As with many of the pieces from the Aston Gate site at Upfest, I never got a picture of this completed work by London-based artist Woskerski.
Woskerski, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I have seen and posted a piece of his from Leake Street tunnel in London about a year or so ago but have not seen any more of his work since, so it was great to see this photorealistic piece at Upfest.
Woskerski, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Adjacent to the face wearing the 3D specs Woskerski has added some wildstyle writing, which demonstrates the versatility of this artist, who also paints under the name Methyl. Just a pity I didn’t get a final shot.
One of the wildest pieces of Upfest 2017 was this great work from the Goopmassta, who himself was one of the most colourful characters. A visitor from the United States who came over to Bristol with a loose posse of other artists.
Goopmassta, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Unfortunately, as with many pieces in Ashton Gate, I didn’t get a clean shot of the finished piece, but even from the featured image you can get a feel for this free and happy piece.
Goopmassta, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
The style of the piece is really rather seductive and eyecatching, and I can almost imagine the character being some kind of central figure in a children’s book…with a little bit of edge. Really nice work.
It was impossible to ignore this extraordinary face by Rast ot Upfest 2017. Situated on the long hoardings at Ashton Gate, the bright colours and striking face drew you in.
Rast, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Originally from Spain, Rast has been living in Bristol in 2014. I must say that I have not come across his work before, but surely would lioke to see more of it in the various locations around Bristol that I vsist.
What a treat. Longstanding readers will know that I am fond of wheatpastes and this little bricked up window at the end of North Street was an absolute treasure trove.
D7606, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
At the top is a D7606 telephone box with David Bowie strutting his stuff. I have written about a larger version of this in Stokes Croft in a previous post. All around this vibrant paste up is a collage of black and white pieces by D7606 and C3.
Losthills and C3, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Underneath the telephone box sitting snugly side by side is another playful Jake the dog by Losthills, this time dressed up as a wonderful hippie. On Jake’s right is a subtle but lovely paste up by C3…but there is more…
Losthills, C3 and Jimzina, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
…pan back slightly and to the right of the C3 is another Jimzina menu-woman to add to the several I have already posted, and let’s not ignore the Goopmasta sticker (more from him in a couple of posts). All in all a lovely wall.
This unusual and rather haunting portrait, on the hoardings in Raleigh Road, is by the amazing Wasp Elder.
Wasp Elder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Rather than try to write something clever about his style, that I am not over-familiar with, I thought I’d quote his biography straight from the Upfest programme, because it so perfectly describes what is going on in this picture.
‘Wasp Elder paints pictures populated by enigmatic souls and unstressed backgrounds, enticing a sentiment of an obscure journey.
His drawings, paintings and films present an evocative combination of solitary figures, collaged scenes, close-ups, obscured features, and potential catastrophe.’
Wasp Elder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
It is a fine piece and was in stark contrast to the rather more lighthearted pieces on the rest of this hoarding, lending weight to the wonderful diversity of street art. I like this a lot.
This was most certainly one of the highlights of my Upfest experience last year even before I knew that it was by an artist whose work I admire greatly, Braga Last 1.
Braga Last1, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I saw this piece early in its genesis on one of my first circuits around South Street Park, but inspite of Braga being scrawled all over it, the penny hadn’t dropped. It wasn’t until the end of the second day that I was able to see the finished piece and grab a few moments chatting with Braga Last 1, or at least I should say with his girlfriend as he struggled a litle with English.
Braga Last1, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
The piece is a self-portrait with a crazy bag of stuff in a back pack…but where is he off to? If you take a closer look, this is actually a Brexit piece – there are some clues in the bag.
Braga Last1, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
If you look carefully, you can see that in the rucksack is a book ‘Brexit for Dummies’ a brilliant title. What saddens me is that Europeans view our departure as utter folly, and I can’t help agreeing with them. I feel embarrassed and ashamed that our nation voted to leave and I am left feeling closer to the Europeans than to my own countryfolk. I fear an unhealthy legacy for many decades to come.
One of the first large pieces I saw at Upfest 2017 was this fabulously pink ice cream delight from Buff Monster on the side of the Salvation Army building which has played host to some wonderful work in previous festivals.
Buff Monster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
There seems to be quite a big thing for monsters in the street art world, and I guess it relates to having a licence to spray whatever comes from the imagination. There are some great monster artists out there of which Buff Monster is one.
Buff Monster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
This is a great big piece of fun which has been beautifully sprayed and is a real asset to this part of East Street.
Buff Monster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I hadn’t seen any of Buff Monster’s work before this (one of the brilliant aspects of Upfest), but was lucky enough to find a piece subsequently when I was on holiday in New York. It is always great to see something by an artist you are familiar with…comforting.
I haven’t posted anything by Cheba for what seems a very long while, although I do know of one or two pieces he has created recently of which this is one. It would seem that he likes this particular spot which he has sprayed in the past.
Cheba, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2018
Cheba is the master of cosmic murals, it is his thing and he does it so very well. It is possible to immerse yourself entirely in this piece, looking at the stars and clouds in this imaginary scene. While it might not be to everyone’s taste, this is beautifully sprayed and brings something of outer space into the centre of a busy city.
I’m not quite sure how this spot has passed me by until a couple of weeks ago. On the site where my old garage used to be – the place where I got my car MOTd – there is now a large development under construction. I believe that an hotel is being built, although I’m mystified as to why they have chosen to locate one here, it is not exactly a prime site.
Aspire, Newfoundland Street, Bristol, March 2018
There are several Bristol artists featured on this hoarding and the first of these I am witing about is Aspire. His work is always a real treat to find, especially as he now lives in London, and seeing new work by him in Bristol is a rarity. His depiction of birds is in the same category as ATM and Louis Masai and is always an eyebrow-raiser in these urban locations.
Aspire, Newfoundland Street, Bristol, March 2018
In this piece Aspire has painted four pigeons, although these are so beautiful I’d prefer to call them rock doves. In the centre of the picture is, I think, a partridge. I’m not sure of the significance of this…maybe there isn’t any, but it is an unusual assembly of species. Aspire’s work is always brilliant and this piece simply confirms that.
I do like Mr Draws. It has been fun following his progress over the last three or so years and seeing his unstoppable enthusiasm for experimentation. His pieces are raw and creative, but not the highly polished design pieces we see from several other Bristol writers.
Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2018
Mr Draws ploughs his own furrow and will not be intimidated by any nonsensical hierarchy – he just gets on and does what he loves. I caught up with him while he was spraying this unusual piece and he announced that he was going to be moving to Berlin later in the year. I will definitely miss tracking down his work, but I think he will have an amazing time.
Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2018
This week artists from all over the globe have been finding out whether their applications to paint at Upfest 2018 have been accepted. Mr Draws has made the cut and will be there.
Natural adventures 