2575. Cheltenham 2019 (20)

I have come across RTC a couple of times at Upfest in Bristol and really like his stencil work. This piece featuring Stephen Hawking reinforces my admiration. Many regular readers will know that I consider multi-layered stencils to be a highly skilled art form, and one that is probably misunderstood in terms of the hard work that goes into a piece like this one.

RTC, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019
RTC, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019

I believe RTC is a local Cheltenham artist, so it must be especially pleasing for him to be able to do a piece at the festival. I am guessing that RTC is referencing one of several books by Stephen Hawking in this piece, and most likely ‘a Brief History of Time. This is a truly excellent stencil piece.

1811. Upfest 2018 (71)

Well this is an absolute stunner, make no mistake. A few days in the making, and the scaffolding hiding the true genius of both the piece and subject, this must be one of the highlights of Upfest 2018.

Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

It is a strange thing as a writer and observer of street art, that I am really only familiar with Bristol street artists or artists who frequently visit Bristol. I really don’t know very much about the world circuit of famous artists that travel the globe for festivals and commissions – this leaves me looking a bit daft when writing up pieces like this one because I simply don’t know the artist Arcy at all.

Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

One thing is for sure though I will certainly be looking out for his stuff on the Interweb from now on, as this is such an outstanding work by a truly gifted artist. His website is well worth a look, and his biography is here. Also check out his gallery of walls…this guy is good.

Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Of course, the picture is of one of the greatest and most influential people of our time, Stephen Hawking, who sadly died in March this year aged 76. I think that this piece really captures the spirit of Stephen Hawking brilliantly, the bright and slightly cheeky personality. This is photorealistic art at its best. Bravo!

Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018