Tag: Street art

4555. Porto (7)

Although there isn’t the same kind of volume of street art in Porto as there is in Bristol, the range and variety of pieces is extensive and imaginative. These two pieces, by Carvalho, are studio paintings that have been framed and stuck to walls, carefully selected in various different places in Porto. I found these two, but I don’t know how many there might be, and there aren’t any references to them on his Instagram account.

Carvalho, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Carvalho, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

The first piece has been placed on an orange-tiled wall, which I think was very carefully selected as it picks out the orange tones in the subject’s skin, and contrasts well with the purple hoodie. The piece itself is a stunning portrait of a young man, in which the proportions are perfect, Colours, tones and shading all combine really well, and as for the placement – this is truly spectacular free street art.

Carvalho, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Carvalho, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

Carvalho’s other piece, that we found, looks like it has been around for a little while longer, as the frame is a little weathered. The canvass itself, though, still appears to be in reasonably good condition. Once again the placement of the piece has been carefully considered, and is on a rather neglected door, contrasting cleverly with the subject of his picture.

Carvalho, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Carvalho, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

The portrait of a young child might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is certainly an arresting image that is worth a second glance. The perspective is unusual for a piece of art, but isn’t this how we see people smaller than ourselves? Once again, the tones and shading in this piece are exceptional. Two great finds of great works by a very talented artist.

4554. Porto (6)

There is something perfect about this picture, and it is one I like very much. It was taken on our first day of exploring Porto while we were just finding our bearings. I don’t know who the artist is, but his charming monster character reminds me a lot of Mote’s work in Bristol.

Unknown, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Unknown, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

The framing of the piece is what makes it so appealing, and while it isn’t exactly the best piece of street art you’ll ever see, it is highly memorable and simply good fun.

4553. Greenbank (47)

You might recall that almost two weeks ago I posted a piece by Whysayit, commenting that I haven’t seen much of his work in recent years. It would seem that he is becoming a little more active, and this is one of two pieces by the artist on the Bristol to Bath cycle track at Greenbank.

Whysayit, Greenbank, Bristol, June 2022
Whysayit, Greenbank, Bristol, June 2022

Whysayit has a very organic style, spelling out YSAE, with letters that look like they have been squeezed out of a tube. The colour combination is a bit iffy in my view, with a solid, pale sandy yellow for the letters and a turquoise blue for the deep shadow. Yellow and red colours have been splashed in for letter shadows and drips. This is an interesting piece that has elements of Miro or Tanguy in it. I’ll be on the look out for more from Whysayit.

4552. Brunel Way (162)

Conrico has a fabulous touch. His work often looks more like a brush painting than one created with a spray can. I know he uses banana caps a fair amount, because he told me, and he gave me one once to try at home, and these might help with the level of detail he achieves.

Conrico, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022
Conrico, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022

The partially submerged turtle, swimming through foamy waves is beautifully painted, in particular the well observed colourful scales of the shell. I would consider Conrico to be a true artist who has obvious talent and has managed to upscale his work onto larger canvasses really successfully. A fine piece.

4551. Cattle Market Road (12)

On my tours of different spots around Bristol, I have bumped into Mote several times now, and each time it has been a genuine pleasure to converse with him. I am really enjoying his solid fill monsters, each quite different from the last. It is always good to see an artist turn out variations of an idea instead of perfecting an idea, although both approaches are completely ok.

Mote, Cattle Market Road, Bristol, June 2022

These two monsters are lurking behind a scooter stop, which I actually feel adds to the overall composition. It is as if they are looking after the scooters, and almost feels like a deliberate coming together, and the red colours match so well. I like the cartoon style that Mote uses that has the faintest touch of Gerald Scarfe about it – probably those swirly lines.

4550. Dean Lane skate park (506)

A quick one today – there is a lot going on in the real world – it is not every day that the worst Prime Minister ever resigns, and it felt for a little while late night that he never would.

Zake has been on fire this year, and due to his productivity rate, some of his pieces have been painted over by the time I have got to them. I got to this one in time, at least.

Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022
Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022

This piece is a fairly typical Zake face with all the fabulous touches he brings to the shadows of the face, giving the whole thing depth and a 3D quality. I suspect that this was rather a ‘quick one’ but nicely finished nonetheless.

4549. Dean Lane skate park (505)

Anyone who reads these posts regularly will know that I consider Dibz to be one of the best wildstyle writers, in Bristol and indeed in the country. In this outstanding piece in Dean Lane he has combined his talents with the elusive Ulow, who treats us to his talents from time to time.

Ulow and Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022
Ulow and Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022

The letters, in a dazzling transition from yellow to dark red, spell out DIBZ. The letters are so clean and crisp, and the fades between shades so seamless, there are few words that can describe the expertise on show. Just to cap it all, the pink highlights at the bottom of some of the letters create the most fantastic 3D effect of reflected light. Just brilliant.

Ulow, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022
Ulow, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022

The character, I am guessing it is Wolverine, is by Ulow, and demonstrates his fantastic shading skills that give his pieces a soft, rounded appearance, almost organic. Ulow is definitely an artist whose street art work I’d like to see more of.

4548. Brunel Way (161)

Tack Jucker has been painting in Bristol for a little under a year now, but in that time he has made a great impression with his animal and hand pieces, he especially seems to favour his monkeys and apes, and perhaps will fill the void left behind by Nightwayss in that respect.

Tack Jucker, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022
Tack Jucker, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022

This piece is on the same wall where I first met the artist in October last year, and like the piece he was painting then, features a monkey. The structure of the portrait is skilfully done, with loads of depth in the features of the face contrasting with the textures of the fur. Although the monkey appears to be a little fierce, it certainly grabs the attention and there is no question that passers-by would notice it. I am looking forward to more from Tack Jucker.

4547. M32 Cycle path (178)

The most consistently prolific artist over the last seven years is without doubt Face 1st. His tireless drive to keep producing wonderful pieces is enviable and really rather awesome. I don’t know where he gets the energy, or the cash for paint from. I guess I don’t need to know, but simply enjoy the benefits of his heroic efforts.

Face 1st, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2022
Face 1st, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2022

This is a rather nice FACE piece with a girl’s face in place of the ‘A’. The letters are large and bold, as if carved out of stone, and the grey of the letters contrasts wonderfully well with the Orange hair of the smiling girl. When the world grinds to a halt, Face 1st will still be out there painting letters and smiling girls on walls. It is just what he does.

4546. New Stadium Road (41)

I was going to run this post as an extra one yesterday for our American friends and use the cheesy pun “Happy Phourth of July”. I’m rather pleased I didn’t though, although quite happy to run with it today.

Phour, New Stadium Road, Bristol, June 2022
Phour, New Stadium Road, Bristol, June 2022

Phour continues to plug away at his aesthetically pleasing letters (and the sound they make as a word), leaving them at numerous spots around the city. There are some letters that work really well with graffiti writing, and Phour pretty much hits the jackpot. This piece has some great colours and is neatly finished with strong, clean black boundaries. This is a nice one to add to the collection.