Tag: Street art

2108. Upfest 2018 (135)

At the launch of the ‘Cannon Fodder’ show last Friday I was lamenting the lack of wheatpaste artists in Bristol with Jimmer Willmott. It was Kid Crayon’s brilliant wheatpastes dotted around the city that inspired me to write about street art in the first place, but he has moved away from the form. However, what was very exciting was that Jimmer said he was thinking about doing some… now that would be amazing.

The exception to the rule occurs during upfest, when wheatpasters descend on North Street and festoon walls and lamp posts with their paste ups. One of the frequent visitors I look forward to each year is Face the Strange, and who can blame me with pieces like this one?

Face the Strange, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Face the Strange, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Face the Strange challenges the viewer by presenting ordinary images, often models from magazines, that have had major head surgery. This bizarre piece combines a suited worker with a seahorse… but of course why not? I am a big fan of this kind of distortion, particularly when combined with marine life. Fun.

2107. Upfest 2018 (134)

Well here’s a whole box of fun from Boaster… a little bit too much fun perhaps. I love the style of this piece, and it reminds me a little of the imaginative creations that 3Dom produces from time to time. A wild cartoon-style reimagining of a crate.

Boaster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Boaster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

No stranger to Upfest, Boaster produced a posh monocle-wearing blue whale in 2017, and he obviously enjoys stretching the things we see around us and giving them new identities or personalities. A really enjoyable and humorous piece, definitely one for the quirky surrealists.

2106. Upfest 2018 (133)

Woah, steady on there… I love this crazy piece by Tknaizer. The artist, from Georgia, seems to have a thing for giraffes, and in my mind that is absolutely ok. Who doesn’t love a giraffe?

Tknaizer, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Tknaizer, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

This piece was painted in North Street Green and had to compete for attention with dozens of others but certainly attracted my attention. There is something endearing and compelling about the simple and naive style. Sometimes less is more. Despite the rather gloomy narrative, I find the giraffe full of optimism and serenity. It is always great to welcome these overseas artists to Bristol and see the range of talent on offer.

2105. Upfest 2018 (132)

Alas, this piece by Mr Penfold did not last long after Upfest, and has since been replaced by a wonderful piece featured on Natural Adventures by SPZero76. The wall is an interesting one in that it is curated by the Hangfire Gallery just opposite, and although the piece appeared during Upfest, I don’t think it constitutes an ‘official’ Upfest piece. I have to say that I am not all that bothered by such things, but I love the abstract work that Mr Penfold has created.

Mr Penfold, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Mr Penfold, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

His work has a real feel of the 1980s about it, a vibrancy and brashness that assaults the eyes with colour and shapes that draw attention. The other thing I associate with his work is Liquorice Allsorts, because of the blacks, pinks, light blues and yellows… yum yum.

I have plenty more pieces by Mr Penfold and feel he is somewhat under represented in this blog… I think that’ll have to change.

2104. Upfest 2018 (131)

When I looked at this collaboration for the first time I found it rather peculiar because it carries three very different styles and subject matter and the only common thread at first sight appears to be Upfest. However, this primary assessment rather overlooks several other important factors in creating a good collaboration.

Process, Korp and Winniemmay, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Process, Korp and Winniemmay, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Firstly, I think that the chemistry between collaborators is hugely important which is why for example, SPZero76 and Kid Crayon collaborate brilliantly despite very different styles – they are great collaborating friends. So, in this collaboration between Process, Korp and Winniemmay one can see some good vibes going on. There is also a design thread that carries through the whole piece of black and white dots and dashes, suggesting Morse code (but I think that is me over-thinking it).

Process, Korp and Winniemmay, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Process, Korp and Winniemmay, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

The overall outcome is certainly curious and apparently fragmented, but dip in a little further and the whole is probably greater than the sum of the parts. If there is a story here, I’d like to know it, but for me the whole thing stands up for me and it is really interesting piece.

2103. St Werburghs tunnel (70)

I have said it ad nauseam that Mr Klue is being incredibly productive these days and I guess I will continue to say it for as long as he keeps painting these wonderful pieces. This slightly smaller than usual one contains a character who appears reasonably regularly on Mr Klue’s work.

