Tag: Street art

3551. The Bearpit (191)

The same place, the same artist, the same year (2017) as my last post, but a different character piece. Many readers will be familiar with Nevergiveup’s rabbits, but fewer might remember that he went through a phase of painting monsters. It is funny how he abandoned these in favour of the bunnies.

Nevergiveup, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2017
Nevergiveup, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2017

This one in The Bearpit (RIP) is beautifully sprayed in chrome on a red background… a rather gentle looking monster, not very menacing. These framed boards in The Bearpit were a perfect place for artists to showcase their work. Unfortunately taggers and some antisocial behaviour ultimately led to the removal of these boards and application of anti-graffiti paint. I haven’t been to The Bearpit for about two years, but nobody can take away my memories.

3550. The Bearpit (190)

Taking a trip through my archives is a bitter-sweet experience, and nothing sums that feeling up better than this wonderful old rabbit piece from Nevergiveup (Followmyrabbits). Bitter, because it was taken in The Bearpit in its prime, when artists had the freedom to paint the boards there without reproach and there was an atmosphere and creative buzz about the place. Two years ago, Bristol City Council turned this vibrant space into a sterile, utilitarian, CCTVd void… exactly what they wanted.

Nevergiveup, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2017
Nevergiveup, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2017

This is one of Nevergiveup’s early rabbits, and by looking at this you can see just how much his work has evolved since 2017, when he had only recently arrived in Bristol. He has certainly left his mark in the city since that time with literally hundreds of these little characters populating the city.

 

3549. King Street (3)

It doesn’t seem to matter how far back in time you go, those wheelie bins are a real nuisance. In another blast from the past, I have dug out this Mr Penfold piece from 2017, in a spot that the artist has made his home. I have at least three versions of his work in this archway and I am sure there may be others.

Mr Penfold, King Street, Bristol, May 2017

If you can ignore the bins for a moment you will see a beautifully designed piece incorporating a cocktail glass and some random abstract shapes. This is so unmistakably the work of Mr Penfold and forms a part of Bristol’s artistic DNA, along with artists like Andy Council, Alex Lucas and Tom Miller, whose murals around the city remind us of who we are. I’m so pleased to have liberated this one from my archive.

Mr Penfold, King Street, Bristol, August 2019
Mr Penfold, King Street, Bristol, August 2019
Mr Penfold, King Street, Bristol, September 2020
Mr Penfold, King Street, Bristol, September 2020

3548. Dean Lane skate park (400)

Another one from the archives and one that I am so pleased to have re-found. It is a lovely collaboration from Turoe and I think Veks, although I might have that wrong. I think I never posted it at the time because I was uncertain about the artists, and it disappeared, quite neglected.

Veks and Turow, Dean Lane, April 2017
Veks and Turow, Dean Lane, April 2017

Dating from way back in April 2017, the writing in dark brown colours is clearly by Turoe, who definitely wasn’t on my radar back then (what kind of blind was I?). The character I believe to be by Veks and is masterfully painted, so crisp and clean and vibrant. I feel I should have done more homework at the time, but I don’t think I even had an Instagram account back then and was still learning (that never ends). A fine and once forgotten, until now, collaboration.

3547. St Werburghs tunnel (230)

I was looking in my archives for something specific a few days ago and within moments was absorbed, sucked in, to folders from years ago. There are so many good and interesting pieces I have photographed over the years that have never made it into the blog. The next few posts are an attempt to adjust that imbalance, just a tiny amount.

Conrico, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018
Conrico, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018

Starting with this one from Conrico in the tunnel back in 2018, which I think might even pre-date the first piece of his that I posted. I’m not too sure what this character is or represents, but he seems to be enjoying his smoke. Colourful and tidy work from Conrico, whose style while being quite unconventional is most compelling.

3546. Dean Lane skate park (399)

There are some artists in Bristol whose style is recognisable from the slightest glance. It might be the shape of the letters, the colours, the form or any number of common themes or motifs. Every now and again though they let their hair down and do something quite different. This is something different from Dibz.

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2021
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2021

This is a fun and rather small burner from Dibz, which if it weren’t for the letters might be difficult to attribute to him. What you can always be assured of though from Dibz is outstanding clean lines and finishing and this piece is no different. I caught up with him while he was painting another more Dibzy sort of thing on an adjacent wall and asked why he had painted something so different here and he indicated that he was just having a bit of laid back fun. Great to see.

3545. Dean Lane skate park (398)

It was while he was completing this piece that I met Slakarts for the first time, and then the following week in the same place I met him again, both while he was painting collaborations with Nugmoose and Mudra. There three appear to have formed a tight group, and I look forward to many more collaborative walls from them.

Slakarts, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2021
Slakarts, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2021

Slakarts is developing and evolving this character all the time with each iteration bringing together themes he has been working on, such as the doubling of some features and the addition of glasses with reflective stripes on them. Thoroughly fun to observe and Slakarts seems to derive a lot of happiness from his work. All good.

3544. M32 Cycle path (114)

Readers of Natural Adventures will be familiar with cat pieces by Daz Cat, but I think this is the first Time I have posted anything by Sage. I actually got lucky because I met the pair for the first time when they were painting this rather nice collaboration. Such nice people… and like policemen and doctors and teachers, so young.

Daz Cat, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2021
Daz Cat, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2021

Daz Cat told me that he was using up dregs for this piece, not that you’d know it. This cat is full of colour and detail and the three-quarter profile has given Daz Cat some different perspectives to play with.

Sage, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2021
Sage, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2021

Sage, I think is responsible for some interesting mega tags that I have seen about the place without knowing who they were by. This, of course, is a bit of writing and I think he likes to do writing and characters in equal measure. I need to find and write about more pieces from Sage.

3543. M32 roundabout J3 (287)

When I visit the M32 roundabout, I usually stop for a few moments and take a look at the River Frome as it escapes its culvert and meanders towards the city centre before entering another culvert. This is a magical stretch of river and an oasis for wildlife slap bang alongside the M32 motorway. It was while I was photographing this new piece from Kool Hand that I spotted a kingfisher darting out of the tunnel and along the course of the river. It made my day… actually it made my week.

Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021
Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021

In a way I have Kool Hand to thank for this brush with nature, because If I hadn’t been photographing this piece at exactly the right time, I would have missed the bird. This is a wonderful throw up from Kool Hand featuring his trademark orangutan face with a baseball cap. A good day.

3542. Frome side (9)

One of the real privileges of the last year or so has been to witness the emergence of so many new street artists in Bristol, and even more exciting is that roughly half of them are female and are absolutely smashing it. There almost seems to be a new school of female artists loosely linked and bringing their own particular colourful blend of art. Exciting times.

Tao.Create, Frome side, Bristol, February 2021
Tao.Create, Frome side, Bristol, February 2021

One of these artists is Tao.create whose beautiful trapeze artist is still adorning one of the columns at the M32 Spot. This looks like a practice piece to me although it is difficult to say. Tao.create seems to love the body form and has a great skill for portraying movement. Equally clever is the absence of facial features which helps to focus our gaze on the whole body shape. I love the understated nature and location of this piece. I can’t wait to see more.