Tag: Street art

1168. Upfest 2017 (107)

There were so many great pieces on the long wall at Ashton Gate, a new venue for Upfest this year, and I have barely started to cover them yet – several of them were whole crew collaborations and I’m not sure how to post them. However this is a wonderful piece from artist Leo Boyd.

Leo Boyd, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Leo Boyd, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Leo Boyd is a Belfast-based screen printer and artist who is branching out into screen printing on walls, which this fine piece demonstrates beautifully. His biography on his website is very funny, tells you little about the artist other than his sense of humour and what is important to him. Worth a read.

Leo Boyd, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Leo Boyd, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

There is some really interesting stuff going on in this piece, but I am not sure what the story is. My take on it is an environmental one, but I don’t think that is necessarily the artist’s intention. I think it is more about the relationship between mankind and technology. Make of it what you will – it is in my view, a striking work.

1167. Upfest 2017 (106)

There can be few better ways to honour a fellow street artist than to paint an enormous portrait of them, and this is precisely what Ian Phenna did at Upfest 2017. The portrait is of the magnificent Nol, who was himself painting during the festival.

Ian Phenna, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Ian Phenna, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I do not know about Ian Phenna or his work, although his Upfest Biography says that he is a mixed media portrait and figurative artist originally from Liverpool. He has a dramatic approach to portraiture, often with hidden themes…

Ian Phenna, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Ian Phenna, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I really like this piece, and especially like the additional homage to Nol…the inclusion, albeit in greyscale, of one of his little monsters in the bottom right of the portrait. There are stencilled numbers all around the piece, something that Nick Walker likes to do too, but I don’t know the significance of them.

Ian Phenna, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Ian Phenna, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I think the whole thing is called ‘BrizNol’ which I rather like. This is a thoroughly enjoyable piece and one of my favourites from the festival.

1166. Chalk Farm (3)

When I saw this piece in the Chalk Farm housing estate I instantly recognised the artist as Jerry Rugg or Bird0. He painted a fabulous piece for Upfest 2016, which is still there and looks like it will remain permanently.

Jerry Rugg, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017
Jerry Rugg, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017

Bird0 has a great skill for fusing abstract shapes and designs with wildlife forms to create these otherworldly creatures. His pieces are characterised by the use of bright vibrant colours, lots of oranges and yellows.

Jerry Rugg, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017
Jerry Rugg, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017

This is a spectacular piece, but I had limited access to it, and took the pictures through some railings. I couldn’t work out how to get the other side and I was unsure about whether I was permitted to be there in the first place. I will go beck again and get some better shots.

1165. Chalk Farm (2)

This was the first piece I saw from the Global Street Art organised set of walls at the Chalk Farm housing estate. Looking like a giant billboard, it caught my eye from the end of the road, and even from a distance I thought it might be a piece by Pref ID. I must be getting quite good at this, because I was right.

Pref ID, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017
Pref ID, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017

Pref ID creates brilliant pieces incorporating clever word puzzles. The one in Bristol for Upfest 2017 was very tricky. This one is a little more straight forward…’Upwards and Onwards’.

Pref ID, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017
Pref ID, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017

It is a cleverly constructed and beautifully painted piece – if only the light hadn’t been fading and that blooming car wasn’t in the way. But as with so much street/graffiti art, it is located in a car park, and cars are an occupational hazard. I do like his work, and hope to find some more.

Pref ID, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Pref ID, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Thursday Doors

Door Nine

3 Hawley Mews, Camden Town, London, Thursday Doors
3 Hawley Mews, Camden Town, London, Thursday Doors

Hawley Mews in Camden Town is a famous spot for street art.

Artist: Void

by Scooj

 

Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

1164. Chalk Farm (1)

Sometimes wandering around, taking a look around just one more corner or walking another 100 yards further up a road can bring huge rewards, and so it was with my discovery of the Chalk Farm housing estate makeover organised by Global Street Art.

Sokar Uno, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017
Sokar Uno, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017

I had been aware of the gathering of artists in a North London estate and had seen some images on digital social media, but on the day I was walking round Camden Town I was not seeking out this treasure trove, I just kind of came upon it, after glimpsing a distant piece by Pref ID.

Sokar Uno, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017
Sokar Uno, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017

This is a remarkable piece by Sokar Uno, who wowed the crowds at Upfest 2016 in Bristol with his stunning piece there. Both of these works have an extraordinary quality about them, and the subjects appear to be made of stone or asleep.

Sokar Uno, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017
Sokar Uno, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017

His pieces contain a lot of symbolism, often featuring chairs, and in this work an hour glass. Time seems to be passing and some grass and flowers have grown through the checkerboard floor – how long has this giant been lying there and why?

Sokar Uno, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017
Sokar Uno, Chalk Farm, London, November 2017

Sokar Uno creates interesting movement in this work, as shown by the left hand of this figure which can be seen in three positions and the right hand with a white outline around it. And then there are the drips! An exquisite piece.

Sokar Uno, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Sokar Uno, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

1163. Moon Street (38)

Perhaps not so subtle in this instance. Here we have another deliciously clean piece of writing from Subtle on the long hoarding in Moon Street. The orange and dark pink sit really well on the grey background. As mentioned recently, it seems that Subtle has become more active of late and I am seeing his work appearing on Instagram more often too.

Subtle, Moon Street, Bristol, November 2017
Subtle, Moon Street, Bristol, November 2017

I like the way the shading on his lettering is fashioned in such a way that there is a vanishing point somewhere behind and below the piece.Other less accomplished writers do much simpler shading to their pieces, as if a light were being cast from one direction. I’m not sure if that makes sence, but I think I know what I mean.

1162. M32 roundabout J3 (54)

This is a supremely beautiful work by Epok from a recent paint jam down at the M32 roundabout. I like everything about this piece, the proportions of the letters, the angles and curves, but most of all I think the colour selection is sublime, and I love the tinges of red in the middle of the piece.

Epok, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017
Epok, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017

I have never met Epok, nor seen him spraying, but would surely like to see him at work. There is something different about his wildstyle pieces that really catches the eye. I think that one of the main things is that his writing doesn’t adhere to our writing conventions of letters having an equal height and proportion. His letters fit into his design, which often tapers at one end or the other.

Epok, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017
Epok, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017

I love this piece. Outstanding.

1161. Ashley Road (14)

Ok, so this is an interesting piece in Ashley road that appeared recently. It is, I think, by the Bristol artist Fiver, who also goes by the name Fiva and Henry Barnes who I posted about back in March this year. It is a bright and cheerful piece and would appear to be a celebration, welcoming ‘Eira’ into the world. Maybe his own child? I don’t know. I hope this isn’t just a one-off because I like the style of his work here.

Fiva, Ashley Road, Bristol, November 2017
Fiva, Ashley Road, Bristol, November 2017

As well as turning to street art from time to time Henry Barnes is also a tireless campaigner for the National Autistic Society and their too much information campaign, which is a thoroughly brilliant thing.

1160. M32 roundabout J3 (53)

It has been some time since I last saw anything by Ments, so it was fantastic to come across this fine piece recently that was sprayed as part of an ASK paint jam. The wall was given a great backwash of grey-green, and several excellent works produced.

Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017
Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017

Ments has a wonderful organic style to his wildstyle writing, which spells out MENTS…although I struggle to see all those letters. The colour selections are fabulous and work so very well against the backdrop.

Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017
Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017

This is an outstanding piece and welcome return from Ments.