813. Moon Street (31)

Laic217 seems to enjoy finding new spaces to spray his exceptional works. Moon street is a street familiar to graffiti artists, but I don’t believe these doors have has anything more than tags on before.

Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2017
Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2017

I particularly like this skull by Laic217 as it incorporates the Clifton suspension bridge, Bristol’s most significant landmark. Note to self…publish a special post containing works with the suspension bridge.

Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2017
Laic 217, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2017

The picture is somewhat enhanced, in my view, by the fact that the doors would not close properly, adding another dimension to this piece.

812. Albert Park (2)

One of the most famous graffiti landmarks in Bristol is in the heart of St Pauls, just off Ashley Road. It is now in its fourth incarnation (I think) and is of a camel, usually saying something in a speech bubble.

Feek and 3Dom, Albert Park, Bristol, May 2017
Feek and 3Dom, Albert Park, Bristol, May 2017

The piece is by Feek and 3Dom, and when the wall was recently rendered, I had my doubts that the camel would return, but return it did, and it is as fine as any of its predecessors.

Feek and 3Dom, Albert Park, Bristol, May 2017
Feek and 3Dom, Albert Park, Bristol, May 2017

I don’t quite know why there has been a succession of camels here, but as I said at the start, it has become something of a landmark. Increase the Peace.

811. Jamaica Street (6)

This is the third qWeRT paste up that I have featured recently, and was photographed with others during a walk home from the city centre. Jamaica Street is home to the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft (PRSC) outdoor gallery, and this small piece sits directly opposite it.

qWeRT, Jamaica Street, Bristol, May 2017
qWeRT, Jamaica Street, Bristol, May 2017

As with the last two qWeRT pieces, in The Bearpit and in St Augustine’s Parade, this one features googly-eyed characters and a gentle, peaceful theme. Love. I am writing this post on the day after the most recent London terrorist attack, and felt this wheatpaste is all about bringing us all closer together with love.

qWeRT, Jamaica Street, Bristol, May 2017
qWeRT, Jamaica Street, Bristol, May 2017

More to come soon from this London-based artist.

810. Dean Lane skate park (51)

Is this really the fiftieth post from Dean Lane? (Answer…no it is the fifty first…I cocked up) I have at least another fifty pictures in archive that have never made it onto this blog. This is an interesting piece by Mr Draws, which he sprayed on the same evening that the Graffiti Nation exhibition opened in North Street in May.

Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017

I stopped for a quick chat with Mr Draws, and he told me that he was playing with the letters of his usual DRAWS lettering, having read about some Russian graffiti artists and the techniques that they use. In this piece, Mr Draws has used the German for ‘draws’ which is ‘zieht’ and then used a 3 and 1 for the first two letters. Playful stuff, and a nice bity of insight into this work. It is nicely executed too with a lovely chrome spray and some good cracks.

809. Gathorne Road (2)

I first saw this mural at Upfest 2016, but wasn’t sure who it was by or whether it was a festival piece. It turns out that it is by the magnificent Andrew Burns Colwill and it was not his Upfest piece, but a commission.

Andrew Burns Colwill, Gathorne Road, Bristol, May 2017
Andrew Burns Colwill, Gathorne Road, Bristol, May 2017

Colwill is a truly brilliant artist with a very colourful history, who has just completed a magnificent exhibition entitled ’20/50 Vision: Tomorrow’s Habitat’ at the It’s All 2 Much Gallery in Stokes Croft. The works place some of our most treasured species into future places where all is not as it should be. A global warming/pollution warning to us all.

Andrew Burns Colwill, Gathorne Road, Bristol, May 2017
Andrew Burns Colwill, Gathorne Road, Bristol, May 2017

This piece is altogether more mainstream, and for a marine biologist like me a real treat.

