Tag: Street art

191. The Bearpit (11)

Turnover in The Bearpit has reached staggering proportions lately and I am really struggling to keep up. This wonderful stencil by the fabulous John D’oh, is one of several highly political statements directed at current Government Ministers.

In this instance it is the turn of George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whose recent budget was perceived as being one of the most unfair in decades.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016

John D’oh is another Bristolian artist, whose works are becoming more and more frequent on our streets. His website is worth a quick gander. I love this political stuff, it is edgy and full of vitriol whilst managing to present humorously. As you can see below though, it is not to everyone’s taste. The piece appeared less than a week ago and is already defaced.

John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016
John D’oh, defaced, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016

190. Moon Street (10)

Laic217 is certainly providing me with loads of material at the moment.This is his latest work in a very busy Moon Street. In my view, this is the best that I have seen of his work so far. Weird, trippy and well executed – perfect for the wall it has been sprayed on.

Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2016
Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2016

I like the melting face and acid house theme. More of his work can be viewed on his profile page of streetpins.com a site for graffiti artists to show their work.

Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2016
Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2016

This piece was, I think completed over the weekend of 16/17 April.

189. Cheltenham Road, Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party cafe marks out the northern border of the Stokes Croft area for street art. It is also a great place to start a tour of all the wonders in the area. This is a lovely commission by Alex Lucas adorning the front right hand side of the building. I presume it is a March hare, given its boxing gloves.

Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, September 2015
Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, September 2015

Unfortunately the piece and many others nearby have been obscured by red spray, really calling into question the whole debate about art, street art, commissions, illegal, graffiti, tagging, vandalism and so on. It will be very difficult to clear this piece up – maybe she’ll get a commission to replace it (please).

Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, September 2015
Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, September 2015

188. Brunswick Square hoardings (1)

A couple of weeks ago I discovered, quite by accident, a goldmine of new pieces in Brunswick Square, St Pauls. There is a large new development along the south side of the square with hoardings all around it. It would appear that the developers have encouraged Bristol’s finest to decorate the hoardings, and they have done an amazing job.

Inkie, Brunswick Square, Bristol, March 2016
Inkie, Brunswick Square, Bristol, March 2016

This piece is by one of Bristol’s most well known street artists, Inkie, and is a bright and colourful wildstyle burner in his very distinct style. A lovely piece.

I will, of course, feature other works from this magnificent site soon.

187. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (6)

Over the last weekend the fabulous pairing of SPZero76 and Mr Wigz got busy on one of the middle arches of the Carriageworks. Their combinations work very well and have a vibrancy and humour about them.

SPZero76 and Mr Wigz, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 17 April 2016
SPZero76 and Mr Wigz, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 17 April 2016

SPZero76 works on the characters, which often feature a raccoon, which is odd because despite them appearing in the live version of Disney’s 101 Dalmations, set in the UK, we don’t have them in this country. While Mr Wigz provides the wildstyle burner beneath.

SPZero76 and Mr Wigz, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 17 April 2016
SPZero76 and Mr Wigz, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 17 April 2016

Their last piece I know about appeared back in February, further North on the A38…here is a reminder.

SPZero76 and Mr Wigz, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 17 April 2016
SPZero76 and Mr Wigz, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 17 April 2016

I like their work, and it is great to get an untagged picture. Any new pieces at the Carriageworks never last long in their pristine condition.

186. The Bearpit (10)

This ‘throw up’ (a very quickly sprayed freestyle piece) was crafted by Decay on the same day (Friday 8th April 2016) that I wrote about this piece.

Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016
Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016

It is very simple and also very powerful, Decay could have a career in logo design! The initials DK obviously have driven his ‘Decay’ moniker. This is a nice crisp striking piece in one of the tunnels at the Bearpit.

Unfortunately, this has been ‘taken out’ in the words of Decay as have nearly all the Bearpit tunnel pieces by a Bristol tagger called DBK. It is a pity, but this is what DBK does, and all the other artists know this and, I guess, just put up with it.

185. Stokes Croft, Pop up Shop

This playful commission was painstakingly crafted between the 5th to the 11th of April 2016. It is unmistakably the work of the brilliant Alex Lucas, and adds to the overall wealth of her pieces in the Area. It is great that so many small local businesses commission her work. Her stamp is fast becoming part of the Bristol USP.

Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016

These hares, painted and marked onto shutters, will I’m sure, become a local reference point. Looking carefully, you might also catch a glimpse of Mrs Scooj walking past the triptych with an umbrella.

Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016

I managed to have a quick chat with Alex a couple of times while she was working on this piece, and was struck by how approachable and incredibly nice she was…it must get very tiresome having people interrupt your work and ask inane questions, but at no time did she make me feel unwelcome, in fact completely the opposite.

Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016

Alex did disclose that shutter work is a bit of a pain and rather difficult, but she has done a great job with this. I really look forward to her next commission.

Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2016

184. Ashley Road (5)

It would appear that Friday late afternoon is the right time to be passing the street art hot spots. Last week I managed to catch up with Decay and Alex Lucas, today I met and watched Sled One working this practice hoarding in Stokes Croft.

Sled One, Ashley Road, Bristol, 15 April 2016
Sled One, Ashley Road, Bristol, 15 April 2016

I had just dropped down from Armada Place, where I had seen and photographed another of his recent works, so it was a real pleasure to meet him. What a nice guy, and an extremely talented artist. It was his work that I featured (the woody woodpecker one) a little while ago that I honestly believe to be one of the finest works I have seen in Bristol. I told him as much (he was chuffed) and he said that it was freestyled…which basically means he sprayed it off the top of his head – no plan. Below are some pictures of Sled One at work.

Sled One, Ashley Road, Bristol, 15 April 2016
Sled One, Ashley Road, Bristol, 15 April 2016
Sled One, Ashley Road, Bristol, 15 April 2016
Sled One, Ashley Road, Bristol, 15 April 2016
Sled One, Ashley Road, Bristol, 15 April 2016
Sled One, Ashley Road, Bristol, 15 April 2016
Sled One, Ashley Road, Bristol, 15 April 2016
Sled One, Ashley Road, Bristol, 15 April 2016

You can make out the writing, it says Sled in silver and ASK in yellow (ASK is After School Klub – a group of Bristol street artists). A good afternoon’s work I would say.

183. Moon Street (9)

Another wonderful bird piece by Aspire, from a few weeks ago. I’m not too sure what species this one is, and I can’t find any reference to it on his Instagram feed. It maintains the high quality I would expect from Aspire, and many of the common features in his work.

Aspire, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2016
Aspire, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2016

I very much like the way he still chooses to spray these masterful pieces on ‘illegal’ albeit tolerated walls, as he could so easily go down the commission-only route.

Aspire, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2016
Aspire, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2016

I guess the best thing about Bristol street artists is that they all choose their own paths, but coexist in apparent harmony. It is about the full spectrum of street art and we are very lucky indeed.

182. M32 Roundabout Junction 3 (5)

It’s a bit like waiting for a bus…nothing for ages and then three turn up all at once. Well it is a bit like that with this third piece in as many weeks from Laic217.

Laic217, M32 Roubndabout, Bristol, March 2016
Laic217, M32 Roubndabout, Bristol, March 2016

The consistent themes for Laic217’s work seem to be his name decorated, but easily legible, bright carefully selected colour schemes and a character embellishing one of the letters. It is a formula I like, and one that is very distinct.

Laic217, M32 Roubndabout, Bristol, March 2016
Laic217, M32 Roubndabout, Bristol, March 2016

I look forward to stumbling on more of his works, now that I know where to look for them.