Tag: Street art

1487. M32 cycle path (13)

It feels like it has been a very long while since I saw anything new from Deamze, so this piece came as a long-awaited pleasure. In one of his favourite spots (I’m not sure anyone else sprays this wall) alongside the M32 he has created one of his most riotously colourful pieces to date.

Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018
Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018

On the left hand side we see a fabulously intricate and sophisticated piece of wildstyle writing, spelling out DEAM, and on the right a trademark cartoon from this brilliant artist.

Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018
Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018

Often the characters that Deamze recreates are from ’70s to ’90s TV shows, but I just can’t make out who this one is, and there isn’t a lot to go on to ‘Google it’ either. The whole thing is very refreshing and a reminder of just how good some of the Bristol street artists are.

1486. Dean Lane skate park (124)

So this is yet another Bristol street artist new to the pages of this blog. I am certain I have seen some of his work in the past, but only recently found out who he is, which is strange, because his signature (as these things go) is reasonably clear – Kool Hand. He seems to have had a little bit of a blitz in Bristol lately, so expect more to come.

Kool Hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018
Kool Hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018

I very much like the crispness of the piece, a deliberate backwash of white paint and well proportioned orange ape (an orangutan?) with large teeth all topped off with a baseball cap. Somehow it just works. It feels like logo territory, five colours, clean lines…the whole thing lends itself to being printed.

1485. Dean Lane skate park (123)

Another first…there seem to be an awful lot of artists making their debut on my blog recently, I don’t know whether there is a new intake of artists in Bristol or whether I have just started to notice them more (probably a bit of both). Actually this is not the first work I have seen from Stupid Stupid Meathole, but it is the first one since I knew who he was. Keep your eyes peeled for more from the archive.

Stupid Stupid Meathole, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018
Stupid Stupid Meathole, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018

Firstly, I love this artist’s name even it if is a little long-winded, secondly, I really like his monsters and his rather unconventional style. This piece I think is called ‘wet fart’ (which makes me chortle in a childish way) and taking a closer look, you can see why. I look forward to more peaces in Dean Lane from Stupid Stupid Meathole.

1484. St Werburghs tunnel (21)

One of the things I love about hunting for and writing about street/graffiti art is when I come across new artists and find out a little bit more about them. I have seen the burner ‘ONER’ for a few months now, but as many readers will know, I don’t like to post about artists until I know a little more about them.

Oner, M32, Bristol, May 2018
Oner, M32, Bristol, May 2018

Well I got lucky recently and met Oner when he was spraying a burner in one of the tunnels of the M32 roundabout (see above). What an incredibly nice man. I started to chat with him, which has become a bit of a thing for me (before I started all this malarkey, I never struck up conversations with complete strangers, least of all spray-can-toting ones) and rarely have I met such an enthisiastic person, and so easy going.

Oner, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2018
Oner, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2018

Now he told me where he was from, and I think he said Exeter, but it might have been Taunton, whichever it was (and I really should have listened better) he now lives in Bristol. This piece in St Werburghs tunnel is typical of his work, which is nice and tidy (can you spot the small error at the bottom right?) and colourful. I expect to see a lot more from Oner and look forward to seeing how his work develops.

1483. The Bearpit (145)

So, here he is once again, this time making an appearance in one of the tunnels of The Bearpit. This toucan, by Touc, really is one of the cheeriest graffiti characters in town and I would suggest you have a cold heart if you aren’t the tiniest bit captivated by him.

Touc, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2018
Touc, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2018

I don’t know what HATOUCAN means…is it a toucan sneeze? My supply of Touc finds is drying up a little, so you might not see him for a little while – until then…farewell.

1482. The Bridge Inn

This absolutely stunning commission on the outside wall of The Bridge Inn on the corner of Passage Street and Queen Street, is by an artist I have not come across before, David Blatch. Formally an animator and new media designer, David Blatch is from South Africa but now lives in Bristol and is on the look out for commissions.

David Blatch, The Bridge Inn, Bristol, February 2018
David Blatch, The Bridge Inn, Bristol, February 2018

The artwork itself for this amazing Jimi Hendrix portrait is exceptional and provides Bristolians in this part of town with an iconic landmark.

David Blatch, The Bridge Inn, Bristol, February 2018
David Blatch, The Bridge Inn, Bristol, February 2018

It would be great to see more of this kind of ‘high-end’ work brightening up the city, reenforcing Bristol’s USP of supporting the full spectrum of street art in all its foms. Very nice piece.

1481. High Street

Only a few days ago I posted something a little different form Duncan McKellar, the foil butterflies on the tarmac of Frogmore Street. This creation, from the same artist, is designed to bring a smile to people’s faces. No piece of ‘street furniture’ is safe from his creative attention, with several statues receiving the same treatment.

Duncan McKellar, High Street, Bristol, February 2018
Duncan McKellar, High Street, Bristol, February 2018

The pineapple is ‘sculpted’ from hundreds of pieces of bright yellow foam (it looks like insulation foam to me), and attracts the attention of passers by. What I love about his work is its ‘guerilla’ style…he keeps the local newspapers and busybodies guessing about who he is and where his next project will take him.

Duncan McKellar, High Street, Bristol, February 2018
Duncan McKellar, High Street, Bristol, February 2018

I am a fan of all street art that challenges people to see the world through a different lens, and this work by Duncan certainly does this. I’ll try to hunt down more from this ingenious artist.

1480. M32 Spot (19)

I think that there is something about street art and rabbits, or at least I seem to come across a disproportionate amount of them in my travels. This fine example is by Nevla and resides in one of the tunnels up by the Ikea roundabout on the M32.

Nevla, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2018
Nevla, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2018

Nevla has only relatively recently crossed my radar, but I like his unique cartoon style that he brings to the table. I don’t yet think I have seen any of his work outside a tunnel…maybe it’s time to break cover.

1479. Dean Lane skate park (122)

I haven’t posted much from Hire for a while, and sadly I got to this one just a few moments too late it looks like. It is a real shame that some idiot has run a white line through this piece, and the beautiful Sikoh and Dibz piece next to it. Arturo has little to be proud of in my view.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018

The amazing thing about this piece is that it is not a collaboration, the whole thing is by Hire, the Gothic influenced writing on the left and the dayglo bunny on the right. I like the way he has put these pieces side by side with their contrasting backgrounds. The colours used for the writing would make Decay very happy (he uses exactly this palette form most of his work). And, just in case you weren’t sure, the bunny helps us out with the location of the piece. Fine work.

1478. The Bearpit (144)

In recent months I have become aware of a tag appearing all over the place, that is better than your average tag, and of course being a fish it gets my seal of approval. I have no idea who it is by, but I think they might belong to DBK crew, as those letters are never too far away.

Unknown fish tag, The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2018
Unknown fish tag, The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2018

The first of four tags was in The Bearpit not too long ago. Lots of drug references here.

Unknown fish tag, Bristol, May 2018
Unknown fish tag, Bristol, May 2018

I am not too sure what the letters spell, but to me it looks like ‘SOA’ and then I guess it is possible that the tail fin is also a letter.

Unknown fish tag, Anchor Road, Bristol, May 2018
Unknown fish tag, Anchor Road, Bristol, May 2018

As with all tags, the graffiti artist has got the consistency down to a T and can probably run one off pretty swiftly.

Unknown fish tag, Armada Place, Bristol, May 2018
Unknown fish tag, Armada Place, Bristol, May 2018

As I am writing this, It occurs to me that the whole thing says SOAK, and that the fish tail does form a letter, the letter K. Soak is a graffiti artist in Bristol who I featured not too long ago. It all makes sense now.