a reference to the band of the same name and her position on Brexit as portrayed by some media outlets (in particular the Murdock News International Media group).

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

Not only is the content of his work noteworthy, but his execution using stencils and his profusion of work is impressive. I have a large backlog of his work, much of which is politically no longer contemporary, but nonetheless an indicator of political issues in 2010s Bristol.

225. Stokes Croft, Snug Bar (1)

I am often left wondering how street artists manage to do pieces which can only be accessed from a roof. Do they have permission? Do they jump up a ladder? Do they find some other way to get up? I guess it depends. Anyhow, this appeared a month of two back (I think) above a bar in Stokes Croft.

Akarat and Hoax, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2016
Akarat and Hoax, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2016

The piece is by Akarat and Hoax. I think that the birds on the left are by Akarat and the stencil is by Hoax. This is a tribute piece to Buzz, and you will see all the little Buzz words all around the piece.

Akarat and Hoax, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2016
Akarat and Hoax, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2016

I think I can also see a bit of a Mr Klue mural to the left. This is strange as it can’t really be seen from the road, but I suppose a wall is a wall. As we have come to expect from Akarat and Hoax, this piece is full of symbolism, but what it means…?