Tag: Street art

3395. St Luke’s Road (2)

On the eve of 2021, it think it is appropriate to post this beautiful piece by Gage Graphics as a way of looking forward to the summer when we can be ourselves once again and figure out what our world looks like. It might not be like it was, but it will surely be better than right now.

Gage Graphics, St Luke's Road, Bristol, December 2020
Gage Graphics, St Luke’s Road, Bristol, December 2020

This large sunflower mural is one of several on this row of houses that overlook Victoria Park, and represents one of the best ‘free galleries’ in Bristol. Gage Graphics is responsible for several of them. There is something very special about sunflowers, I’m not sure what magic they possess, but I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t marvel at their magnificence. I think that they grow from a seed in such a short time and produce large happy flowers adds to their popularity.

Gage Graphics, St Luke's Road, Bristol, December 2020
Gage Graphics, St Luke’s Road, Bristol, December 2020

Gage Graphics has captured the majesty of the sunflower perfectly and in addition the services it provides to pollinating insects such as bumblebees. This is an outstanding mural and emblem of hope.

3393. River Avon (12)

This awesome piece of writing, which I photographed back in November, along the River Avon cycle track, is by Spanish artist Claro_que_sssnoh or Claro for the purposes of this post. The Spanish crews are absolutely smashing it all over the city this year and have brought about some joy in a very difficult time for us all.

Claro_que_sssnoh, River Avon, Bristol, November 2020
Claro_que_sssnoh, River Avon, Bristol, November 2020

This piece was sandwiched between two depictions of Satan to form the central element of the collaborative wall. I’m not too good at deciphering this writing, but I think the letters spell out NOHSE, or something similar. Claro is assured with his writing and can paint in several different and contrasting styles. This is an assured and beautifully sprayed piece.

3391. St Werburghs tunnel (215)

A nicely disguised signature on this two-tone piece reveals it to be the work of Mind Control, whose work is becoming more frequent in Bristol, in particular in the St Werburghs area.

Mind Control, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2020
Mind Control, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2020

There is an element of optical illusion work going on in this piece where the central character appears to be cradling a rabbit, although looking at it another way it might simply be the folds in his jacket. A clever piece from an artist with great ideas and lots of attitude.

3390. M32 Cycle path (97)

This is the first piece I have posted from an artist new to me who writes under the name EMAN. I note from his Instagram that he has been painting Bristol walls for a while, but I just don’t seem to have come across his work before. In the gloom of an evening a couple of weeks back I was lucky enough to meet him while painting this piece during an impromptu paint jam along the M32 cycle path.

Eman, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2020
Eman, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2020

Eman was rather pleased with his character in yellow, which he was developing and which I think might become a bit of a signature element to his work, a bit like Chuck is in Decay’s work. This piece spells out EMAN in a thin yellow strip with a shadow that gives the sense of a piece of ribbon, which is rather clever.

Eman, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2020
Eman, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2020

This is a nice piece and I already have a few more on file for posting sometime soon.

3389. Brunel Way bridge (82)

It’s that man again, Todoaciem, with one of his outstanding calligraphy pieces spelling out CIEM1. He really has been turning out some of the most consistently brilliant pieces of late and is fast establishing himself on the Bristol scene.

Todoaciem, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2020
Todoaciem, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2020

There is something of a mini Spanish armada in Bristol at the moment, and along with the strong Polish contingent, the city is becoming a wonderful culturally diverse melting pot for street art. We are blessed to be able to see so much art on our walls each day in so many styles from so many resident artists.

The piece itself not only stands out for its uniformity of typeface, but also for those incredible gold fills and the striped blue and white 3D shadow. One to admire.

3388. Sevier Street (2)

I made a special effort to photograph this piece as quickly after I saw it because I never got a clean picture of its predecessor by Tom Miller that had been there for a long while on account of the difficulty of parking nearby. Lazy me. As a result, this one from 3Dom was not going to get away from me.

3Dom, Sevier Street, Bristol, December 2020
3Dom, Sevier Street, Bristol, December 2020

Surprises are always good, and this piece from 3Dom was certainly that. No warnings, no Instagram, it was just suddenly there one morning. The piece itself is typically crazy and surreal and has a joyful charm about it. 3Dom has signed it with his Instagram handle which makes me wonder if it was perhaps a commission, or at the very least he would have sought permission to do it. I think it is an expression of weather and space, with elements such as clouds, a rainbow, the sun combined with stars (see Orion’s belt?) a galaxy and a rocket. Nicely painted and bright and colourful. Thank you 3Dom.

3387. Dean Lane skate park (372)

There is just enough time to squeeze in another post from Turoe featuring one of his end-of-year “shite year” pieces before this trying 2020 finally comes to an end. The pain has been relentless, but I have a sense that things will start to ease for all of us over the coming months. Scars will be left, and we will never forget 2020, but we will move on, and it will pass… we need to make time and space to turn our attention to more pressing (yes more pressing) issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss.

Turoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020
Turoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020

This one from Turoe in Dean Lane is another very nicely crafted burner, and there is absolutely no doubting Turoe’s talent. I have noticed that one of the No Frills (crew) trademarks is these bubble backgrounds, which several other members also use. I feel that these “shite (shyte)” pieces will act as a reminder for archivists, when we review 2020 in years to come.

3386. M32 Spot (96)

It is good to see another Zace piece featuring a stone face similar to the one I posted a short while ago from St Werburghs tunnel. In this little corner of the skate spot, Zace has used the unusual shape of the board to good effect. This is the kind of small piece that will often be overlooked, and it is always fun to find little gems like this one.

Zace, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2020
Zace, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2020

Zace has a fairly straightforward style and manages to execute it very tidily. I like the reversed out colours used in the face, with the lighter dots on the darker background and the darker dots on the lighter background – a clever technique. I am genuinely looking forward to seeing loads more from Zace in 202 because I like what I have seen in 2020.

3385. M32 roundabout J3 (271)

Coming across a Soker piece is never disappointing and when it is a variation away from his usual letters SOKER or SOKEM it is especially noteworthy. This wonderfully colourful burner spells out Super FREAK. I don’t know what the reference is, but I do know that the result is superb.

Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2020
Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2020

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there is something about Soker’s style that is uniquely his and that makes identification relatively easy… maybe it is the curves in the letters or the 3D shadow, I don’t know, but most of the time it is possible to get it right. The fills in the letters are to die for, and overall this is the work of a craftsman at the very top of his game.

3384. Cumberland Basin

It would seem that Smak rarely stops producing first-class pieces for us to marvel at, and he does this in between commissions. This is an artist at the top of his game who manages to do what he loves every day both in a work context and for his own leisure. Perfect.

Smak, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2020
Smak, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2020

These pictures were taken during incredibly heavy rain and while I was in an incredibly hurry, but the blurry look of the piece is not an artefact of the conditions, rather it is the piece itself and the way it has been sprayed.

A short post today because I have to start preparing for our Christmas meal. Season’s greetings to you all.