Tag: Stencil

To Dom

 

Tears of a grieving

mother, stained in red tribute

where he used to skate.

 

by Scooj

 

  • I was deeply moved today when I met a lady roughly my age spraying a cardboard stencil tribute to Dom. I stopped to ask her who Dom was. She told me through her tears that he was her son, aged 21, who died two days ago on a basketball court. Too tragic for words. Sometimes life is just so very tough. Such sadness. As a boy Dom used to skate here at Dean Lane skate park.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/university-basketball-captain-died-after-11976867

 

 

421. University Road

I have held on to this one for a very long time, because although I suspected it, I was never one hundred per cent sure that it was by JPS. Well it is…although I had to check back on his Instagram account to be absolutely certain.

JPS, University Road, Bristol, July 2015
JPS, University Road, Bristol, July 2015

The featured image is the earliest photograph, taken in August 2014, and the cleanest version that I have. The Charlie Brown character has been defaced a couple of times since, and I am fairly sure that the last time I saw it, it was pretty much ruined.

JPS, University Road, Bristol, August 2015
JPS, University Road, Bristol, August 2015

It is one of my top ten stencils and was really the first introduction I had to photographing street art. I think I love everything JPS does, and I have so much more to share.

JPS, University Road, Bristol, August 2015
JPS, University Road, Bristol, August 2015

I seem to have in my mind that I read an article about this piece and that it made reference to Banksy’s successful New York tour, hence the ‘I love NY’ tag. I wish I could recall the article, because I doubt the sharpness of my mind.

JPS, University Road, Bristol, August 2015
JPS, University Road, Bristol, August 2015

419. North Street hoarding (5)

This little alcove, created by the side of a shop on one side and a hoarding on the other is a favourite haunt of John D’oh’s. Hardly a week goes by without a new stencil from this productive agent provocateur appearing in the immediate area.

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

His works are often political, and here we have a statement about homelessness which frankly is difficult to disagree with. The expression of this issue through graffiti art is surely representative of a general groundswell of opinion that things just aren’t great at the moment for those who drop under the radar of our bullish Government. Casualties…collateral damage of ‘Britain being open for business’. Shame.

392. York Street, Weston-super-Mare

For me, the best bit of going to Weston-super-Mare is knowing that it is the home of JPS, and it really doesn’t take very long to find some of his works about the place. It is largely thanks to JPS that I have taken such an interest in street art in the first place. His pieces in Frogmore Street and at the ‘Arches’ on Gloucester Road, were among my first posts.

JPS, York Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
JPS, York Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016

His stencils are witty and often contain wordplay but have their real strength in their technical execution. JPS often references popular culture, TV and films in particular, and here he features a life-size Batman, and wonderful pun. I have seen images of this piece all over digital media, so it was a real pleasure to find it for real. I love it that the wall has been repainted and rendered (?) around this work – big respect.

JPS, York Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
JPS, York Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016

On this particular visit to W-s-M I took many photographs of JPS works and I am mindful that I might have to do a bit of a compilation post, although I really don’t like doing that. I’ll have to have a think.

391. Upfest 2016 (35)

At the far west end of North Street in the Rising Sun pub garden there was a host of SSOSVA (Secret Society of Super Villain Artists) gathered under a covered area. There was a real party atmosphere going on, some very loud music and clearly all the artists were having a ball.

RIP, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
RIP, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

RIP is a stencil artist I have come across many times before although I am only familiar with his small single layer witty stencils. This piece was something of a pleasant surprise for me, to see a multi layer stencil, and a really rather classy one at that.

RIP, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
RIP, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

It is interesting that the more that you see of an artist, the more depth you get to discover. The range of styles and techniques can be incredibly broad from studio to street…just another aspect I love about the whole street art/graffiti scene.

 

387. Upfest 2016 (31)

I used to play five-a-side football with someone called Karl Read, but it wasn’t this Karl Read. This one is a stencil artist from the South Coast and created this amazing portrait in one of the key locations for Upfest. Last year, the wall was home to Robers Wass’ beautiful fox.

