This portrait is a highly memorable and unusual piece by Mazcan. The artist is from Brighton and she is known for painting portraits of women about the place. She is perhaps equally well-known for her crochet work, which she appears to enjoy very much judging from her Facebook feed.
Mazcan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
There is a lot of mystery in this piece, and it seems to be as much about what you can’t see as what you can. Certainly, this was a piece that I couldn’t take my eyes off. I’m not sure I like it as much as some of the pieces on her Facebook pages, but it is a great introduction to her work.
I have no idea who this little piece was by, but when I passed it, it was attracting rather large crowds – unusual for such a tiny piece, but maybe it was the humour and subject matter that made it appealing.
Unknown, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
I have seen an awful lot of Trump street art, and not a single one, a single one (…as Trump would say, because he loves to repeat his sage-like words softly) is in any complimentary. I think this little piece speaks for most of us. Interestingly a short time later it had gone – a street art hunter’s trophy.
I love this striking stencil work by Paintily. The concept of a mask hiding another mask beneath it is a good one, and the ancient look adds to the mystery of the piece. The whole thing is worked really beautifully with great care and attention being paid to the shadows cast by the outer mask on the inner one.
Paintily, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
This piece is all the more remarkable for being a stencil, which must have taken an eternity to prepare. The standard of stencils at Upfest 2018 has really been quite staggering and we are lucky to have seen so many over the course of the festival. Below is a little reminder of Paintily’s piece from last year.
Oh my oh my. This utterly outstanding piece by Elafil was the biggest head turner of the festival. I had to revisit it several times, just to enjoy the bold brash colours and expression knock me over. I seriously rate this piece as a brilliant piece of street art. The bottle green and copper tones work so well together and create something that assault your eyes – ‘hey look at me’ the piece is saying.
Elafil, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Another thing about this particular piece is that it is unquestionably photogenic, which is great for someone like me who likes to present great pictures of street art in my posts. The only downside is that when I got to see it, the artist had already finished and fled the scene. Next time!
Elafil, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Elafil is from Spain although I’m not sure which part. He clearly has ambition to join the international circuit and on this evidence shouldn’t have any problem at all. He has a website which showcases some of his great work, but alas no ‘about me’ tab.
Another South American artist at Upfest 2018, this time a Peruvian who is based in Barcelona, Bronik. The hat is the clue to the origin of the artist, but as I mentioned in the Dinho Bento piece two posts ago, there is something about the continent of South America that seems to have its own style.
Bronik, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
In this lovely piece, we see again a story of connection between people and nature. This appears to be an inescapable component of our lives and yet one that we seem to be ambivalent towards if it gets in the way of our lifestyles. Only today (I wrote this two days ago) the WWF announced that since 1970 we have lost 60% of vertebrate species. Shameful. That is in my lifetime. Art like this may be all we have to remember our beautiful planet by.
Bronik, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
This piece sings to me. It gives me what I need to redouble my efforts to make a real difference in this world and to act at whatever levels I can to slow the rate of biodiversity loss. A while back I wrote a haiku about our self-destruction. It was called Ants and is as follows:
Yet another new wall for 2018, and how well it has been utilised by Dinho Bento. I guess this wall could have been split into two or three slots, but what a great decision to keep its integrity.
Dinho Bento, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Dinho Bento is a Brazilian artist whose work seems to draw inspiration from the natural world. A quick glance at his Facebook feed tells you that he is interested in portraying the interconnectedness of humanity with our environment, and the organic green strands in this piece are a representation of that connection – or at least, that is my interpretation.
Dinho Bento, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
I can’t necessarily put my finger on it, but artists from different countries definitely have national styles, or perhaps continental styles, and this piece really screams out South America. I guess the more art you see, the more you recognise this phenomenon, and while it is not true of all artists, it is a real thing.
Dinho Bento, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
The natural world themes and story of this piece really chime for me. It is called ‘Listen to Nature’ – something I have done all my life. Great work Dinho Bento.
Although this extraordinary piece is signed by Caro Pepe, I think she had some support from her frequent painting partner Age Age. This wall was another one themed with Bristol Women’s Voice (along with the Nomad Clan Lisa Simpson). Commemorating one hundred years of the Women’s vote.
Caro Pepe, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
I really like these rather surreal pieces that Caro Pepe is producing at the moment, with the cut-away pieces of head exposing thoughts, emotions and ideas – very powerful stuff and a further dimension to the covered eye that distinguishes her work.
Caro Pepe, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
So, another great wall and another great artist at Upfest 2018 – I think this is another one that makes it into my top 10.
Well this is an absolute stunner, make no mistake. A few days in the making, and the scaffolding hiding the true genius of both the piece and subject, this must be one of the highlights of Upfest 2018.
Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
It is a strange thing as a writer and observer of street art, that I am really only familiar with Bristol street artists or artists who frequently visit Bristol. I really don’t know very much about the world circuit of famous artists that travel the globe for festivals and commissions – this leaves me looking a bit daft when writing up pieces like this one because I simply don’t know the artist Arcy at all.
Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
One thing is for sure though I will certainly be looking out for his stuff on the Interweb from now on, as this is such an outstanding work by a truly gifted artist. His website is well worth a look, and his biography is here. Also check out his gallery of walls…this guy is good.
Arcy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Of course, the picture is of one of the greatest and most influential people of our time, Stephen Hawking, who sadly died in March this year aged 76. I think that this piece really captures the spirit of Stephen Hawking brilliantly, the bright and slightly cheeky personality. This is photorealistic art at its best. Bravo!
Smak has really been smashing it lately with some magnificent writing all over Bristol. His colour combinations, lettering and feature details are just getting better and better. This is a fine recent piece from the M32 Roundabout.
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2018
I love the colour progression from left to right, and the letters while slightly disguised are clearly legible. It is the temple facade in the middle of the piece that really lifts it up to another level and columns and stone too. This is a great piece.
I have always had a massive soft spot for Mr Klue’s work – I love to examine it and unravel all the different abstract elements that combine to such great effect. As is always the case in this tunnel, the lighting has played havoc with the true colours of the piece, but the form is there for all to see.
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018
After what feels like a bit of a lull in his work, it appears that he is becoming a little more active on the streets, which is a good thing. I first became aware of his work in the Stokes Croft area of Bristol, but it is telling that the decline in decent walls there and the Council’s stance on The Bearpit has driven artists like Mr Klue away (I am guessing). This is a fine piece indeed.
