Tag: Street art

402. Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare (3)

A recent trip to W-s-M resulted in seeing much more street art than I had prepared myself for. I knew I would find a few stencils by local artist JPS, but wasn’t too sure what else I might find.

Osch, the Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
Osch, the Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016

The Tropicana was the site of Banksy’s Dismaland last year, and this year the venue hosted the Hazy Days festival, which looks likely to be repeated and expanded for 2017. At the Hazy Days festival this year, several artists, including Dan Kitchener, My Dog Sighs and Osch gathered at the Tropicana and created some wonderful works. This is the piece by Osch, and shows a rather different style to the one in my previous post.

Osch, the Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
Osch, the Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016

Osch is a highly accomplished artist with an incredibly distinct style. Plenty more of his works will feature in this blog before long.

401. Old Street, Shoreditch (1)

During my strolls around the Shoreditch area, I have come across several of these striking pieces by Osch (Otto Schade). Instantly recognisable with their trademark yellow/orange centre and silhouetted scene, often funny or political in nature. This one highlights a pole dancer and CCTV camera watching her.

Osch, Old Street, London, August 2016
Osch, Old Street, London, August 2016

Osch, originally from Chile, trained as an architect but is equally at home with his art, which is inspired by the Surrealists. He now lives and works in London, where many of his fine works can be seen.

Osch, Old Street, London, August 2016
Osch, Old Street, London, August 2016

Osch’s work has another distinct style in which he creates figures or scenes out of long strips of ‘material’, reminiscent of Egyptian mummies unraveling. More on this in my next post. I haven’t seen any of his work in Bristol yet, but am hoping he will visit sometime…it is only a couple of hours away after all.

 

 

400. The Bearpit (25)

It is fitting that my 400th post on street art should feature Aspire. It is difficult to tire of his incredible graffiti pictures of birds. This fine bird in the incongruous setting of The Bearpit is an American Goldfinch and can still be found at the end of the Southern tunnel.

Aspire, The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2016
Aspire, The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2016

Aspire really needs to get out to New York and paint for the Audubon Mural Project, he even paints American birds! I’m not sure how artists get an invitation to paint for the project, but it must be time for Aspire? In the meantime, we’ll just enjoy his work here in Bristol.

Aspire, The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2016
Aspire, The Bearpit, Bristol, August 2016

399. Nine Tree Hill (4)

It has been a little while since DNT or Akarat graced these pages, so here is a reasonably recent collaboration, or perhaps better, co-location of these two great local graffiti artists. The dragon is by DNT (Bruno Dante) and the fish on the utility box are by Akarat. I didn’t see the fish the first time, which is something of a gaffe for a marine and fisheries biologist who prides himself on observational skills.

DNT and Akarat, Nine Tree Hill, Bristol, August 2016
DNT and Akarat, Nine Tree Hill, Bristol, August 2016

This is a fairly quiet collaboration tucked on a side street just off the main drag of Stokes Croft. I love to see their work, and together with other local artists, they really do keep things fresh. Great dragon, great fish…different styles meeting.

Akarat, Nine Tree Hill, Bristol, August 2016
Akarat, Nine Tree Hill, Bristol, August 2016

398. M32 Roundabout J3 (17)

UPDATE: Instagram to the rescue…this work it appears is a collaboration between Serge KB (Kortenbroek) and Simian Switch, both from the Netherlands. In this work, the animal is the work of Serge KB and the background by Simian Switch.

Generally I don’t like to post an artwork unless I know who it is by, but occasionally the interweb lets me down, and I just can’t seem to track down the artist. This is one such case.

Unknown artist, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, August 2016
Unknown artist, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, August 2016

This lovely work appeared around the same time as Upfest, so I am guessing that the artist isn’t local, or if they are, I haven’t seen any of their work before. There was another piece at Dean Lane skate park by the same artist which appeared at the same time, but no obvious signature there either. I love this piece, the colour selections and the depiction of the animal create quite a unique feel. It is simply beautiful, and I felt I had to post it to share it, but also to possibly get some insight from readers as to who the artist is.

