Tag: Street art

2279. Porlock Road

Exploring new parts of Bristol always has its rewards, and I found this piece by Andy Council completely by accident when I went on a pilgrimage to see the My Dog Sighs and Curtis Hylton collaboration up on Windmill Hill.

Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019
Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019

It seems that Andy Council’s pieces are dotted all over Bristol, and after five years of writing posts like this one, I still have several more to find. The reason that his work is so dispersed is that he does a lot of private commissions and so he is not confined to the few ‘legal’ spots in Bristol to show off his fabulous work.

Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019
Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019

This splendid peacock is a great example of Andy Council at his very best in which the whole creation is made up of buildings typical of the area in Bristol. The blue colour scheme suits this piece and the wall superbly. A great find, and good to know that there are still these hidden gems all over the place.

2278. River Frome

I love this recent piece by Haka adjacent to the M32 roundabout where the River Frome flows from a culvert that carries it under the motorway. It is a very witty pun piece which I guess might be called ‘Where’s Whaley’ after the children’s puzzle books.

Haka, River Frome, Bristol, June 2019
Haka, River Frome, Bristol, June 2019

I guess that it was painted when the river was low before the sustained period of rain we have had recently. Another feature of Haka’s work is that he usually accompanies it with a tribute to a graffiti writer friend of his, CKOne, who passed away in a motorcycle accident in December 2011. It is touching that he continues to honour his friend in this way.

2277. M32 roundabout J3 (149)

As a teenager I was fairly obsessed with 2-Tone Records, in particular The Specials, so much so that a plaster cast I had on my broken leg as a sixteen-year-old was decorated from top to bottom in black and white squares. So imagine my unbridled delight at finding this 2-Tonetastick collaboration between Rezwonk and Decay douwn at the M32 roundabout.

Rezwonk, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Rezwonk, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

I wonder if this piece was inspired in any way by the recent release of a new album from the Specials. On the left Rezwonk has written his name split into six sections in reversed black and white boxes. Some additional accent decorations in red just add a little extra interest.

Decay, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Decay, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

On the right Decay has written his name in a continuation of the reversed black and white boxes and he too has incorporated some red in the form of his little ‘e’ character Chuck. The dancing rude boy, the filling in the sandwich, could be by either of them, but I’m putting my money on Decay. A joyful collaboration.

2276. Moon Street (72)

Regulars will know that I don’t much like to post street art on Natural Adventures when I don’t know who the artist is, but just occasionally I do it because the artwork is too good to ignore and maybe I’ll get to find out who it is as a result of writing about it.

Unknown (Rezwonk?), Moon Street, Bristol, June 2019
Unknown (Rezwonk?), Moon Street, Bristol, June 2019

This wonderful and certainly rather original piece appeared in Moon Street about three weeks ago on a gateway that has been favboured in the past by Rezwonk, which is why I have tentatively attributed it to him. However, although he is capable of something like this, it is not commensurate with most of the writing work he has been doing recently.

Whoever the artist is, it is a striking painting and brings a touch of class to the street, which is well known for its tagging and high turnover. I love the anatomical diagram, and particularly the numbering. Something like this would certainly liven up a waiting room in a doctor’s surgery or hospital.

Update –  14 March 2020 – it is by Kosc.

2275. M32 roundabout J3 (149)

Wahey! Another sensational Soap piece, and it seems like there is absolutely no stopping him at the moment… he’s on a roll. This is a crazy and eclectic piece that draws on a whole bunch of styles, patterns and colours to spell out SOAP.

Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

I just get the feeling every time I see his work that there is a lot of joy going on at the moment and it really comes across in his work. With some artists you can spot angst or pain or sadness or perfectionism and so on, but Soap’s work simply screams out happiness.

 

 

2274. Dean Lane skate park (222)

Great to see Soap and Tasha Bee teaming up to paint this collaboration in Dean Lane skate park. What is interesting about this piece is that both artists are doing something a little different from what we normally see.

