Tag: Stencil

224. Dean Lane skate park (2)

Dean Lane skate park is situated between Dean Lane and the Eastern end of North Street, and is a major draw for street and graffiti artists. The skaters quite like it too. Just on the way out of the park I noticed this poster, which I kind of walked past without really registering it, and then went back to it, thinking it was rather unusual. It is in fact a pasteup piece by Copyright an artist who has graced the streets of Bristol previously, notably during Upfest. His website is here.

Copyright, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, April 2016
Copyright, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, April 2016

Since taking this picture at the end of April, I have since found another poster in North Bristol, equally striking.

This is beautiful. A simple stencil and a lovely portrait. His style is very recognisable…I say that now that I know who he is and have done some searches on his work. I really like this work and rather wish I could peel it off the wall and take it home. I think his works for sale are a little outside my price bracket.

214. Stokes Croft, Slix (3)

This is a picture from Last December, but I believe the stencil is still there and untagged. It would need a ladder to replace it, and taggers cant be bothered with that, although wheelie bins often do the job. This I believe to be a Hoax piece, it has all the hallmarks, a ‘street’ figure with trainers and an obscured face.

Hoax? Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2015
Hoax? Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2015

If it is not hoax, I’m not sure who it is by. As with his other pieces, it is curious, and I am sure there is an interesting, but unfathomable, backstory. I think I need to get some interviews under my belt.

205. The Bearpit (14)

In the South East tunnel of the Bearpit you may this wonderful and very typical work by Angus (although nothing lasts very long there). It is a fun piece featuring Meg Griffin from the Family Guy, a TV cartoon I don’t watch so can’t explain any more about the work. Over the last few years Angus has burst onto the Bristol graffiti scene, and being a local street artist, he has had many great influences all around him.

Angus, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016
Angus, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016

If you want to know more about Angus, there is a lovely interview with him on the Best of Bristol website, which I thoroughly recommend reading. I rather hope to bump into him at some time, because he seems like a really decent bloke. I like the familiarity and crispness of his work.

Angus is also a member of The Secret Society of Super Villain Artists (SSOSVA) – you will see more artists from this group in future posts.

204. Cheltenham Road, Metropolis hoardings

These hoardings rarely have decent works sprayed on them because they get painted off almost immediately…it may be that the owners of the site don’t want the hoardings to become a practice wall. The result is that the hoardings are heavily tagged instead. In among the useless tagging, there was this gem however – an anonymous tribute to DJ Derek. As is is a stencil, I would expect to see it popping up around the place. Simple and touching.

Anonymous stencil, DJ Derek, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, April 2016
Anonymous stencil, DJ Derek, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, April 2016

DJ Derek’s funeral took place last week, and there has been no more news about the circumstances of his death. I do not believe they were in any way suspicious.

203. Brunswick Square hut

Brunswick Square is a reasonably recent discovery for me, which is why it has taken me so long to find this work by Dan. I posted another of his works in Hillgrove Street back in October 2015, but I really struggle to find out much about him at all. I know the piece was sprayed in 2009.

Dan, Brunswick Square, Bristol, March 2016
Dan, Brunswick Square, Bristol, March 2016

I have lifted he backstory quote from Dan to this wonderful work from the Wooster Collective website and it is as follows:

“After the opening of a new multi-million pounds mall in the city centre of Bristol. All the areas around have been proclaimed “no street drinking zone” giving the homeless people and the local street drinkers no choices but to leave the area. As a result of this, the number of street drinkers is considerably increased in deprived areas where the drinking ban is not so strictly enforced.”

Special Brew, the drink pictured,  is a strong lager favoured by heavy drinkers.

202. Greville Road (2)

This is a contemporary political stencil that I came across recently during a stroll down North Street. It is a controversial piece from an artist who is known for using iconic figures in his works – usually celebrities. In this instance he has conflated two ‘hate figures’…Adolf Hitler and Donald Trump, in a very interesting way. Edgy stuff, which makes it all the more attractive to me.

Pegasus, Greville Road, Bristol, April 2016
Pegasus, Greville Road, Bristol, April 2016

Pegasus is originally from Chicago, but now lives and works out of North London. He has a fairly substantial Wikipedia page, and a good website containing more about him and his works.

Pegasus, Greville Road, Bristol, April 2016
Pegasus, Greville Road, Bristol, April 2016

This is one of many political pieces in Bristol that are emerging as we enter into election periods in the midst of austerity. I expect more.

192. The Bearpit (12)

Another fabulous stencil, this time by Dice 67, an artist from Cheltenham, and one that I blogged about in August 2015. His work then was sprayed as part of Ufest 2015. This piece is quite different, lurking in one of the tunnels of The Bearpit.

Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016
Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016

An Instagram conversation with Dice 67 revealed that he only sprayed this on Saturday (four days ago) and by Sunday, when I photographed it, it had already been tagged by DBK. I do wonder if DBK are pushing the boundaries of graffiti etiquette at the moment. Anyhow, at least I got a reasonably clean snap of this really technical piece of work.

Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016
Dice 67, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016

I love this work, in particular the signature on the spray cans.

191. The Bearpit (11)

Turnover in The Bearpit has reached staggering proportions lately and I am really struggling to keep up. This wonderful stencil by the fabulous John D’oh, is one of several highly political statements directed at current Government Ministers.

In this instance it is the turn of George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whose recent budget was perceived as being one of the most unfair in decades.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016

John D’oh is another Bristolian artist, whose works are becoming more and more frequent on our streets. His website is worth a quick gander. I love this political stuff, it is edgy and full of vitriol whilst managing to present humorously. As you can see below though, it is not to everyone’s taste. The piece appeared less than a week ago and is already defaced.

John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016
John D’oh, defaced, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016

181. Trenchard Street (2)

Tucked away from the main drag in Bristol is this masterpiece by Nick Walker. This amazing stencil which dates back to at least May 2010 blends in so well with the architrave surround and brick wall.

Nick Walker, Trenchard Street, Bristol, September 2015
Nick Walker, Trenchard Street, Bristol, September 2015

The piece can be found just beyond the rear entrance, turning right out of the exit, of Colston’s Hall. It is another of those Walker pieces that have simply become a ‘part of the furniture’ that we in Bristol take for granted. I think that most, if not all of his work remains intact, which is very unusual here.

Nick Walker, Trenchard Street, Bristol, September 2015
Nick Walker, Trenchard Street, Bristol, September 2015

Taking a closer look at the butterflies reveals that they are more sinister than you might originally think. Great work.

175. Cheltenham Road, No 126

I found this lovely tribute to DJ Derek, the first of many I suspect, along the Cheltenham Road at the back end of last week. It is by Lemak and I believe was completed on 3 April 2016.

Tribute to DJ Derek by Lemak, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, April 2016
Tribute to DJ Derek by Lemak, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, April 2016

Lemak originally comes from Fleetwood but is currently based in Bristol.He was originally inspired by stencil artists and first took to spraying in 2011. I think this work is very accomplished, and the stencil portrait of DJ Derek is a fine and fitting tribute.

Tribute to DJ Derek by Lemak, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, April 2016
Tribute to DJ Derek by Lemak, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, April 2016

DJ Derek, was a locally well known septuagenarian disc jockey who played at clubs all around Bristol and beyond. He mysteriously went missing in July and his body was found in March this year. More on this in my posts 31. Leonard Lane (3) and 146. The Bearpit (6).