397. Charles Street (2)

I posted about this duo back in January this year, with a focus on the robin by the talented Aspire. At the time I didn’t know who had created the wheatpaste of a yellow telephone box with Marilyn Monroe in it. It was of course D7606…he even signed it!

D7606, Charles Street, Bristol, August 2016
D7606, Charles Street, Bristol, August 2016

Recently, the yellow telephone box has been replaced by an orange one and Monroe by Bowie, I am guessing that D7606 made this exchange during Upfest, as he was in Bristol doing his stuff during the festival.

D7606, Charles Street, Bristol, August 2016
D7606, Charles Street, Bristol, August 2016

Since becoming aware of D7606, and reading an excellent interview with him, I have really begun to enjoy his work, and with my weekly work trips to London, I encounter his treats all over the Shoreditch area. There is something fun about the repetition of themes that he pastes up, and he makes street art very accessible for wannabe graffiti artists (like me).

D7606, Charles Street, Bristol, August 2016
D7606, Charles Street, Bristol, August 2016

This is a wonderful vibrant, contemporary piece, and I love it. Aspire looking good as ever.

396. Moon Street (10)

There are not enough great words to describe the work of Sled One. He is one of the most talented graffiti/street artists in Bristol, whether it is wildstyle writing or freestyled scenes like this one, he is without doubt a master of his craft.

Sled One, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2016
Sled One, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2016

This is a crazy and fun picture, and as with most of his creative scenes, there is surely a story going on here. I don’t know what the story is, but  it incorporates a bull in a camper van and some other weird stuff going on. There are some similarities to the work of 3Dom, in that they both can create these dream-like landscapes and stories.

Sled One, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2016
Sled One, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2016

This piece needs looking at to enjoy it, and I looked and I enjoyed. Spend a while seeing all the little details and see if you can figure it out. Another triumph from the awesome Sled One.

Sled One, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2016
Sled One, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2016

395. M32 Roundabout J3 (16)

On the West side of the M32 roundabout there is a long concrete wall which runs next to a pathway and which reduces in height along its length. About midway along this wall is this magnificent Epok piece.

Epok, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, August 2016
Epok, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, August 2016

So typically Epok wildstyle writing, and a fabulous selection of colours. It really is outstanding in every sense of the word. It is in the part of the wall where the pathway narrows, so it is very difficult to photograph pieces here unless taken from the sides, or using fisheye lenses.

Epok - detail, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, August 2016
Epok – detail, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, August 2016

Epok’s works have lovely simple and clean lines and blends smooth curves with angular shapes to create the EPOK letters. Always pleasurable to see.

394. Devon Road (7)

A little jaunt back to May this year, in fact polling day if I remember correctly, when I made my first and so far only trip down to Devon Road. So many treats in one day in one road.

Deamze, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016
Deamze, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016

This is not the only Deamze work in the road, there is also his Ren and Stimpy. I am not too good on cartoon characters, especially ones that weren’t part of my growing up, so I am not too sure who this little character is (is it batfink?)…nor the frog, Not that it matters too much, it is another great work by the master.

393. Chance Street, Shoreditch, London (1)

I think it is safe to say that Roa must make it into most street art/graffiti art enthusiasts’ top ten, particularly those interested in wildlife and nature. On my latest work trip to London, I had another overnight stay and took advantage by finding a hotel not too far from Shoreditch.

Roa, Chance Street, London, August 2016
Roa, Chance Street, London, August 2016

I walked towards Brick Lane and found this wonderful, enormous hedgehog. Roa’s work is almost always in black and white tones and is picked out especially well on brickwork. The style is unmistakable and unique, sometimes a difficult thing to achieve in a crowded and growing scene.

Roa, Chance Street, London, August 2016
Roa, Chance Street, London, August 2016

When I was a youth, hedgehogs were abundant, so much so that they were very regular victims of road kill, even in cities. I even used to feed a family of them in my London back garden. Now alas, they are very much in decline. In fact this Roa depiction is the only hedgehog I have seen for about twenty years. It is a wonderful reminder of the splendour of this little creature. Thank you Roa.