All over Bristol you can find collaborative walls by Ryder and T Rex, from the RAW (Read and Weep) crew. What is different about this one is that Ryder (on the left) is more commonly associated with his name in full as part of the work. I think this googly-eyed character is an ‘R’. T Rex meanwhile is…well…T Rex.
Ryder and T Rex, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2017
The piece is at the base of a stairwell of The Bearpit, and has been sprayed over a Mr Draws piece. Nothing here lasts long, but it is the taggers that are the real menace here. You have to have a thick skin if you want to spray a piece down here.
So, I introduced you to NEVERGIVEUP a few days ago, and here is another of his ‘goofy bunny’ pieces adorning the walls in one of the Bearpit tunnels. I rather like these and, having seen several different colour variants am looking forward to seeing what else he might do.
NEVERGIVEUP, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2017
NGU appears to have a method for constructing these dangerous/cute creatures, with strong clear lines and filling work. So far I have only seen his pieces in The Bearpit. As he gets to know Bristol it will be interesting to see where his work might pop up next.
The third piece from this site down by Temple Meads Station. The day I first went to take pictures here, Copyright and Paul Monsters were just finishing off their magnificent piece. To their left, working hard was Loch Ness diligent in his work on this piece.
Unfortunately for him, I broke his concentration for a little while. The piece is quite unusual and full of details and little stories. The main figure looks like it is a reindeer – unusual for this time of year.
To the left of the reindeer is what I would describe as a burst of nature, and this was the part Loch Ness was working on when I photographed the work (first time).
As he was working it looked very much like he was working to a plan, and he was almost ‘painting by numbers’. Of course one has to recognise that he designed the plan and has the incredible skill to execute it, I am not suggesting for a moment that the process he uses is any easier than any other.
Now that construction appears to have begun at this site, the hoardings are much reduced and harder to access, not that this has deterred the amazing Mr Laic217. This is a rather nice piece with the words ‘Aerosoles (sic) addicts’
Laic217, Old Bread Street, Bristol, June 2017
This really appeals to me, but I’m not sure why. The grotesque face with blue colouring is not unlike a piece he did at Dean Lane skate park a while back…lots of big teeth.
Laic217, Old Bread Street, Bristol, June 2017
In the piece, the blue-faced character is snorting paint, a metaphor for his own addiction to spraying the streets. I’ve not thought about it before, but Laic217’s prolific nature may in some way be a type of addiction. Perhaps spraying walls is what he gets up in the morning for, or so it would seem.
Laic217, Old Bread Street, Bristol, June 2017
I love the piece, and I’m sure I’ve seen those eyes in the mirror after a heavy night before.
Skor85 is an artist I know precious little about, but I have been finding pieces by her all over Bristol. She is not the most prolific of artists, but her work is out there and some of it I have recently discovered in my archives. Her work is usually a little understated, and frequently accompanied with some message or other.
Skor85, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
This piece is tucked away on the back of a skate ramp, and opposite one of the main graff walls. The more I look at it the more I like it. At first is appears to be a bit crude, but actually the layering is really good, and the fine lines creating the detail are nicely done. More to come from this artist, and best of all she will be at Upfest, so I hope to get a chance to meet her.
A rather poor featured image picture of a rather unusual collaboration by Beastie and Decay. This is not the first time these two have collaborated – or rather shared a wall – and I posted this Raleigh Road piece a few weeks back. The picture is poor, because I took it on a bright day with the sun behind the wall…never a good idea.
Beastie, Greville Road, Bristol, June 2017
This shared wall – I use this expression rather than collaboration, because the two works were painted at the same time, but there is little read-across between the two, each having its own distinct style.
Beastie, Greville Road, Bristol, June 2017
On the left is an unusual piece by Beastie featuring what I would describe as a fictional bird (I might be wrong here) near a small woodland and pond. I don’t know if it is symbolic or representative, but it is a rather pretty bird. I love it when artists incorporate the street furniture, in this case a litter bin, into their works.
Decay, Greville Road, Bristol, June 2017
On the right, is a nice piece by Decay. His work, arguably, is the most distinctive in Bristol. There is absolutely no way that it could be confused with anyone else. The abstract symmetry and concentric bands of reds, greys, whites and blacks have Decay written all over them. Really good drips here too.
Decay, Greville Road, Bristol, June 2017
Overall this is a lovely shared wall, but it will be here only for a fleeting moment as we approach Upfest at the end of the month, and this wall is a popular one for the festival.
This is an absolutely wonderful piece by Dibz, featuring a character from the animated television series ‘Pinky and the Brain’. This is actually ‘the Brain’ as Pinky is somewhat skinnier and more stupid looking. Lots more from the excellent Wikipedia page on this cartoon.
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
What I like about this work is just how fantastically sharp and clear all Dibz’s lines are, it is a really strong technical piece. He spends a lot of time perfecting his designs before committing them to a wall, and his black book is well worth looking at on his Instagram feed.
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
Care has been taken, even providing a neutral grey background to help the lime green and pink stand out on this piece. One of the best on this wall for a while. Incidentally, and quite by accident, it is on the exact same space as the previous post from Inkie.
Sometimes you get lucky and see pieces by great artists that come and go in the twinkling of an eye. This was a quick one sprayed by Inkie to celebrate the opening of the ‘Graffiti Nation’ exhibition at Upfest back on 28 April 2017.
Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017
Inkie told me that he had sprayed it quickly that day and had also worked on his contribution for the exhibition an the day as well. A busy man. This is a wonderful work, simple in its colour selection but with such beautiful writing and lines.
Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017
When I look at something like this, it appears to have an effortlessness about it, the work of someone completely in command of his craft. It was painted over fairly swiftly.
Pretty much without exception, all of Laic217’s pieces harbour menace to a greater or lesser extent. Even though much of his work is weird, and he specialises in facial distortions, this one is weirder than most.
Laic217, New Stadium Road, Bristol, May 2017
The fly is grotesque – a bluebottle of sorts. An interesting thing going on is the ‘fly’ is feeding on what looks like a steaming poo which makes up the numbers 217. I hope this is a joke and not some subconscious self-esteem issue.
Laic217, New Stadium Road, Bristol, May 2017
Even though the image is quite disgusting, you really have to admire a creature of horror movie proportions wearing a bucket hat with a smiley on it. Acid wins the day. A trippy piece?
It seems that street/graffiti artists tend to have peaks and troughs in their activity. I suppose that, like the rest of us, life, jobs, family and so on just get in the way a bit. I introduce this piece with this observation because Sled One, who was extremely productive last year, seems to be a little quieter. This may just be a false perception, and I am not seeing his stuff as much as I used to – I might be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Sled One, St Werburghs Tunnel, Bristol, June 2017
This is of the usual high standard that Sled One attains, it appears, with such ease. This wildstyle writing is so very easy on the eye, like much of his work. I particularly like the ‘accent’ lines he uses to emphasise the letters or that wisp around the piece giving it a sense of animation. I will not tire of his outstanding work.
Natural adventures 