With this piece, I got to see that Kid30 is not a one-trick pony. The only pieces I have seen by him before, and that is only a few, have been mash-up pieces of cartoon characters stitched together. This x-ray tortoise piece is something quite different.
Kid30, Nottingham, November 2023
I would guess that this piece is probably a commission, although maybe he simply felt like doing something a little different. I am not sure whether the tortoise skeleton is anatomically correct, but it looks pretty credible to me. Kid30 has used this grayscale piece to show off his talent, which is pretty visible throughout Nottingham.
I find myself writing (last night) about this wonderful piece by Boaster in Nottingham from a hotel room in Sheffield having spent the day in Manchester. I seem to be ‘on tour’ quite a lot these days, although this trip isn’t with work, but with my daughter who is checking out some university options.
Boaster, Nottingham, November 2023
I have come across Boaster twice before at Upfest, and remember really liking his surreal work. This piece is a belter, spelling out BOASTER with individual mini-pieces for each letter. The B and the O are both outstanding in their own right, let alone the rest of the letters. It is such a pleasure and a privilege to be able to visit other towns and cities in England and to enjoy their culture, architecture and of course street art. The best bit is that I hadn’t studied the street art scene in Nottingham, and that each piece I found was a super unexpected bonus. Bravo Booster!
Boaster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Boaster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I will never be able to keep up with Klashwhensober’s prolific presence around Bristol. Not only does he paint whenever he gets the opportunity, he also paints at all the regular spots and some of the out-of-the-way places too. I’m not sure I have seen him occupy this particular wall in Dean Lane before and it didn’t last for very long, so I am pleased I captured it when I did.
Klashwhensober, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Without a doubt, this is one of Klashwhensober’s better pieces and he has smashed it on a premium wall and it doesn’t look in the slightest bit out of place. The bright yellow and grey letters stand out beautifully on the contrasting orange/red background. Great fill patterns and drop patterns too and the finishing is pretty much on point too. A great piece from Klashwhensober.
Mr Klue, Horfield skate park, Bristol, November 2023
Having been so prolific earlier on in the year, Mr Klue is going through one of his lean periods, and it can be quite a struggle finding anything new by him. This has always been the way with Mr Klue who is a ‘peaks and troughs’ kind of artist.
Mr Klue, Horfield skate park, Bristol, November 2023
This piece adorns the end of a ramp wall at the skate park adjacent to Horfield Leisure Centre – a place I used to visit frequently when our daughter was learning to swim. Mr Klue has a great eye for his colour palettes and doesn’t disappoint with this KLUE piece. The letters feel a little squashed, and I think that the height of the wall has cramped his style quite literally. It is, however, always great to find anything from this unusual abstract graffiti writer.
Gatoloco (Kasoe), M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
What an absolute treat. Gatoloco, who is an occasional visitor to Bristol, has absolutely knocked it out of the park with this outstanding piece of writing. The letters spell KASO, he appears to have dropped the ‘E’, but maybe that was all he could fit into the space.
Gatoloco (Kasoe), M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
I think that Gatoloco might be my favourite writer outside the city of Bristol. He brings so many design elements into his work, without it looking busy or fussy. I love the stripes on the letter ‘A’, a theme he has adopted in other recent pieces (a quick squint at his Instagram account revealed). The piece can be roughly dated, by the shout-out to Gaza. Fine work from the visitor.
Mr Penfold’s work seems to be only occasional these days, so it is always a genuine pleasure when I find one. This is a recent piece, painted alongside friends Billy and Merny, making up part of the outdoor gallery on the side of Lost Horizons.
Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023
Mr Penfold’s highly designed abstract work translates really well from the studio to large outdoor ‘canvasses’, which cannot necessarily be said for many abstract artists. I would say at this point, though, that we probably don’t have our fair share of abstract street artists in Bristol, and it is a genre that could do with a bit of a boost. Slakarts is definitely moving in that direction, but generally abstract artists are few and far between. Mr Penfold has painted his distinctive large, colourful and solid shapes on a black background, making our eyes do the hard work, dancing from one shap or colour to another. A lovely piece from the artist.
Claro_que_sssnoh, Peel Street Green, Bristol, October 2023
It feels like quite a while since I last posted a piece by Claro_que_sssnoh, and even longer since I saw evidence of a paint jam by him and his Spanish compatriots in the Sunday Lovers crew/collective.
Claro_que_sssnoh, Peel Street Green, Bristol, October 2023
I like the wall at Peel Street Green, because its layout lends itself to a gallery appearance, with each section of wall occupied by a single piece. Also there is very little tagging that happens here, rather there is a rolling replacement of each piece with a new piece. Claro_que_sssnoh has written his usual HONS letters in his unique style and added in plenty of decorations to his light off-white fill. The numbers 23 tell you it was painted in 2023 and the letters SL refer to Sunday Lovers. It is always good to fine pieces by Claro_que_sssnoh.
Although Halloween was quite some time ago, I still have several ‘horror’ pieces in the pipeline, including this beauty by Biers. I met the artist about a week after he painted this one, and he said that he didn’t like it very much. I quite often find that artists can be their own most ferocious critics. From my perspective, I think this is a great piece, very much in the Halloween spirit of things.
Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2023
The writing spells out WD40, which is difficult to pick out unless you know, and follows Biers’ usual format of writing his letters and incorporating a character in the ‘0’. The character in this instance is Chucky from the Child’s Play franchise – films I have never actually seen myself – horror is my least favourite genre of films… they scare me. Wonderful work from Biers. Boo!
For many years, and more acutely this year, there has been a massive focus on the issue of compensation overflows in the UK. These overflows are essentially permitted activities of pumping raw sewage from water treatment plants, when heavy rainfall makes the processing of large quantities of sewage almost impossible. Some (and I include myself in this) point the finger at underinvestment in the infrastructure of water treatment plants, rather favouring healthy annual handouts to investors and shareholders.
The problem existed before the privatisation of water companies, but has been exacerbated by privatisation and a growing population and demand on the existing infrastructure, that simply isn’t up to scratch. Much easier to lean on a polluting permitted activity than to spend money fixing the problem.
Privatisation of water has, in my view, been a disaster, making a few investors, chief executives and foreign companies very wealthy indeed, but leaving the necessary investment and impact on the environment way behind. The public have had enough and are demanding that something is done about the situation. National commentary and pieces of art, like this one from John D’oh reflect this public mood.
John D’oh, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2023
In its minimalist way, this stencil by John D’oh distils the issue and makes it simple. ‘Shit doesn’t just happen (we have known about this problem for decades and done nothing about it), clean our rivers’. I have worked in the water/environmental sector my entire life, and John D’oh has nailed it. Clever placement too with the River Avon in the background. This is an understated and poignant protest piece. Bravo John D’oh.
In writing about this piece, I am beginning to have doubts that I have identified the artists correctly. Everything about the piece points towards Dott Rotten – the letter shapes, the fill patterns and the quality finish, but I might be wrong. The nagging doubt comes from the fact that Dott Rotten usually writes out SPOILT, but this says SORTS.
Sorts, Hepburn Road, Bristol, November 2023
Chrome and black work well and the yellow border helps to lift the writing from the busy background, and happens to also match the double yellow lines in the road. If it is not by Dott Rotten, then I am struggling to work out who it is by – always go with your first impression!?
Update: Thank you, Paul – The piece is by Sorts and not Dott Rotten, but it is certainly a compliment to Sorts that I thought it might have been otherwise.
Natural adventures 