We don’t seem all that often, but when he visits a wall, he always leaves an impression, because his work is rather unique. I am talking about Stif who paints his rather surreal pieces from time to time in Dean Lane or sometimes Brunel Way. With this particular piece it was a case of blink and you’ll miss it, because it didn’t last long at all.
Stif, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Stif tends to paint on a black background which contrasts with the bold colours that he uses. This piece looks like it is a monster breaking out of a red parcel, and it might be a simple as that, I can’t really find a story or narrative underpinning the piece. It is rather eccentric and very memorable, and definitely worthy of posting on Natural Adventures.
This wonderful piece from Merny made me laugh a lot and offered another insight into the artist’s observational skills and ability to recreate otherwise ordinary conversations or objects and turn them into something visually special. I always enjoy his work, and the naive style lends itself to remarkable storytelling.
Merny, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2022
The heroine of the piece declares ‘I utterly can’t help it if I’m beautiful hun!’ And tells us so much about this rather vain and laughable, but somehow endearing character. What I like about the piece is that we all probably know somebody like this, and it is this resonance that works so well, like a good situational comedian. The woman is talking to herself in a mirror, which makes the piece even more hilarious. Great work from Merny.
Finding Mr Klue pieces these days is a real treat, as they have become a bit of a rarity in recent months. I only know of one other piece he has painted this year, which I missed, on Turbo Island. So coming across this one rather made my day.
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2022
Mr Klue certainly hasn’t lost his touch, nor his knack for selecting beautiful colour palettes. This wall had played host to a magnificent 3Dom piece, which had remained intact for a very long time, but had recently been bombed. Once this happens, a wall will tend to undergo a renaissance and rapid turnover, so taggers and bombers play a role in rejuvenating walls, even if it is irritating. Beneficiaries of this new start are Mr Klue, being able to paint in one of his favourite spots, and passers by who can enjoy a fresh piece of work from one of our very best abstract artists.
Photographing street art and graffiti isn’t just about the big pieces, the obvious ‘in your face’ high end work. It is about capturing the full spectrum of work and the full spectrum of styles, content, ability and so on. Finding a couple of little gems, like these from Zake, exemplifies the joys of finding and cataloging street art.
Zake is normally known for his bright and expressive stylised faces, full of light and shade to exaggerate the contours of the features. In these two small pieces in Dean Lane, Zake gives us something more like a study, or something you might find in a black book rather than on a wall. It is not only the beauty of these works, but their rarity that is part of their attraction.
Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022
I guess that they were both painted in the same session judging from the colour palette. A male and female portrait in subtle tones. Two fine pieces adding to the rich portfolio that the artist has to offer, and something a little different for the viewer.
John D’oh delights us with his stencils. Sometimes they are highly political and a commentary on events and happenings of our time and at other times they are packed with fun and humour, and this Captain Caveman falls into the latter category.
John D’oh, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
I am a little too old to have watched much Captain Caveman, but I was certainly aware of the cartoon series. In this piece, the mischievous character is looking thrilled to be let loose with a spray can. This is a fabulous small piece from John D’oh.
Although Daz Cat has been a little quiet of late, apart from a smattering of quickie cat faces, when he does have time he creates something magnificent, like this recent cat down by the river under Brunel Way.
Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2022
This piece is a dreamy look forward to the summer and days of warmth, shorts and ice lollies. The cat is one of Daz Cat’s full length versions and tells a story, rather than just a static piece. I’m not too sure what the pink lines on the shorts are, but some idiot has ‘augmented’ the piece, which is a pity. All in all rather wonderful stuff.
I am always slightly surprised that anyone would paint this particular spot; the wall is uneven and on a bit of a corner, but it is popular and has quite a high turnover. Maybe it is accepted that nothing here will last too long, whereas some adjacent walls are more sought after, and therefore inclined to have more longevity, especially with some of the more respected artists in Bristol painting them.
Bogat, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2022
Bogat and Asre (who goes by the name @runaway_joey on Instagram) paint alongside each other quite often, and judging from the shout-outs are obviously good friends. On the left is an unusual octopus piece spelling out BOG from Bogat, which is a little different from the long faces he normally paints.
Asre, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2022
Asre on the other hand gives us exactly what you’d expect, with one of his trademark faces wearing a hat, and in this one also smoking a joint. The two artists have used the space well and are becoming part of the furniture after bursting onto the scene earlier this year.
Bogat and Asre, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2022
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
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
The final touches included a yellow border and some shout-outs. The piece was a birthday tribute to his friend Rapa.
Over the last month or so, Laic217 has produced four wonderful pieces, three of them linked to support for Ukraine and this one, reverting slightly back to the territory we are used to seeing from the artist.
Laic217, M32 roundabout, Brisol, March 2022
The backdrop of multiple colours layered horizontally, almost looks like paint brush work, and is quite crude. There is nothing crude about his greyscale skeleton character, however, picked out with a fine white border. There is threat and misery in this piece, all part of Laic217’s narrative and fascination with decay and distortion.
There are some artists that paint so much, that the only way to showcase them here on Natural Adventures is to save up several and post them all at the same time. When I went up to Purdown a week or two back, I was confronted with several pieces by VZA (Veeez) on the concrete walls, and here they are.
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
VZA has three or four strong forms that he likes to paint, one of which is a simple character with big white eyes. The saying ‘less is more’ is probably appropriate with his work, like the famous London street artist Stik. I would like to think that the colour selection in this piece is in support of Ukraine
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
Another piece in a similar form, and again sporting the colours of the Ukranian flag, is this time presented in a landscape format.
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
Sticking with the two large eyes, the introduction of an arrow and an exclamation mark in red and white, is as good as any signature. Although the form is again simple, there is a lot of texture and character in the piece.
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
A similar piece only a matter of yards away indicates, through the similar colours used, that it was most likely painted during the same session, along with the final piece posted below.
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
By placing all these VZA pieces together in one post, you can get a real sense of his style and his work rate. I have another whole pile of his work to share and will soon do another of these compilations.
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