Strolling through Shoreditch
shutter working overtime
utterly vibrant.
by Scooj
Tag: Street art
387. Upfest 2016 (31)
I used to play five-a-side football with someone called Karl Read, but it wasn’t this Karl Read. This one is a stencil artist from the South Coast and created this amazing portrait in one of the key locations for Upfest. Last year, the wall was home to Robers Wass’ beautiful fox.
There is something about the tones and lines that reminds me a lot of Copyright’s work, of which there is quite a lot in the area, and at first I thought it might be one of his, but then I looked closer.
Once again, one of the real pleasures of being at the festival was to be able to see the artists at work. In this instance, Karl was working with some really large pieces of card that were not entirely cooperating.
The more observant viewer, and one that gets to this final sentence, might spot a reflection of the author of this post (that’s me) in the glass door in the feature image. Vanity publishing!
386. Upfest 2016 (30)
This is one of the most incredible stencils I saw at Upfest this year. It is by p0g0, a French artist now living in Southampton. I watched him putting the final touches to this work, but would have loved to seen the early layering of the stencil.
The skill of the artist has turned the relatively mundane subject matter into something really special. The piece is called ‘Dirty Converse’.
It is no surprise to learn from his short bio in the Upfest programme that P0g0 was a finalist in the Stencil Art Prize 2015, and winner of the 2015 Stencil Art Awards in Bristol.
385. Upfest 2016 (29)
On the Saturday of Upfest 2016 I was not sure who the artist was on this wall. He was high up on a scaffold tower, and seemed only to have started his piece.
The wall in Greville Road is one of the least photogenic ‘art walls’ in Bristol. It is high up and surrounded by bright skies with the sun during the day behind the wall and so the face is usually in shade. The previous occupant was a hand by Jody.
Even on the Sunday and the Monday the wall was only half done, so I was still in the dark about the artist. I returned a few days after the Festival and the full picture was revealed…a most fantastic work by Cosmo Sarson.
His ‘Breakdancing Jesus’ remains one of the most celebrated pieces in Bristol, and this is equal to it. The colours of this work are wonderful as the figure floats under the multicoloured surface and his half-naked body is reflected in swirls. This really is one of the highlights of the festival and so worth waiting for.
384. Upfest 2016 (28)
After seeing all of his wonderful wheatpastes in Stokes Croft whilst ‘on tour’ in the UK, it was a real treat to find this fabulous Tian work at Upfest this year. This time his work was not a paste up, but nevertheless unmistakably a Tian piece.
I love his work, and in this piece there is a continuation of his use of sepia tones for the main subject. The whole work shows how accomplished Tian is using different techniques and materials. I am not too sure who is in the picture, but I guess she is famous.
I was rather hoping that while Tian was in Bristol, he might do another series of wheatpastes, but so far I haven’t found anything. I very much look forward to his next visit.
383. Upfest 2016 (27)
I am a huge fan of China Girl Tile, and was so excited to hear that she would be at Upfest 2016. I had seen lots of her work on social media, but nothing in the flesh, so it was a real treat not only to see her at work, but to be able to say hello and stop for a quick chat.
I caught up with China Girl Tile while she was finishing off her work in the drizzle on the second day of the festival. The wall she was working on is in the back yard of the Hen and Chicken and in really great company (Fake, Cosmo Sarson…and others).
I am glad she chose foxes for this installation, because as many of you may know Bristol is famous for its urban foxes. In fact some research a few years ago showed that the most densely populated group of foxes on record were in and around my allotment. Their numbers fell due to mange and the introduction of wheelie bins with strong lids. I digress. I love foxes.
Her reference to the Campbells soup tin is not only witty but is incorporated so very well into the unfolding story.
Her work is unusual and refreshing and executed with such skill and dedication. The tiles are really beautiful and enchanting. Please can we get more China Girl Tile work in Bristol.
382. Upfest 2016 (26)
Having recently posted a piece by Mr Sle7en, I thought it would be good to share his contribution to Upfest 2016. Again, Mr Sle7en incorporates the third eye into this piece and uses the strong colours associated with his work.
The writing says ‘Free Sesk’ which is a reference to the recent custodial sentence dished out to Jack Keeling, a well known tagger and graffiti writer in Bristol. I featured one of his throw ups on New Year’s Day this year. It seems a little unfair that he has been jailed, when there are so many other taggers in town, but I guess this happens from time to time and they all know the risks they are taking.
381. Dean Lane skate park (15)
A witty homage to Pokemon Go by John D’oh on the tarmac of Dean Lane skate park. It looks like Pikachu may have seen better days.
This is not the only Pikachu in town…I’ll need to dig the other one that I know of out. Fun contemporary stuff from one of the most prolific street artists in Bristol.
380. Armada Place (6)
The fencing in Armada Place is a hotspot that is slightly off the beaten track, and can easily be missed. I make a point of taking the short diversion away from Stokes Croft on my way to work, to be able to capture gems like this one by Fois (Kleiner Shames).
It feels like Fois has become a little more active recently, or maybe I am just finding more of his wildstyle pieces. I don’t know, but I always feel good when I come across one for the first time. I like the way that he disguises the name Fois just enough to make it hard for the ‘untrained’ eye to read. This is really a wonderful piece that he calls ‘a quick one’.
Only recently I found out that Fois is actually Kleiner Shames – a rather respectable looking designer. It irks me that by calling him Fois all this time I look like a bit of an idiot. I suppose it is all part of being on the outside looking in.
379. Moon Street (16)
One of the great things about Upfest is all the ‘extras’ that get left behind by artists who come over to Bristol for a few days. Hunting these down is all part of the fun for street rats. This is a wonderful set of three wheatpastes left by Din Din, whose ‘official’ stencil was utterly fantastic.
Here on the North side of town it is great to see some of Din Din’s work. Although it is already looking a bit scruffy, it is still a pleasure to see it. I am not too sure who the pictures are of other than they are heavily tattooed men, but I like them regardless. More of these ‘naughties’ to come.
Natural adventures 