6227. Upfest 2024 (42)

Rob Lee, Upfest 2024, West Street, Bristol, July 2024
Rob Lee, Upfest 2024, West Street, Bristol, July 2024

Some murals can only really work at scale, and this is one of them. The relatively simple design by Rob Lee becomes something utterly awesome when plastered on the side of an entire building. I don’t think that visitors to the occupiers of the building would have any difficulty in finding the address… “err, it’s the one with the big pink, yellow, green, blue and lilac stripes on it – you can’t miss it”.

Rob Lee, Upfest 2024, West Street, Bristol, May 2024
Rob Lee, Upfest 2024, West Street, Bristol, May 2024

Although the design might be reasonably straightforward, there is a lot of technical subtlety in it, especially with the transition of shades of colour marking the bends in the stripes. The piece would be somewhat bland without the rippling of the stripes and the depth it gives the whole piece. Painting the colours on a black background is a master-stroke, and rounds things off perfectly.

Rob Lee, Upfest 2024, West Street, Bristol, July 2024
Rob Lee, Upfest 2024, West Street, Bristol, July 2024

I have come across a piece by Rob Lee once before, last autumn in Sheffield, and some of you might remember the post. I like the Sheffield piece, but this Upfest one definitely trumps it!

Rob Lee, Sheffield, November 2023
Rob Lee, Sheffield, November 2023

3193. Dean Lane skate park (353)

Phour, an artist that I only encountered for the first time this summer, has been hitting the walls quite hard this year and there aren’t many spots around the city that haven’t had his letters displayed in all their glory.

Phour, Dean Lane, Bristol September 2020
Phour, Dean Lane, Bristol September 2020

This piece, behind the swimming pool railing at Dean Lane, shows what Phour is capable of. Some really nice crisp letters with a three-colour horizontal fill, the central red stripe with loads of little red spots around it. There are further purple decorations reading across to the top and bottom stripes. The whole thing set on a green splat background. I’m not entirely certain about that green with the other colours, it just doesn’t quite feel right. A top quality piece from Phour.