Karl Read, Raleigh Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Karl Read, Raleigh Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

There is something about the tones and lines that reminds me a lot of Copyright’s work, of which there is quite a lot in the area, and at first I thought it might be one of his, but then I looked closer.

Karl Read, Raleigh Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Karl Read, Raleigh Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Once again, one of the real pleasures of being at the festival was to be able to see the artists at work. In this instance, Karl was working with some really large pieces of card that were not entirely cooperating.

Karl Read, Raleigh Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Karl Read, Raleigh Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

The more observant viewer, and one that gets to this final sentence, might spot a reflection of the author of this post (that’s me) in the glass door in the feature image. Vanity publishing!

386. Upfest 2016 (30)

This is one of the most incredible stencils I saw at Upfest this year. It is by p0g0, a French artist now living in Southampton. I watched him putting the final touches to this work, but would have loved to seen the early layering of the stencil.

P0g0, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
P0g0, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

The skill of the artist has turned the relatively mundane subject matter into something really special. The piece is called ‘Dirty Converse’.

P0g0, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
P0g0, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

It is no surprise to learn from his short bio in the Upfest programme that P0g0 was a finalist in the Stencil Art Prize 2015, and winner of the 2015 Stencil Art Awards in Bristol.

P0g0, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
P0g0, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

377. West Pallant, Chichester

Having only recently posted about JPS in Weston-super-Mare, I was lucky enough to find this wonderful JPS cat while staying with my mother in West Wittering recently.

JPS, West Pallant, Chichester, August 2016
JPS, West Pallant, Chichester, August 2016

I knew the cat was somewhere in Chichester, but wasn’t sure where. I don’t know if you have ever been to Chichester, but its compass layout should be a simple enough plan to map out in your brain. I, however, and I know I am not alone in this, really struggle to know where on earth I am when in one of the four main streets. This cat I hope will help me to navigate better in future, along with the wonderful Stik not too far away.

JPS, West Pallant, Chichester, August 2016
JPS, West Pallant, Chichester, August 2016

This cat by JPS has been stencilled in other places too…another post maybe. It is quite beautiful. The stencil itself is exceptional and the colouring really makes it stand out. If you look carefully you will see the the letters J P S disguised in the cat’s fur. One of my favourite stencils.

JPS, West Pallant, Chichester, August 2016
JPS, West Pallant, Chichester, August 2016

376. Hoxton Square, Shoreditch, London (2)

I couldn’t resist sneaking this wonderful stencil by Unify in during this ‘Upfest lull’. One of my earliest posts was a Unify piece in Bristol, that is as fresh today as the day it was sprayed. I have looked for other pieces by him, but found nothing in Bristol. In London however, his hometown, I have found some of his work.

Unify, Hoxton Square, Shoreditch, London, August 2016
Unify, Hoxton Square, Shoreditch, London, August 2016

This amazing piece that I recall seeing on digital media a little while ago, is obviously a commentary on immigration and probably the Brexit referendum. It is a powerful bit of street art.

Unify, Hoxton Square, Shoreditch, London, August 2016
Unify, Hoxton Square, Shoreditch, London, August 2016

This piece sits quietly next to the wonderful Mr Cenz and Fanakapan pieces that I recently posted here. More to come from Unify soon.

 

 

366. Richmond Street, Weston-super-Mare

Recently my daughter suggested we had a day at the seaside. In Bristol, the seaside generally means Weston-super-Mare, or Weston on the mud. A Victorian seaside town that was very much alive when we visited. It is also the home of one of the great stencil artists in the country, and one of the first artists that inspired me to write about street art in the first place, JPS.

JPS, Richmond Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
JPS, Richmond Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016

This is a piece that I have seen numerous times on digital media, but to see it for real was a treat. It is funny and beautifully executed. Furthermore, what none of the pictures reveal is that it is outside the Bear Grills restaurant, adding to the joke.

JPS, Richmond Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
JPS, Richmond Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016

This is the first of many of JPS pieces I will write about from the W-s-M ‘gallery’, as they can be found all over the place, and I am sure I missed tons, so a further visit is in the planning.