5330. Dean Lane skate park (612)

Corupt, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Corupt, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023

Corupt is another of the Bristol stalwarts, whose work is consistently on-point and pleasing to the eye. This vibrant yellow piece spelling out STICK (one of two monikers the artist uses) is painted on one of the smaller ramps in the Dean Lane skate park.

Corupt, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Corupt, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023

What I particularly like about this piece is that when I photographed it, it was still quite fresh. Skate park ramp artwork usually deteriorates reasonably quickly for obvious reasons, and it is unusual to find pieces in good condition. There is nothing flashy or pretentious about this piece, and yet it still packs a punch and makes an impression.

5047. Dean Lane skate park (568)

Corupt, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Corupt, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

I was lucky with my timing when I found this piece. The paint was still wet, and there was a lovely smell of spray paint hanging in the air. It is always good to capture fresh work in skate parks, because the wear and tear from skaters kicks in very quickly.

Corupt, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Corupt, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

It just so happens that Corupt was sitting on the other side of the wall, watching Stivs, with Mozzarella, painting another wall. I stopped for a nice chat with both of them. As always with Corupt, this piece is perfectly finished, with very clean lines and fills. It seems that he prefers to write STICK rather than CORUPT these days, which works equally well. So much about photographing and chronicling street/graffiti art is about timing, and I got it just right on this particular day.

5005. M32 roundabout J3 (449)

Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2023
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2023

More writing on the roundabout, this time from Corupt. Over the last month or so, I have come across far more graffiti writing pieces than street art or character pieces, and that will necessarily be reflected in my posts. I usually try to get a fairly even balance of different artwork, but it can be a struggle sometimes.

Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2023
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2023

Corupt, writing his STICK letters, has chosen a rather low-key colour palette for this piece, and it doesn’t quite hump off the wall as much as some of his other pieces, but the handiwork is just as expert. The letters pull out from the wall, thanks to the grey vertical 3D drop shadow. The letters themselves are notable for the colour transitions and decorations in which there is an organised pattern, but unless you look for it, the whole thing looks a bit random. Another fine piece from the Hungarian artist.

4766. M32 roundabout J3 (434)

Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2022
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2022

As with so many regular writers in Bristol, Corupt continues to delight us with his STICK or CORUPT writing, and this one on the M32 is a stunner. With deep 3D drop shadows that assist with lifting the piece, the letters are presented in two halves of different colour schemes.

Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2022
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2022

Although the division of the two halves isn’t a straight line, the top and bottom have quite different colours, but similar patterns and details. This is a bold statement piece and carries with it the gravitas of a very talented graffiti writer.

4710. M32 roundabout J3 (429)

Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2022
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2022

I think that over the time that I have been photographing street art in Bristol, there are two kings of the M32 roundabout, Face 1st and Corupt, and both feature in today’s posts. This is a fine recent piece by Corupt on the north east wall of the roundabout.

Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2022
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2022

This is a striking and commanding piece from Corupt spelling Stick, set on a sumptuous red background. This is a tight piece from the artist, where every element is beautifully done and the whole thing comes together exceptionally well. I fully expect this one to be here for a while.

4355. M32 roundabout J3 (403)

I was fortunate enough to meet Corupt, just as he was finishing off this wonderful Stick piece. What I didn’t know until I returned a day or two later was that he still had quite a lot more work to do on it, and you can see what he added if you compare the two pictures below.

Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022

One thing I have noticed from watching Corupt while at work a couple of times now is that he is very diligent and careful, taking plenty of time to get things just right. In this piece he has absolutely nailed it, with a perfect background, outstanding letter shapes (so Corupt), fabulous 3D shading in black and grey stripes, sensational fills and a wonderful white highlight to help the letters pop.

Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022

The final touches included a yellow border and some shout-outs. The piece was a birthday tribute to his friend Rapa.

Corupt

A gallery of outstanding writing from Bristol artist Corupt, aka Stick

Instagram: @dis3kt

all photographs by Scooj

Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2022
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2022
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2022
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2022
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol November 2021
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol November 2021
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2021
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2021
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2021
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2021
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2021
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2021
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2021
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2021
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2020
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2020
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2020
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2020
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2019
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2019
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2019
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2019
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2019
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2019
Corupt, Raleigh Road, Bristol, January 2018
Corupt, Raleigh Road, Bristol, January 2018
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2018
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2018
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2018
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2018

4215. St Werburghs tunnel (274)

These pictures were taken only moments after meeting the artist, who I call Corupt, but who could equally be called Stick or @dis3kt (on Instagram) for the very first time. He was actually painting a piece opposite this one, which I will be posting in due course. There was a bit of a gathering in the tunnel on this particular day and I caught up with Rozalita, Mr Draws, DJ Perks and of course Paul H. A random gathering, no collaborations or paint jams going on.

Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2022
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2022

Corupt has been turning out some absolute belters recently and this one fits that category easily. The colours are slightly compromised by the awful lighting conditions, but the awesome unique letter shapes and intricate fills are there for all to see. An artist who really seems to be enjoying his work at the moment.

4112. M32 roundabout (365)

Great colours, great graffiti writing. There isn’t an awful lot more to say about this lovely piece from Corupt, on the Mina Road side of the M32 roundabout. I’m not sure whether I prefer his STICK lettering or his CORUPT lettering, each offers something different, but I would probably say his most memorable pieces have been STICKs.

Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol November 2021
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol November 2021

I have seen dozens of photographs of this piece on Instagram, and it certainly seems to have been popular. It is beautifully crafted and the fills are so well worked and have great variety. The BS3 refers to the postal code, and often appears on Corupt’s work. A really lovely piece of writing.

4077. St Werburghs tunnel (266)

To get the colours right in these pictures, I had to do a bit of manipulation, which if I hadn’t would have left them as yellowy-orange stains on the wall which really wouldn’t do. Instead, you can see the colours, which you can see with the naked eye, but in photographs are negatively impacted by the orange lighting in the tunnel.

Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2021
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2021

The letters STICK are by Corupt, who is going through a bit of a purple patch at the moment which means that you should look out for more of his work appearing on these pages soon. Corupt is an artist who keeps himself to himself, and although I have seen him paint, at the top of a ladder, I still haven’t met properly.

From a technical point of view, this piece is on-point and skilfully crafted, but it is also rather beautiful too, with some excellent blended shading in the letters. More outstanding work from Corupt is in the pipeline.