This is a magnificent new wall for Upfest 2018, just off East Street and pretty much perfect for large ‘permanent’ pieces by some well known artists. First up is this magnificent portrait by Koeone.
Koeone, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
I am not sure I have come across the artist before, which is a bit of a surprise because he lives and works in North Devon, not a million miles from Bristol. This is typical of his work which features greyscale photorealistic portraits of women with pink and blue lettering and icons on the top of the head.
Koeone, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
The final product is really classy and all the better coming from a self-taught artist. Koeone shares this wall with Nol, Hull Graffiti, and Voyder amongst others. Real high quality stuff. Definitely worth a visit.
I have only been doing this street art thing for about three years and so I am constantly learning and making discoveries. This fascinating shutter piece is by a Bristol artist that I have not, until now, come across before (and I thought I knew it all).
Dandiego, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
The artist, Dandiego, is a stencil artist who specialises in multi layer geometric designs, and in the case of this piece the the geometric designs work together to create the whole…a racing cyclist. This is like one of those pictures that comes into high resolution if you slightly shut your eyes.
I have just had a look at Dandiego’s Instagram account to see if I can find out more, or see whether I might have missed any of his previous work, but it doesn’t reveal too much just yet, other than that he will be painting at the Cheltenham Paint Festival (organised by Dice67) this weekend. Alas I’ll not be going as I’ll be fishing in Cornwall.
There is something comical and warm about Pelmo’s work and I have to say that it really ticks pretty much all of my boxes. His ideas are witty, for example here we have a Deliveroo rider struggling to stay on the back of an enormous cyclist. I’m not entirely sure what the story here is, but it is a visual treat.
Pelmo, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
It is such a pity that the piece was squeezed into a corner of the Spotted Cow garden where the light conditions made it almost impossible to photograph. I know that Pelmo has had a wall in the previous two years, but I think deservedly so and it would have been nice to seen this on a ‘permanent’ wall – I suppose they have to take turns. I love this.
At one time, maybe two or three years ago, there were new Mr Klue works appearing in the Stokes Croft area on a fairly regular basis. These days they seem to be something of a rarity until a recent spate of his pieces in St Werburghs tunnel.
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2018
This is a wonderful complex abstract piece with what look to me like floating wooden planks drawing the eye to a celestial central vanishing point. It is a clever piece and I find my eyes dancing all around looking at the detail of different sections and trying to work out what is going on. His style really is quite unlike anything else on the streets in Bristol and his return is a most welcome one.
Following on immediately from my last post is this collaboration in Dean Lane between Laic217 and Cort. You should be able to spot immediately the similarity of the Laic217 character here and the one he sprayed in Moon Street a few days earlier. This time the piece is complete with teeth and spray can.
Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2018
I love this character and for me is reminiscent of the absurd ‘Far Side’ characters dreamed up by cartoonist Gary Larson. There is a lot to admire here, and the special detail of a Nirvana t-shirt with a spaced-out smiley just highlights how good this piece is.
Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2018
I also am increasingly enjoying the work of Laic217’s painting partner, Cort, and although his style might take a little getting used to, it is good work. I am beginning to wonder if Cort and Corupt might be the same artist, as they share many characteristics, but I have nothing to confirm this idea. I’ll have to investigate. A fine collaboration.
