This is the last piece from the RBF Black Lives Matters wall organised by Pekoe a couple of weeks ago. It is by honorary female artist Rezwonk, and rounds off the whole collaboration with some real style. I understand that Rezwonk was a stand-in for a late withdrawal, and what better understudy could you want.
Rezwonk, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
It’s a funny thing, but when I first saw the piece, I didn’t know it was by Rezwonk, and only found out subsequently. I’m not certain I would have identified it immediately, which shows how we become familiar with the letter shapes as much as we do the style of different artists. Anyhow, this is a fine ‘Matter’ from Rezwonk and a fine conclusion to a fine collaboration.
RBF Crew + friends, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
On now to part 4 of the Black Lives Matter wall organised by Pekoe, mobilising the RBF crew into creating one of the most memorable collaborations of the year so far. This part of the wall is by Hazard and is similar to the clenched fist that she painted on Turbo Island a week or so earlier.
Hazard and Smak, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
This is such a strong image made stronger by Hazard’s mastery of colour and shading, creating an almost iridescent effect. A beautiful and emotionally charged piece. There is a rather nice little cameo appearance by Smak whose ‘no justice, no peace’ writing edges the top of the fist. So good to see this as part of this collaboration.
RBF Crew + friends, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
On to the third part of the Black Lives Matters wall organised by Pekoe and her RBF crew from a couple of weeks ago. This section ‘LIVES’ is by Evey, an artist I don’t think I have featured on Natural Adventures before.
Evey, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
What a beautiful piece of writing. Everything about it is peaceful and calm and it is beautifully executed too. I suspect, just from looking at the spacing of the letters that Evey doesn’t paint walls as often as her counterparts, but she has a wonderful light touch that is far removed from the edgy reputation that some graffiti writing has. The leaf fill is very nicely done. I hope to see more from Evey.
RBF Crew + friends, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
The second piece from the RBF collaboration is by the organiser of the BLM wall Pekoe, and is a superb face and characteristically colourful and decorated hair. Pekoe’s work is so distinctive and somehow feels very ‘Bristol’ if that makes sense.
Pekoe, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
I don’t think I will ever tire of her work, which is always colourful and vibrant. Her pieces often seem to be tinged with a little sadness, emphasised by the tear, a signature element of her work. This one is a real beauty and even more powerful as part of this Black Lives Matter wall.
RBF Crew + friends, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
This is the first of five posts from this magnificent Black Lives Matters collaboration which was organised by Pekoe under the banner of the RBF (Resting Bface Crew) from a couple of weeks ago. This is an all female (plus one honorary female) collaboration and starts off on the left with the word BLACK by Bnie.
Bnie, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
We are more used to seeing Bnie writing the letters of her name, but whatever she writes, the quality of her lettering and unique style of fills and 3D shading shine through every time. She is one of the tidiest writers I know of and consistency is a given. The green and black shading is absolutely stunning. The whole wall was amazing but as with all street art, it just didn’t last as long as it deserved… it was painted over a day or two ago.
RBF Crew + friends, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
One of the busiest artists this year, and it is a very competitive field, is without doubt Turoe (Turoe One), and one of his favourite spots to paint is this left hand end of the long wall at Dean Lane. It is funny how artists gravitate towards certain spots.
Turoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020
This one is a really fine piece of writing in shades of green, spelling out TUROH, the H is a new one on me, but works well. I am very fond of the colours Turoe has used for this and there is substantial mastery in many aspects, for example the two-tone outline. Another good piece from Turoe.
The lock down easing has in my view been far to rapid and aggressively in favour of the economy, and I fear that we will pay for it further down the line, however these things are finely balanced. One of the upsides has been the productivity of street artists whose collective energy was paused for three months. Now, I simply can’t keep up. Many pieces are gone by the time I go to photograph them. I got this one by Hire though and glad that I did.
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020
As always, the spiky medieval style, that reminds me of a battle in full swing with swords and pikes clashing, spells out HIRE. The blended orange fills are very nicely done, and I rather like the (deliberate) fragmented white edging… an unusual touch. Oh, so much great art to share, but it is difficult to do it on two posts a day.
Yet another outstanding piece from the Poland v Spain paint jam at the end of May, although this one is by an artist who appears frequently on Natural Adventures, but you are more likely to know him for his charming Rabbits. It is of course Nevergiveup AKA #followmyrabbits AKA NGU AKA in this case Zbok. I expect he has several other personas from the past too.
Nevergiveup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020
The only way to desribe this piece of writing is utter class, I mean it really is outstandingly beautiful and crafted with such precision and care. This is from an artist who is immensely versatile and creative.
Nevergiveup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020
If you look carefully, you will see that the piece spells out ZBOK (which I think means ‘deviant’ in Polish). The smokey purple puffs are the cherry on this particularly sensational cake.
It is going to be difficult to do this piece justice in writing, because it is just so damn good. First of all I would say that anything painted here had to be good, very good, because the previous resident was a magnificent turtle by Louis Masai, that had been augmented a while back by 3Dom. This collaboration brings together some of Bristol’s finest talent in the shape of 3Dom, Piro, Epok, Sepr and Feek.
3Dom, Piro, Epok, Sepr and Feek, New Gatton Street, Bristol, June 2020
I was fortunate enough to be with Paul H on the day these guys were finishing up and he suggested we go take a look. The message is loud and clear ‘Peace, Love, Unity’ – something we could all do with after such a prolonged turbulent era in British history.
3Dom, Piro, Epok, Sepr and Feek, New Gatton Street, Bristol, June 2020
To see 3Dom, Sepr and Feek all at work was a real treat, although I believe Piro and Epok had finished their contribution the day before.
3Dom, Piro, Epok, Sepr and Feek, New Gatton Street, Bristol, June 2020
The lettering in the centre is by Piro and Epok and adopts three very distinct design styles all of which are expertly executed. The writing is flawless and the colour selections draw you in like a beacon. The writing alone would be worthy of this wall, but we have so much more packed into this space.
3Dom, New Gatton Street, Bristol, June 2020
On the left is my favourite bit (perhaps I shouldn’t say it, but it is), which is the female figure By 3Dom. The movement of the figure and expression on the girls face convey a contentedness and presence in ‘the zone’. I love the little details such as her earphones, necklace and belt of planets around her waist – there is a lot of symbolism here.
Sepr and Feek, New Gatton Street, Bristol, June 2020
To the right of the piece is a fine double-act from Feek and Sepr. I am not entirely sure, but the sense I get here is one of celebrating nature and all that is good and nourishing about it. The ‘Green Man’ monster from Feek is an extraordinary piece of art in a cartoon style and a superb foil to the celestial figure by 3Dom opposite. Sepr’s contribution of a robin and a mole add a touch of simple and humorous class to the collaboration. There is so much in this piece to enjoy, and given the location of the wall it is likely to be a keeper. Brilliant.
A recent paint jam in a spot I have struggled to get to until recently included this magnificent beast from Smak. The piece, in gentle pastel shades, is yet another example in an extensive portfolio of the outstanding talent of the artist.
Smak, Frome side, Bristol, June 2020
What is really clever about Smak’s writing is that his letters are nearly always legible and yet the sophistication and complexity of his designs and fills is mind-blowing. To achieve such a balance is surely the work of a master at the top of his game.
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