Mistaken by many for a Banksy, this wonderful stencil is actually by JPS (Jamie Paul Scanlon) and was sprayed in 2013. Clearly it draws on Banksy’s style and subject matter, but that is no surprise as JPS credits his emergence and confidence as a street artist with a visit he made to a Banksy exhibition at Bristol Museum.
I have written several posts about the work of JPS, and he remains my favourite Bristol-based artist.
8/10
This wonderful stencil depicting how mobile technology is interfering with daily life, is tucked away on a heavily tagged wall and easy to miss. Just off Stokes Croft, it is well worth a visit. To me this is stencil work at its best. Social comment combined with excellent execution and location.
I’m not too sure what the dynamite is all about (on second inspection I think it is Christmas crackers). Unfortunately I have no idea who the artist is, but will try to find out, and when I do, I will update the post.
UPDATE: I understand the piece is by Goin, a French artist who I belive lives in Bristol.
This rather threatening Nick Walker stencil from 2013 caused the tiniest storm in a teacup when a Bristol resident complained to the Council about the work, complaining that it was an abuse of childhood. The way the law works is that the owner of the property can choose not to have the graffiti removed if that is what they wish, in in this instance the owner liked it and it has stayed.
The same stencil appeared as part of a commission of Nick Walker’s art in a hotel car park in Indianapolis. How good is that?
There is a final and rather sad end to this blog (updated in March 2016, whilst compressing images) which is that the door was stolen, and it now looks like the picture below. I think that the thief tried to flog it, but couldn’t so handed it into the authorities in the NW of England…or I might be making that bit up.
8/10
This building and its immediate neighbours are arguably the most painted walls in Bristol. Artwork is over-sprayed weekly or sometimes more frequently. You have to be quick if you want to photograph any of it, and some of it is really good.
I love this wonderful stencil. I am guessing it is a self-portrait of the artist, but I have no idea who that artist might be. I might have to do some digging around. From the comments below, it would appear to be a piece by Hoax. It is gone now (Jan 2016). Another addition, now in April 2016, I have just noticed a wonderful Face F1st next to the hoax stencil. I am a huge fan of Face F1st.
8/10
It is only right to mark my 50th street art post with my favourite stencil artist. JPS, an adopted son of Bristol is from nearby Weston-super-Mare, where several of his works adorn the holiday town streets.
This incredibly detailed stencil, ‘Spartacus’ is a tribute to the Welsh actor Andy Whitfield who played the star role in the Starz TV production of Spartacus. He died in 2011 aged 39 of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
I was lucky enough to photograph this work a day or two after it was completed on 13 April 2015. It is the detail of the clothing and belt that I think marks out JPS as an incredible talent.
The ‘Spartacus’, on the wall of the Queen Shilling night club, is only yards away from another JPS I posted on 8 July 2015.
9/10
With many thanks to a friend who told me about this tiny ‘shock wave’ by JPS, that is missed by most who walk this street. The pictures may give you some idea of scale.
In Weston-super-Mare, where JPS comes from, there is a full scale version of the same work on the side of a shop.
Weston-super-Mare is of course also playing host to Banksy’s Dismaland exhibition.
More JPS here and here, and also take a look at a great JPS post from Street Art Rat.
8.5/10
Zase v JPS
I don’t yet understand the ground rules or protocols that exist between street artists, but it would seem there is some minor conflict in a small passageway by the Arches on Cheltenham Road, Bristol.
An original mural by Zase adorned the side wall of Wong’s Acupuncture Clinic. This appeared before or during 2011. I only became conscious of the piece last year when I saw a wonderful JPS stencil entitled ‘Insert Punchline’ which covered the lower left hand side of the Zase work. Even at the time I saw it, part of the JPS had been sprayed over. Sometime later somebody added a rat and Banksy signature, but I doubt very much that it is an original.
I took a look at the wall last week, and it would seem that Zase has returned and restored the wall to its former status. It is a pity in a way, but at least I managed to get a picture of the JPS before it disappeared.
My wife told me yesterday about this very recent stencil work on the wall of the Highbury Vaults pub in Cotham. It is in good company, being just a few yards away from ‘Vandalism’ by Nick Walker (will post this soon).
The bubblegum boy is by Unify, an artist who appears to work in London mostly, but has done works around the world. I’ve not seen any others in Bristol, but that doesn’t mean they are not there.
It is difficult to find out much about Unify, although there is a website.
UPDATE – Somehow I lost all the original pictures of this piece, but have since photographed it again, and it is still in pristine condition. The original post was written in August 2015 and the photographs taken in June 2016.
I have found a very rich seam of fabulous wildlife street art in a tiny little lane in the centre of Bristol. I stumbled upon this by accident, and only now on searching the interweb, have found out that it is a very recent initiative organised by Human Nature.
This will be the first of several posts from Leonard Lane.
One of the most striking images in the lane is a beautiful stencil of a dodo by Stewy, another Bristol street artist, who works in Bristol, London, Brighton and Manchester amongst other cities.
There are strong influences from Banksy in his work, and I particularly like the choice of site for the work. there is another of his stencils in the lane which I will come back to in another post.
This is a perfect storm for me… a street full of wildlife street art.
8/10
Natural adventures 