A collection of graffiti art from the Bristol writer Soker
All photographs taken by Scooj
Dibz, Cheo and Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2026Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2026Soker, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2026Goldie, Jody, Dibz, Posea, Zuke, Soker, Cheo and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2025Soker, Cheo, Fade and Zuke, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2025Soker, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2025Soker, Waterloo Place, Bristol, October 2025Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2025Soker, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2024Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024Soker, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2019Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2018Soker, Norfolk Place, Bristol, April 20233Dom, Soker, Sepr and Epok, Coach and Horses, Bristol, February 2021Soker, Coach and Horses, Bristol, February 2021Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2022Soker, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2022Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2022Soker, Waterloo Street, Bristol, April 2022Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2022Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2021Andy Council, Soker and Paul Monsters, Waterloo Place, Bristol, June 2021Andy Council, Soker and Paul Monsters, Waterloo Place, Bristol, June 2021Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021Soker, St Pauls, Bristol, March 2021Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2020Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2020Soker, Paint festival, Cheltenham, September 2020Inkie and Soker, Paint festival, Cheltenham, September 2020Paul Monsters and Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol September 2020Soker, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2020Soker, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2020Andy Council and Soker, North Street, Bristol, July 2020Soker, North Street, Bristol, July 2020Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, June 2018Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, February 2019Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2020Soker, Inkie and Hemper, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2020Soker, M32 cycle path, Bristol, February 2020Paul Monsters and Soker, Waterloo Place, Bristol, June 2019Soker, Norfolk Place, Bristol, April 2019Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, February 2019Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2019Soker, Stokes Croft, Bristol, January 2019Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, June 2017Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2018Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2018Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, September 2018Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2018Soker and 3Dom, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2018Soker, New Stadium Road, Bristol, August 2018Soker, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2018Soker, Old Bread Street, Bristol, September 2016Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2018Soker, Jubilee Street, Bristol, January 2017Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2017Soker, Bedminster, Bristol, September 2017Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2017Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2017Soker, Cheo and Deamze, Church Road, Bristol, September 2017Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2016Soker, Bond Street, Bristol, June 2017Soker and Cheo, Stokes Croft, Bristol, July 2017Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, May 2017Soker, Albert Park, Bristol, July 2016Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, February 2017Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, March 2017Soker, Church Road, Bristol, March 2017FLX, 3Dom, Epok, Soker, Sepr, Horley Road, Bristol, October 2016Soker, Norfolk Place, Bristol, August 2016Soker, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, September 2016Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2016Soker, Wilder Street, Bristol, September 2016Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2016Soker, North Street, Bristol, June 2016Soker, Lawfords Gate, Bristol, June 2016Deamze, Voyder and Soker, Lawfords Gate, Bristol, June 2016Soker, Midland Street, Bristol, March 2016Soker, Midland Street, Bristol, March 2016Soker and Cheo, New John Street, Bristol, September 2015Soker, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, March 2106Voyder and Soker, Midland Street, Bristol, October 2015Feek and Soker, Jubilee Street, Bristol, November 2015Soker, Jamaica Street, Bristol, March 2016
This is a really interesting piece by Laic217 in Moon Street for two reasons. Firstly, it is unfinished, which is quite unusual in itself and secondly it seems like it might have been a practise wall for a piece he sprayed in Dean Lane skate park a few days later (see next post).
Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2018
I rather hope that the character isn’t anyone he knows, because it isn’t particularly flattering. The mouth is unfinished and in fact the first time I looked at it I thought it was graffitied by someone else and the spray can is also unfinished. I do find it a bit of a puzzle that it is incomplete, because he appears to have put in a lot of effort before giving up. Perhaps he was disturbed. Anyhow, incomplete or not, I love this piece and the idea behind it. more classy work from Laic217.
We had a wet day in Bristol a couple of weeks back, and it looks like Object…took refuge in the tunnels of The Bearpit, and painted several of the boards there in a single session, featuring monsters and explosions.
Object…., The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2018
This piece is typical of the artist with a strong undertone of politics and representation of the disadvantaged and tortured body parts of animals and people. I continue to enjoy his pieces which always seem to portray outrage and pain.
It is always nice to go to a regular haunt, in this case Dean Lane, and find something completely unexpected. It feels like getting a present or something like that and on this occasion the treat was from Cheo. I especially like this because Cheo can pretty much choose any wall he likes but will still come back to Deaner and slap up a high quality piece.
Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2018
All the elements you would expect from Cheo – crystal clean lines, solid fills and clever shadows on a character brandishing a spracan all topped off with a trademark bee. A nice treat on a lunchtime walk.
A serendipitous meeting. I had a couple of hours to race around Bristol seeking out any new works before going away on my summer holiday in mid-August, and the last port of call before packing up the car and heading for Gatwick was the M32 roundabout.
Soap, Tasha Bee and Face F1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2018
As I approached the southern wall I could see Tasha Bee at work, which in itself was very exciting because I have recently become more aware of her work and have been keen to meet the artist. I struck up a conversation with her and could see that she was contributing to a collaboration with PWA’s Soap and Face F1st. I said that I was sorry to have missed them because I would like to meet them both, whereupon she told me that they were sitting on the grass bank right behind me. Hurrah! I stopped for a chat with them all (I hope I didn’t interfere too much with their work) and Face 1st let me have a flick through his black book which felt like a real privilege.
Soap, Tasha Bee and Face F1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2018
Soap and Face F1st had pretty much finished their pieces and were watching on and advising Tasha Bee as she completed hers. I love the way that the cross motif has been shared by Soap and FF, and I am seriously enjoying the full figure work that the latter is producing at the moment. The girl with the face is emerging and coming to life.
Soap, Tasha Bee and Face F1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2018
Sadly I never got to see the the finished piece which got buffed over within a few days, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of meeting three lovely artists and seeing them at work. We’ll meet again…
Soap, Tasha Bee and Face F1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2018