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2019
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2019

There is the suggestion of a man in a shirt and tie wearing what looks like the Mad Hatter’s hat complete with 10/6 label. I like the smokey, wispy abstract style that Mr Klue uses and the fact theat he is constantly playing with etherial ideas. All good.

2102. Nelson Street (10)

Kin Dose (part 2)

So, continuing on from my last post, it seems almost inconceivable that the same artist could paint two street masterpieces on the same building in the space of a couple of weeks, but somehow Kin Dose has done it and pulled it off with consummate style.

Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019
Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019

In this second piece the artist has created a scene with an oriental ‘Hokusai’ sea and waves harbouring a lotus flower and koi carp. In the centre of the sea is an island with an ornate dragon whose face is highlighted by a full moon.

Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019
Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019

This piece is rather difficult to photograph because of the nature of the wall, which incorporates a staircase, and the amount of street furniture knocking around, so I would recommend that any Bristolian reading this gets themself down to Nelson Street to witness this for themselves.

Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019
Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019

The dragon is beautifully painted and nicely detailed, but it is the amazing contrast with the red sky and white moon that really lifts this beast from the wall. The tail of the dragon disappears into the sea to the left of the piece.

Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019
Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019

The whole thing is magnificent. How much more can Kin Dose give?

2101. Nelson Street (9)

Kin Dose (part1)

I am struggling to write this post, mainly because I am lost for words at how very good the mural by Kin Dose, just off Nelson Street in the centre of town, is. In my view this is a worldie and we are honoured and privileged to see a wall of such beauty in Bristol.

Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019
Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019

The whole scene is of a beautiful geisha under the shade of a paper parasol gracefully holding out her hand upon which a splendid kingfisher sits. This is close to street art perfection, and were it not for the bloody wheelie bins, which I attempted to move, it would pretty much be there.

Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019
Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019

The background to the piece is composed of layers of graffiti and burners blended into a japanese scene of mountains and buildings. There is something similar to the style of PichiAvo in this.

Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019
Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019

The face of the geisha is absolutely beautiful and not in any way overcomplicated. The flowers cascading from her hair add a real touch of class. The last component of the piece is the kingfisher perching on her hand.

Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019
Kin Dose, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019

I feel it would be wrong not to point out that the kingfisher is a small bird, and in this piece, ever so slightly out of proportion. But I am nit-picking and I hate myself for it, because this is a truly wonderous piece and really ups the game for the high-end street art talent in this great city. Bravo! Kin Dose.

But it gets even better. Not content with creating one oriental wall on this building, Kin Dose returned to paint a second one a week or so later…see my next post.

2100. The Bearpit (179)

Consistent… a word I would use to describe the work of Decay, and in that I mean consistently good. Of course, this year has seen Decay changing his designs considerably away from his trademark abstract work to writing, and what writing.

Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2019
Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2019

This piece is notable for two things: first, it is really neatly done and fits the board perfectly and second, it is something of a rarity in The Bearpit these days and very welcome indeed. A beautifully worked piece with some fabulous attention to detail. Always great to see the instantly recognisable colour palette brightening up the place.

2099. Moon Street (63)

It seems that every artist I write about at the moment is accompanied with the phrase that ‘xxx has been very busy lately’. I don’t quite know what’s going on, but there seems to have been an awakening in Bristol over the last six months or so, and in the four or so years that I have been doing this, I have not quite known a winter so busy. Mr Sleven has also been rather busy and this fine wall in Moon Street is one of several recent pieces.

Mr Sleven, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019
Mr Sleven, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019

This is a fine piece of character writing, with the artist’s name interrupted by a girl in a facemask instead of the letter ‘V’. His style is somewhat different from some of the other writers here, who tend to work with much cleaner lines and solid fills, such as Cheo or Soker. Mr Sleven’s work is more organic perhaps, but is no less fantastic for it.

Mr Sleven, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019
Mr Sleven, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019

Showing off my ignorance, I’m not too sure what the icon on the woman’s mask is, but it sets the whole thing off nicely. Great to see something like this in Moon Street.