Tag: Street art

Thursday doors – 25 February 2021

Doors 139 – Once again it is some random doors from Bristol

I have a big work squeeze today, so a very short post from me. A mixture of Bristol doors. Some from last week, others from the May lockdown last year… how things are dragging on.

I hope you enjoy this little selection:

Red door with three glass panels, Bristol, April 2020
Red door with three glass panels, Bristol, April 2020

Church door with (extra) large hinges, St Agnes, Bristol, May 2020
Church door with (extra) large hinges, St Agnes, Bristol, May 2020

Ashley Green door, Montpelier, Bristol, May 2020
Ashley Green door, Montpelier, Bristol, May 2020

Double doors, Stokes Croft, Bristol, May 2020
Double doors, Stokes Croft, Bristol, May 2020

Mr Penfold door, St Phillips, Bristol, February 2021
Mr Penfold door, St Phillips, Bristol, February 2021

Red back gate, Devon Road, Bristol, February 2021
Red back gate, Devon Road, Bristol, February 2021

So that’s your lot for this week. Sorry for the brevity.

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.

3506. Purdown HAA Battery (19)

Because I don’t get to photograph up at Purdown Battery very often, I am not too sure whether this is a recent or an old piece by Rosalita, but either way it is an absolute cracker. This wall is tucked away a bit and takes a little bit of finding, so I don’t imagine that very many people have seen it, which in one way is a bit of a shame, but in another way it is how some artists like to do things.

Rosalita, Purdown, Bristol, February 2021
Rosalita, Purdown, Bristol, February 2021

The subject of the piece is a mermaid, whose hair is made up of octopus tentacles, but instead of looking rather disgusting as in the Bill Nighy portrayal of Davey Jones from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, her hair is beautiful. This is an outstanding piece and another example of great work coming from Rosalita at the moment.

3505. Dean Lane skate park (392)

It’s official, Hemper is on fire at the moment and having as productive a time of it as any that I can remember. I wonder if the ongoing lockdown situation has freed up some artists to paint walls more often than they normally would, and other ones to become almost invisible over the last year or so.

Hemper, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2021
Hemper, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2021

I think that Hemper has a very good eye for colour combinations and the purple and green combinations in this piece work fantastically well. Spelling out HEMS, the letters alternate between the two main colours, but each letter is uniquely fashioned and filled. Another outstanding piece of graffiti writing from this master.

3504. M32 Spot (107)

A really unusual piece from Soap and the third element of a collaborative wall which included Ryder and Conrico. An all black and silver/chrome design from Soap is not what I’d expect to see at all as he usually bathes his work in bright and cheerful colours.

Soap, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2021
Soap, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2021

The basic style is there from Soap with gaping mouths, and he has added a geological feel to it with a rocky appearance and gems embedded within the rock, ripe for mining. A curious piece and one that is at odds with Conrico’s and Ryder’s to the left.

3503. St Werburghs tunnel (225)

Right, let’s get down to business. Merny, or Morny as I call him, because that is how he signed himself once in the past at a time when he first appeared on my radar, is an artist I really like. His naive style, with children’s crayon-like scribbles is so unique and refreshing and adds a wholesome and entertaining aspect to our walls.

Morny, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2021
Morny, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2021

In this piece Mo(e)rny gives us a super truck to marvel at. Irregular wheels and a curious child-like perspective add to the interest of the work. Sadly it didn’t last very long, and there are some taggers who appear to have a particular dislike of Morny’s work, which is a little ironic, because the stuff they slap over other people’s work is usually pretty shoddy. Is it jealousy? Or just wilful nastiness? Who knows, but I hope it doesn’t discourage Morny from continuing to create these lively vibrant pieces.

3502. Dean Lane skate park (391)

Aah! Pura Decadencia – pure decadence, that’s what I’m saying. It is so refreshing to have this ‘new’ artist about town, in a short time she has already made a great impact and found some walls that I haven’t even found. She is also unafraid to paint on high profile walls like this one. Great to see.

Pura Decadencia, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2021
Pura Decadencia, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2021

Pura Decadencia likes painting mouths and also vampire teeth feature highly in her work. This piece is figuratively and almost literally on fire and conjures up an image of a saucy kind of hell where fun is to be had. Really enjoying her work and hope that as the weather improves we’ll get to see a whole load more of her about the place.

3501. M32 roundabout J3 (283)

There are two excellent calligraphy writers in Bristol who stand out and who throw paint at walls on a fairly regular basis. One of them is Todoaciem and the other Stivs – this is a fine piece from the latter.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2021
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2021

I like the way that Stivs has slotted this piece of writing into a rather slim piece of wall, where the embankment rises up to the main roundabout road. The writing that spells out STIVS y nicely constructed, and as well as the regular and disciplined lines, he has also incorporated some embellishment and drips which always adds kudos to a piece. Nicely sited, beautifully painted, great work from Stivs.

3500. Purdown HAA Battery (18)

Up at Purdown there are several walls painted by Zace, it certainly seems like he enjoys practising his craft on the square concrete walls. Among the customary alien faces is this outstanding manga style profile portrait.

Zace, Purdown, Bristol, February 2021
Zace, Purdown, Bristol, February 2021

This is an eye-catching piece and one that I like a lot. There is a simplicity of composition about the whole piece, but it comes together nicely, and I’d love to see more like this coming out of the rather productive Zace stable. Shame about the mud splatters on the face.

3499. M32 Roundabout J3 (282)

Yet another debut artist for Natural Adventures in 2021 – they just keep coming. Lee Roy has been writing for a while, but a recent spate of pieces in Bristol has drawn him to my attention and his unique style is worthy of representation on this blog as part of the vast spectrum of talent in the city.

Lee Roy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2021
Lee Roy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2021

His work is loud and overt and easy to read. This is a bold statement – Lee Roy was here. His letters are framed within a bounded black background and are in an interesting font that is rather forgiving of irregularity. The fills are intricate and fun which grow on you the more you look at them. Lee Roy describes himself as a ‘lazy writer’ which I think is a little bit too modest and self deprecatory. Look out for more coming soon.

3498. Dean Lane skate park (390)

Unheralded and therefore unexpected, was this sumptuous recent piece from Inkie in Dean Lane. On his own Instagram feed Inkie describes this piece as a ‘Wildstyle painting in Boogie Down Bristol for new @sam_krats & @mc_craig_g NYC track ‘Culture’ coming soon’. So that gives us a little clue to what the writing says – CULTURE.

Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2021
Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2021

Inkie paints quite a few of these music-linked pieces, and I am never quite sure if they are commissions or simply promoting music for his friends. In a way I don’t really care what his motivation is, more the high quality of his outstanding artwork – years of hard graft and huge talent make this stuff look quite easy, the sign of a master at work.