Going back to October 2018 and this wonderful spikey and menacing rabbit from Hire. I have included this one from the archive for two reasons. Firstly I am a big fan of Hire’s work and secondly to show hoe consistent his work is, having posted a more recent piece from a couple of weeks back.
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2018
Apart from a few early pieces in The Bearpit, I don’t think I have seen any Hire pieces too far away from Dean Lane – it would seem that the artist is happiest painting here. This particular rabbit looks especially menacing.
I cannot begin to explain why it has taken me so long to post this outstanding piece by Deamze, especially as I am a lifelong fan of Goscinny and Uderzo’s Asterix the Gaul books. I guess that part of the reason is that my words simply can’t do justice to the genius of this piece, and so I left it, always meaning to come back to it.
Deamze, Waterloo Street, Bristol, October 2018
I rarely use the word genius, but I atcually think that Deamze is the absolute master of his craft and in this work, he has mashed up characters in the correct colour palette from Uderzo’s illustrations to draft out his name in his own style and it is all utterly commensurate with the ethos of the comic books. This is interpretive art at its very, very best.
Deamze, Waterloo Street, Bristol, October 2018
Deamze leaving Bristol for Hobart is surely one of the greatest creative losses for the city, and I am full of jealousy when I see his work from the other side of the world on Instagram. Maybe sometime he’ll pay us all a visit and drop a few pieces while he’s at it. One of my all-time pieces of Bristol street art.
I took this picture on my first visit to L Dub (Lawrence Weston) in July last year, but there were so many pieces being painted in Bristol at that time, that this was one of many that got left behind. The silver lining of being in lock down is that I have time to free up photographs from my archives (only a fraction mind).
Dun Sum, L Dub, Bristol, July 2019
Dun Sum seems to ‘own’ L Dub, with barely a surface there that hasn’t been spray painted by him. His work is really unusual and distinct, with his characters all having an unreal air about them, a kind of fusion of fantasy and that which we recognise. Dun Sum creates a new world forr us to enjoy. It is just such a pity that so few people get to see his work due to the very low footfall at L Dub. Perhaps he could be tempted into central Bristol…
Taken back in June 2019, this might be the last Soge piece that I have seen. Soge, who often paints with Hire has gone very quiet indeed and I wonder if he is still in Bristol at all. I do hope the absence is temporary because this style of graffiti writing seems to be pretty much the domain of these two artists.
Soge, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019
Soge (I think) is Polish and one of several artists fom Poland, including Hire, Laic217 and Skor and without whom the Bristol scene would be less diverse and interesting. This magnificent piece of gothic-style graffiti writing is a little bit more organic and softer than Hire’s spiky work (to the left) and is technically superb. Look carefully and yu will be able to make ut the letters SOGE. A fabulous piece. I hope there will be more to come this year.
Each of my next few street/graffiti art posts is going to begin something like ‘another trip back in time’ and this one is no exception. I cannot think for the life of me why I never posted this gorgeous piece from Tasha Bee (Keep it Colourful), but what a pleasure to do so now, especially when she has put the brakes on her street art work lately.
Tasha Bee, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019
This one is from June 2019 at Dean Lane, and is a real beauty so typical of her stylised faces work. I miss her soulful faces and hope that when all this Covid-19 thing is behind us she will pick up her spray cans and paint the town red.
Looking back to June 2019 and this rather different offering from Mr Penfold. Those who frequently visit Natural Adventures may be more familiar with his highly designed pieces with ‘liquorice allsort’ colours, often commissions, that adorn many a Bristol shop front.
Mr Penfold, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
I didn’t know Mr Penfold did these character paintings, and this particular one probably remained in the archive due to being unsure who the artist was. How daft am I?… it couldn’t be much clearer, with the writing ‘PENNY’ slapped across the piece. It demonstrates that the human condition is to see what we expect to see and anything that falls outside our assumptions is at risk of being discarded. A more forensic approach might be needed. Love this unusual piece.
If there are any silver linings to the Covid-19 pandemic, and I say this fully recognising the horror that faces us all, one would have to be that Mother Earth can take a breather from carbon outputs, chronically stifling air quality, disturbance of species and habitats and rabid consumption that we have all become so accustomed to… a temporary turning down of the global dial. Another silver lining is that with fewer opportunities to photograph street art and fewer pieces being painted, I have an opportunity to delve into my archive and bring you some wonderful work that has been dormant on my computer files for a while. This is a resource I will be dipping into for as long as it takes. A trip down memory lane.
Bad Taste, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
First up from June last year is this rat piece from Bad Tast, an artist I posted about not too long ago showing a collaboration with Soap in St Werburghs Tunnel. I don’t know if Bad Taste sprays anything other than rats, but it is an accomplished piece and practiced style and a welcome addition to Bristol street art.
Soap and Bad Taste, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2019
I love seeing Sophie Long’s work on the streets and simply don’t see enough of it out there, so finding this on North Street a little while back was genuinely a wonderful surprise. Her striking wildlife paintings/street art are truly beautiful and nearly always have this characteristic dripping which marks the piece as one of hers.
Sophie Long, North Street, Bristol, January 2020
This tiger is skilfully done, although if I were being ultra critical I’d say the the body proportions aren’t quite right. The head is a little exaggerated and the body too short, but it does comply with our mind’s eye of what a tiger looks like. I very much look forward to seeing more of her work if and when the lock down eases.
This one is not for the easily offended, and if graffiti cock ‘n’ balls are not your thing, I think you might need to move on pretty swiftly. This is a rather mischievous collaboration between The Cat Came Back and DNT on the Turbo Island wall.
The Cat Came Back, Turbo Island, Bristol, January 2020
On the left is the cock – one of graffiti’s most enduring images – that is part cock, part cat. I can’t quite make out the writing, but I think it says ‘I’m Cat’. You can make up your own minds about this one.
DNT, Turbo Island, Bristol, January 2020
On the right is another kind of robot sort of creation from DNT. The whole collaboration looks like it was painted in a bit of a hurry or under the influence of alcohol/other. A bit of fun for some.
Although I have seen a few pieces by Rapt recently, this is my first post featuring the artist from Newport across the Severn Estuary. He seems to favour St Werburghs tunnel and I think he probably lift-shares with Elvs, as they are often to be found painting side by side.
Rapt, St werburghs, Bristol, March 2020
Rapt has a strong and bold writing style and tends to stick to his basic font which includes an upside down ‘T’ at the end of it. In this example he has some nice cracks in the lettering, some great shading and bullet holes and blood for good measure. Look out for more from this artist.
Natural adventures 