Soap, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019
Soap, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019

I’m not too sure why, but Soap has been doing a few chickens recently. I think it might be a bit of a legacy from a mini paint jam he took part in at St Werburghs City Farm. I think I have some pictures somewhere. I rather like the way that he has done a speech bubble with his tag in it. A fun piece.

Tasha Bee, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019
Tasha Bee, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019

Tasha Bee has been doing a bit of writing recently to accompany her beautiful styalized portraits and her choice of letters is LUNA. I think that she rather likes the symbolism of the moon and skies, of nature and love. Luna is a really great word and will lend itself to all sorts of writing variations. I totally adore her colour selections here and I have been using similar colours in my ‘teach yourself spray painting’ activities. Note to self, ‘get hold of some of that gold’. Very nice collaboration.

2273. Mina Road (5)

Haka has been incredibly prolific this year, something that has been a little under-represented in Natural Adventures and that I intend to address starting here and now. This fun piece is in Mina Road and features Macaulay Culkin from the Home Alone series of films.

Haka, Mina Road, Bristol, May 2019
Haka, Mina Road, Bristol, May 2019

Haka has a style that is all his own. He creates what I would call representative art, rather than the other end of the spectrum which is photorealism. His lines are not sharp and clean like some of the writers in Bristol, but there is a warmth and comfort there. He often paints political or humorous pieces, like this one entitled ‘Chrome Alone’.

Haka, Mina Road, Bristol, May 2019
Haka, Mina Road, Bristol, May 2019

Haka is well established on the Bristol street art scene painting both characters and graffiti writing. I have several other pieces by him in my archive and will try to dig them out.

2272. St Werburghs tunnel (85)

A view of St Werburghs tunnel that I haven’t shared before, seen from the city farm end. The entrance to the tunnel is guarded by a pair of ‘monolithic’ gurning faces by Atchue, one on either side.

Atchue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2019
Atchue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2019

I haven’t seen much from Atchue lately, so to be presented with these two-for-the-price-of-one faces is definitely a bit of a bonus. On the left is one of his more familiar pink pieces, but the one on the right is in magnificent chrome.

Atchue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2019
Atchue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2019

The chrome face appears to be in mid gurn and you can almost hear him making a groaning noise. A lovely idea executed brilliantly by Atchue.

2271. M32 roundabout J3 (148)

It would seem that artists from Cardiff like to swing by Bristol every now and again, and when they do come they tend to paint together, I suppose a bit of a paint jam on tour really. This is a really lovely piece by Unity, a graffiti writer I met at Upfest last year whose work I don’t get to see too often so it was nice to find this one down at the M32 roundabout.

Unity, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Unity, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

Her work is quite organic in appearance, and this piece looks almost edible, like icing on a cake or something. Unity blends her colours very nicely and this piece drops from yellow to brown to pink without any harsh lines. Great work. It is a pity we have to wait so long between visits.

Unity, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2018
Unity, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2018

2270. North Street

This piece has been lurking in my archives for quite a long time now, but what better time to dig it out than right now? It is of course by the brilliant political commentator John D’oh and was created back in July 2016, and who’d have thought after all this time we’d still be caught up in a Boris Johnson circus?

John D'oh, North Street, Bristol, July 2016
John D’oh, North Street, Bristol, July 2016

The Michael referred to in this witty Forrest Gump pastiche would of course be Gove, and surprise, surprise here they both are making headlines in the contest for leadership of the Conservative Party. What a dismal mess this country is in, and what a sad indictment that the leader of our country will be chosen not by the electorate, but by a small number of fee-paying conservatives. There is no hope other than that the appointment of a clown for PM might just bury the Tories for the next 15 years.

It is galling that the mess we are in was not created in the aspiration to make life in the UK better for all, but simply to shore up the division in the Conservative party, and guess what, they F*cked that up good and proper as well.