Tag: Stencil

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

Weston-super-Mare is the home of the great stencil artist JPS, and the Tropicana is home to many of his pieces. This one is in the lobby area between the street and the open area inside the Tropicana, where Dismaland was hosted.

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

This fine piece is of Peter Weller’s Robocop holding a spray can, I mean, why wouldn’t he? The detail in the stencil is incredible, and all the more remarkable when you take a close look at the texture of the wall.

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

There were some tourists standing in front of the piece when I was trying to take these pictures, and only reluctantly would they sidle out of the way. their bags however remained. Another classic from the main man.

595. Upfest 2016 (89)

This is an unusual piece by the artist Codefc. When I first saw the piece from a distance I thought it was something to do with Start Wars, when it is in fact a stencil of film/video cameras stacked together. The black and white stencil is set off beautifully by the gold background, which I think is a technique he uses a bit.

Codefc, Upfest, Bristol, July2016
Codefc, Upfest, Bristol, July2016

Codefc did some really interesting works in Rio for the Olympics, and you can see some of this on his website. Other than that, there is little biographical information out there about him, so I don’t have much more to add.

584. Richmond Road (3)

I was actually looking for something else when I found this goat stencil by Stewy. I have known about it for sometime, but had no idea where it was. Finding it was the reward for my curiosity in seeking out some graffiti nearby.

Stewy, Richmond Road, Bristol, January 2017
Stewy, Richmond Road, Bristol, January 2017

Stewy has produced some wonderful stencils around the city, including this Robert Wyatt piece posted last year. Animals and well known people are the areas Stewy specialises in and his stencils are distinctive in that they are nearly all two tone.

When I first photographed the goat, the sun played havoc, with half the goat in sun and half in shade. I tried making a shadow with my body, but it looked, frankly, a bit crap, so these pictures are a second attempt ion a flat-light day, and not great pictures either.

574. The Bearpit (33)

Very close to the Mr Klue/Decay collaboration, John D’oh has been busy with his 2016 stencil. A great many of John D’oh’s pieces are edgy or political, but this one I think captures the feelings of a majority of Bristolians, that for many reasons 2016 was not a good year, and the Grim Reaper is welcome to it.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

I love John D’oh’s stencils as they are usually contemporary with uncomplicated messages and often replicated in several sites. Both of these were in the same area of the Bearpit, and there was at least another one too.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

I very much hope that 2017 brings more hope and joy to the city, but I suspect it won’t. I sense a rebellious undercurrent will oppose injustice in all it forms and be expressed in a typically Bristolian way. Graffiti art will play its part, and John D’oh will most likely be at the heart of it.

550. The Bearpit (31)

The Bearpit has not had very much new work since it was taken over by the Mexican exhibition in the early Autumn, which feels strange as I am used to such a high turn over of ‘quickies’ there. This one has slipped through the net though. Another nice simple stencil from RIP, who might as well just come and live in Bristol, as it would save a lot on travel.

RIP, The Bearpit, Bristol, December 2016
RIP, The Bearpit, Bristol, December 2016
I would guess it is called ‘beard envy’, and what a beard. This is a nicely worked stencil, and I particularly like the shadows on the block letters. Classy graff art.

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.