Doors 145 – Just some doors dotted around Bristol that took my fancy
I so desperately want to post some magnificent doors from a stately home or National Trust property or something like that, but I still haven’t been out much, so I am stuck with the ordinary everyday doors from around Bristol. Here we go for another Bristol doorscursion:
Door and steps, Saint Phillips, Bristol, April 2021Two graffiti doors, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2021
Door within a door, Bristol, April 2021Sliding doors, Easton, Bristol, April 2021DNT, Nine Tree Hill, Bristol, April 2021Bricked up door with the original gate intact, Bedminster, Bristol, April 2021
The weather is improving and lockdown is easing, so it shouldn’t be too long before I can get out and about for some fresh doors. Overseas holiday doors though are still a distant dream which is a pity… patience is a virtue.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.
The minute I saw this piece from Daz Cat, I thought to myself ‘classy’, and I still think it now. It is a rather modest work, tucked away in the darkness of the tunnel but its quality really packs a punch.
Daz Cat, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2021
The base colours of purple and orange are offset by the detail worked out in red and white. The piece looks more like an engraving than a spray-painted wall and has a moody quality to it. I can’t put my finger on it, but this cat I would consider to be one of his best (and what a vast collection to draw on). Blink and you could miss it.
In the world before COVID-19, if you can remember that far back, Decay was painting walls at will, and the high frequency of his new pieces at times made it difficult to photograph and post them. Then everything changed and we entered into a dystopian present overseen by charlatans. There seems to be such a strong correlation between demagogue leaders and appalling mis-handling of the health crisis.
Apart from a few pieces over the last year, Decay seems to have gone to ground a bit.
Decay, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021
This recent piece is something of a rarity, not only because Decay hasn’t painted much, but also because of the introduction of a new design. Chuck, the little character, remains. This is another Kill the Bill piece, which stands up for the rights of people who live in mobile accommodation, which Priti Patel appears to want to crush, along with a whole raft of other human rights. She really is a dreadful person in every way. Looking forward to seeing more from Decay as things improve.
This is a pairing that has been very productive in recent weeks and one that involves two artists with very different temperaments, Hemper and Turoe. What is clear is that both of these artists are uber-talented and capable of turning out writing in a plethora of different styles.
Hemper, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2021
This collaboration is actually only one half of a slightly larger effort that included Veks and Benjimagnetic but somehow these two needed to be posted as one. The Hemper ‘HEMS’ is utterly outstanding and those shades from brown at the bottom to blue at the top are sensational. The letter style is nice and organic and has a kind of woodland/outdoorsy feel to it. So very good.
Turoe, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2021
The Turoe piece in a richly scripted style, spelling out, unsurprisingly, SHYTE, is beautifully done in a yellow gold colour. There is something funny about the juxtaposition between the fancy script and crude word. A fine piece from Turoe. Together, these artists with contrasting efforts have absolutely smashed this wall.
Hemper and Turoe, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2021
Greenbank is the most wonderful temporary graffiti/street art spot. It is a very long hoarding, perhaps 100m, which separates the Bristol to Bath cycle track from a large new development. I guess the hoarding will be here for a few more months and then this great art asset will disappear and we’ll all have to look for somewhere else. This is the way.
Pekoe, Greenbank, Bristol, April 2021
Pekoe has been on fire over the last year and she is turning out some truly magnificent pieces. This ‘kill the bill’ portrait is in magnificent purple and yellows (which I recollect from school are opposite colours) and with her white beanie, it really hits the mark. This is beautifully finished and it looks like she took her time to add in some details in the face and hair. Another triumph from the very busy Pekoe.
Another interesting piece from Big Hev who seems to be having a great time experimenting with spraying walls about the city. Her work is still quite naive, but there is a definite style emerging and with practice I’m sure she will emerge as yet another fine Bristol wall artist.
Big Hev, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2021
In a move away from her portraits, this piece ‘you can’t hide our smiles’ features a seahorse in an orange circle, surrounded with love hearts. Her work is bold and colourful and there is a lot of energy there. Her skills and technique with the spray paint will develop over time, but so far watching her progress is hugely enjoyable.
There are dozens of these mega-tags all over Bristol and it took me quite a long time before I realised that they were by Sage. This one at the Purdown battery has an outstanding view of North Bristol behind it… such a great location.
Sage, Purdown, Bristol, March 2021
Most of these mega-tags are monochrome quick ones, but it seems that Sage has taken a wee bit more time with this one, giving his capped character little bit of extra decoration. Often, the location can be as important as the art, and I think this is a good example of that.
Both of these artists have had a very busy year in terms of throwing paint at walls. Benjimagnetic and Hemper are not artists I would normally pair up, but they have painted together in the past and continue to do so from time to time. Benjimagnetic’s style is much more consistent, whereas with Hemper, each piece is incredibly individual.
Benjimagnetic, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2021
On the left is a fascinating piece from Benjimagnetic spelling BEN, which is much less frenetic and busy than his usual offerings. The yellow outline, where you can make out his letters, is sitting over a blockwork pattern, and the whole efect is compelling. Two little speech bubbles state: ‘Stand in the balance’ and ‘Hold your head up’
Hemper, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2021
To the right Hemper has created a sensational piece of writing spelling out HEMS in beautifully curvy letters which are filled to perfection with various colourful shades and bubbles. The whole thing is set on a very atmospheric green background with a few subtle shout-outs. ‘Free assembly is a right… …not a privilege’ is a sentiment very close to many Bristolian hearts at the moment. Kill the bill.
Soker is an incredibly versatile writer, managing to conjure up no end of extraordinary styles for his usual SOKER letters, but this piece is, in my view, an extra special one produced during a recent birthday celebration paint for Sled One.
Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021
The colourful letters are framed within a beautiful flowery border that oozes pure class. It doesn’t take much more than the slightest glance to see that this is a masterful piece with an outstanding overall design, beautifully crafted fills and superb finishing. A supreme piece of graffiti writing.
Natural adventures 