Tag: Street art

2792. St Werburghs tunnel (153)

It is quite amazing just how vibrant the street/graffiti art scene is in Bristol. So far I have published 31 different artist galleries, but this is just scratching the surface of the talent in the city (and beyond). Every day I will find something by artists I have never heard of before (I am still learning), maybe because they don’t paint very often or maybe because they are new or sometimes our paths simply haven’t crossed. This really nicely worked collaboration is by Awkward and Benjimagnetic, neither of whom I know about.

Awkward and Benjimagnetic, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
Awkward and Benjimagnetic, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020

From looking at their Instagram accounts, which I found by looking up #jointhecloaks featured at the bottom of the piece, it looks like both are well connected to the music industry. The skull on the right was by Awkward, and the writing by Benjimagnetic. I think that the latter does more graffiti work and has several pieces posted on his Instagram feed. On my first encounter with these two I woud say that their work is accomplished and this piece certainly caught my eye. I wonder if I’ll be seeing any more of it around the place.

2791. M32 roundabout J3 (198)

Spelling out HEMS, this is a really easy-on-the-eye piece from Hemper. A great colour palette and sensational light green shading on the lettering really lifts the piece and it stands out from the crowd.

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2020
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2020

When I see graffiti writing of this quality I want to show it to other people who perhaps categorise all tagging, burners, throw ups and writing broadly as ‘graffiti’ and don’t really give it a second thought. A piece like this is beautifully designed and brilliantly painted, and couldn’t be more different from a scruffy tag on a lamp post for example. Fabulous work from a Bristol master.

 

 

2789. Jamaica Street (17)

There is not a big culture of wheatpasting in Bristol, compared with say Shoreditch or Barcelona, so it is always a pleasure when or ‘established’ artists stick up a few pieces here and there. I apologise for the poor quality of the picture below – I hate it when that happens, but am too lazy to go back and take a better one.

Georgie, Jamaica Street, Bristol, February 2020
Georgie, Jamaica Street, Bristol, February 2020

This little one by Georgie could easily be mistaken for an advertising poster for fizzy drink manufacturer Coca Cola, with its deliberate use of colours and fonts. I can’t quite make out whether this is an ironic piece with its ‘Enjoy Life’ tag line, or whether this is a genuine upbeat piece. I’ll let you decide.

2788. St Werburghs tunnel (152)

This unusual piece by Tom Miller is an advert for a band called Mama Jerk and the Lady Fingers. At this point I should like to thank Tom for introducing me to something wonderful and new. I am not very good at keeping up with the contemporary music scene in Bristol, I don’t go out much and when I do it is usually to visit friends or to eat out. Live or loud music I find great fun but a bit isolating, because my hearing is getting worse and I can’t hear anything people say to me and I have not yet learned the fine art of lip reading. Back to the point. In researching this piece, I checked out Mama Jerk on the interweb, and guess what… I loved their quirky fusion music. Furthermore I fully recommend that you take a look at or listen to their track ‘mountain’ you won’t regret it. This piece celebrates their second EP.

Tom Miller, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
Tom Miller, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020

If I am brutally honest, this is not the best piece by this brilliant artist, but I forgive him wholeheartedly for introducing me to something I think I might enjoy for some time to come. The writing is ok, but the creatures are a little bit more what we would expect from Tom Miller and have an added element of mystery or menace about them with the white crosses over their eyes. A great outcome from following my passion for street art.

2787. Dean Lane skate park (286)

What a dazzling portrait from Pekoe on Dean Lane. It is so good to see that she is painting a lot already this year and that this is the fourth piece I have posted (I think) from her so far in 2020.

Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020
Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020

I would say that the facial features on this piece are as good as I have seen on a pekoe face to date, and that maybe having a solid fill rather than shadings has accentuated the features. I would make a further observation, which is a very minor point because I do really like the piece, that the hair on top needs to go a bit higher for the whole head to be in proportion. I am guessing that the height of the wall here was the limiting factor, not the talent of the artist

2786. St Augustine’s Parade

Curiosity, I think, is what led me down the path of becoming a street art hunter, chronicler and photographer, and it was seeing things like this that prompted that curiosity. What is that thing? Who put that thing there? Why did they do it? Who has noticed it? Was it legal?

Mr Djoul, St Augustine's Parade, Bristol. February 2020
Mr Djoul, St Augustine’s Parade, Bristol. February 2020

This is a little alien mosaic, not by the world famous Spaceinvader, but by Mr Djoul a fellow Fench artist whose work complements that of his better known counterpart. Really pleased that he has been to visit Bristol sometime in the past six months I would guess. Always keep your eyes peeled.

2785. Christmas Steps

I don’t ascend or descend the Christmas Steps all that often these days and perhaps if I did I might have seen this great wheatpaste by #DFTE sooner. The switch from framed installations to pasteups has worked well for the artist and perhaps offers a little bit more scope for locations and a second string to their bow.

#DFTE, Christmas Steps, Bristol, February 2020
#DFTE, Christmas Steps, Bristol, February 2020

The words of wisdom on this one read:

Be yourself, people do not have to like you and you do not have to care #DFTE

Fine words indeed from the self-styled urban philosopher.

2784. Dean Lane skate park (285)

Regular readers will know that I really don’t like posting pieces by ‘unknown’ artists, but sometimes I’ll see something that is just too good to consign to the depths of my archive and this is one such piece. Rather simple, yet appealing to me at least, is this slightly geeky looking character on one of the walls at Dean Lane.

Unknown artist, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020
Unknown artist, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020

The cartoon style and subject matter appeal to me, and while it might not be the best piece of art in town, I actually like it a lot. I can’t work out the letters just to the left, it could be GTIFF or STIFF ot STTFF or some other combination, but Google searches have yielded nothing so far, so if anyone out there knows who the artist might be please shout.

2783. St Werburghs tunnel (151)

Woah, what happened here? Thank you Paul H for pointing out that the commentary  about this piece was missing. A WordPress glitch I think, and most annoying as I had spent quite some time putting together some words to accompany this advert piece in the tunnel by Inkie. I find that I am always caught in two minds with advert pieces, because they take away the edge from street art and swerve into commercialism. There is nothing wrong with that per se and almost always they are promoting local music, so I suppose I should just get with the programme.

Inkie, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
Inkie, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020

The piece itself is written in classic Inkie font and promotes the album Ease and Squeeze by Kaotik Kartel, a reggae/dancehall/dub band from Bristol/Jamaica. I don’t actually mind too much what Inkie is painting about, it is always great to see his work and this one in the tunnel was a great surprise.

2782. St Werburghs tunnel (150)

This magnificent Elvs piece near the entrance to St Werburghs tunnel didn’t last too long, but then again, nothing seems to last too long in there at the moment… probably something to do with the incessant wet weather we’ve been having since December.

Elvs, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
Elvs, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020

As always, Elvs presents us with a meticulously finished piece so distinctive in its style. The horizontal graduation of the fills is exceptional as always and the 3D shading with a central disappearing point is nicely done. Another keeper from the DBK artist.