This is the second giant ‘thumbs up’ I have posted from Unlucky 15th, and probably only the second of many. The motif is finding its way around the city and the scale seems to be getting slightly bigger too.
A simpleidea, which is making an impact around the place. I suppose it is really a giant tag, but a lot of care has been taken with the white fill and black lines – this is not a quick throw up. Really interested to see where Unlucky 15th will take us with his work.
Usually I curse bright sunlight and shadows when I am photographing street art, but on this occasion I think it adds to the picture. To me it feels like this blue bunny by NEVERGIVEUP is lurking or hiding in the doorway trying not to be found.
I would never have found this rather charming rabbit if I hadn’t run into NEVERGIVEUP when he was in Dean Lane skate park, prepping a wall, and struck up a conversation. He told me where this piece was in the context of a conversation during which I remarked on the fact that I liked the way he seems to spray absolutely everywhere in Bristol that he can find a wall, most other artists tend to stick to their favourite places. Bristol is becoming a bit of a warren to NEVERGIVEUP’s bunnies, which is a good thing.
Cort is an artist I don’t know very much about at all. I do know that he likes to paint with Laic217, and if you look very carefully at the feature image, to the left you can see the edge of one of Laic217’s skeletons in a red hoodie.
This piece by Cort is in two halves, which are sprayed in vert different and distinct styles, I have seen the piece posted on Instagram as two different works, which is understandable, but it is only when you stitch the two pieces together that you can make out the letters CORT – obvious really.
There is a lot I like about this piece from Cort, beyond the different styles, particularly the face in the C which has a very strong designed feel about it which reminds me of my childhood (60s?). Anyhow, this ranks very highly as one of my favourite pieces of writing so far this year.
I have featured quite a few pieces by Nevla recently and this one is the least like all the others. Pretty much all of his work that I have seen so far is of cartoon characters. This one is slightly different in that it is a little less lighthearted than the rest, more of a study than a cartoon.
I am nearly at the end of the Nevla pieces that I have, and I haven’t seen any recent work although I am constantly on the look out. As I mentioned in a previous post, I like his unique style and would like to see him produce work in other hotspots around the city. Nice green face.
As you drive towards Stokes Croft from The Bearpit roundabout you see, from quite a distance, this iconic wall with its rather old-looking Stinkfish piece on it. The bottom of the wall below the yellow and black portrait tends to be in relatively constant flux.
I am not sure who sprayed the Stokes Croft writing, but I have a hunch that it might have been Sesk. There are a whole bunch of graffiti writers in Bristol capable of creating this work. The characters on the left hand side of the piece are by Mr Sleven and represent members of the community some might recognise. They are holding up a banner “Make Bristol shit again, got drugs?” but I am not too sure what point Mr Sleven is trying to make.
The characters themselves are nicely done, and I am particularly drawn to how he has incorporated their eyes. The wall is now bright and colourful once again, but now I think it is the turn of the upper part of this wall to get a special makeover.
It is interesting how much a wall can change in a short space of time. In the last month, this wall has changed at least four times. This incarnation was a practice run by Jee See, whose Instagram handle is Goshiku Chavu (G C…get it?) which means ‘thank you’ in Japanese…I think) for a piece that he created here a day or two later (and which I have missed I think).
In this piece he has painted probably the lagrest ‘Seismic’ I have seen from him. Now, I’m not too sure what the Top Cat thing is all about, but I love him to bits. I don’t think that Jee See created him, it just isn’t his style, and it isn’t clear which was here first.
I don’t even know who the TC is by, there is no signature and there are several artists in Bristol capable of creating cartoon characters of this quality. The whole thing is rather nice, a little bit weird and now utterly gone.
Not too long after Kid Crayon painted his 420 piece (which included a tribute for my dad ‘RIP Gledders’) this collaboration between NEVERGIVEUP and Ugar went up across the bottom half of the wall.
I think this might be the first time this pairing have worked together, although I know Kid Crayon and Ugar have worked together before. Well this is a rather attractive collaboration with some writing from Ugar bookended by NEVERGIVEP’s rather cute bunnies.
The writing from Ugar (which spells out UGAR) is typically ornate and the fill he has used is in a style that immediately identifies the artist. Not many other artists in Bristol use the same kind of patterns, he really has a unique style.Of course the bunnies are fun and nicely done, balancing the piece nicely. I don’t think I will ever tire of NEVERGIVEUP’s rabbits.
Another intriguing wheatpaste from the fantastic Object…, in one of the tunnels of The Bearpit. In this piece, Object… has written a lengthy statement which is wrapped around what looks like a sumo wrestler with a pi symbol tattooed on his chest.
Now I haven’t been able to read the text…that might take a bit of time…and so I’m not too sure what the piece is about, but knowing the artist, I expect politics is involved somewhere along the line. I actually am rather fond of this piece, and am really enjoying Object…’s current penchant for paste ups.
Just when I begin to think that I havebn’t seen anything from Laic217 for ages, up pops a new piece in one of his favourite spots. All the usual motifs we are accustomed to seeing in this artist’s work are here: the bucket hat and smiley; the gold chain with 217 and skeleton dressed in a tracksuit top. All very Laic.
This piece is interesting in its use of bright colours on the black background, it gives the whole thing a strong and fresh look. The smile on the hat has an interesting shadow, which would suggest a light source quite close and to the right of the piece because of the way it lands on the hat. (I think I know what I am trying to say here).
Finally, you just have to admite the gold rings on each hand spelling out LA – IC, awesome stuff from a firm favourite.
Door(s) 33
This week, following on from a recent post in my graffiti/street art category, I decided to dig out some pictures of doors in Moon Street, one of my favourite haunts. All of the doors have been painted on, some of them several times over.
Moon Street is a short road that runs parallel with Stokes Croft and has mixed building use from a company car park, derelict church building, light industrial units through to a couple of night clubs a pub and a derelict plot.
This rather neglected area is perfect for street artists to display their talents, and doors lend themselves to being sprayed, it might be something to do with the framing and proportions.
Enjoy the gallery.
by Scooj
More doors at: Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0
Natural adventures 