Andrew Burns Colwill, Gathorne Road, Bristol, May 2017
Andrew Burns Colwill, Gathorne Road, Bristol, May 2017

808. Dean Lane skate park (50)

On 20 April each year, there is a legalise marijuana protest, or smoke-in if you like, where weed smokers will overtly disobey the law and rely on the theory of safety in numbers to avoid arrest or prosecution. In the UK, the main ‘celebration’ is held in Hyde Park, but in Bristol there is a parallel exercise held on the Downs.

Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017

This piece is dedicated to the 420 campaign and is unmistakably by Kid Crayon, who demonstrates his knowledge of marijuana admirably in this protest work.

Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017

I always like a good political or protest bit of street art, and this one ticks all the boxes. Colourful, illustrative and subversive. The piece remained untagged for a long period in an area where street art tends to have a very short lifespan, possibly indicating a general respect and support from taggers and other artists.

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES
SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

It has, of course, gone now.

807. Moon Street (30)

I have no idea who this is by, but it really tickled me when I saw it. This is one of those pieces that you really have to keep your eyes peeled to be able to see. Low down and quite small. A dog on a skateboard. A paste up. What is not to like here?

Unknown, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2017
Unknown, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2017

If anybody might know who the artist is, I would be eternally grateful. Pure class as far as I am concerned.

806. Dean Lane skate park (49)

This is a small piece from Shab down at Deaners from a couple of weeks back. It is a wonderful abstract piece with great eyes…oh those eyes. I discovered another much larger piece by Shab in another part of Bristol, and am itching to go and photograph it.

Shab, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017
Shab, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017

It is always a pleasure to see his work, every one feels like a little present. I feel very lucky to be able to access the free galleries that are the Bristol walls. My task is to make these treasures accessible for all.

Shab, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017
Shab, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017

805. Raleigh Road, Tobacco Factory (7)

I had had a tip-off, via Stephen Quick’s Instagram feed that he and Hannah Adamaszek would be doing a collaboration at the Tobacco Factory, on the weekend of 13-14 May, so I managed to sneak over on the Saturday to see what they were up to.

Stephen Quick and Hannah Adamaszek, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2017
Stephen Quick and Hannah Adamaszek, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2017

What a treat. Stephen had organised for a few established, up and coming and debutant artists to spray the car park bays during what was a bit of a Bedminster festival. This work is really interesting because it brings together two distinct styles into a synthesis that joins them. The subject matter is the same, but the techniques quite different.

Stephen Quick and Hannah Adamaszek, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2017
Stephen Quick and Hannah Adamaszek, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2017

Stephen Quick works mostly with stencils and Hannah with freestyle paints and spray. It was interesting watching them concentrating on their respective halves of the collaboration.

Stephen Quick and Hannah Adamaszek, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2017
Stephen Quick and Hannah Adamaszek, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2017

It is possible to see that some elements of the original piece obviously didn’t work too well for the artists, so they were removed, for example the purple birds in the background.

Stephen Quick and Hannah Adamaszek, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2017
Stephen Quick and Hannah Adamaszek, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2017

I love the work of both of these artists, and I love the way they have collaborated on this piece. Does it work? I am not sure. Has it enhanced their styles or cramped them? On balance, I consider it a triumph, but it brings into sharp perspective the difficulties of working together. A bit like being married I guess…different styles, a collaboration.

Stephen Quick and Hannah Adamaszek, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2017
Stephen Quick and Hannah Adamaszek, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2017

803. M32 Cycle path (8)

For those of you not keen on Laic217’s work, I apologise. I, as you should know by now, am a big fan, and as long as he keeps painting them, and as long as I keep finding them, I will keep posting them.

Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2017
Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2017

This is a quick one from a little while back in a narrow cycling alleyway that runs alongside the M32 between the St Pauls and Eastville junctions.

Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2017
Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2017

A wall, an obscured face, a bucket hat, a tracksuit, letters…it is all here and all so beautifully done. I’m not at all keen on the yellow background, but I am just being a bit picky.