Tag: Sweet Toof

4446. Stokes Croft

Perhaps one of the most famous and ubiquitous artists of recent decades is Sweet Toof. Some of his iconic pieces in Bristol remain, but they are dwindling in number, so imagine my utter surprise when I saw this new (and very fresh) piece by Sweet Toof in Stokes Croft recently. To have known he had been in the area only a day before when he painted it is quite something. Even though I didn’t get to meet him I felt a little star-struck. I have seen pieces by Sweet Toof in London and New York as well as here in Bristol, and they just seem to fit in as part of the street art culture and history.

Sweet Toof, Stokes Croft, Bristol, May 2022
Sweet Toof, Stokes Croft, Bristol, May 2022

I sincerely hope this small piece remains intact and untagged, and is given the respect it deserves. I suspect that many of the people who sit enjoying a meal in the outdoor seating area of the eatery, probably have no idea of the significance of this small piece, although many of them might remember his most memorable skull from just up the road which alas has now gone. What luck to have found this so soon after being painted.

Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016
Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016

2146. Shoreditch, London (29)

Sweet Toof is a London artist who has always had strong links with Bristol especially through his long-standing friendship with Rowdy. Even now, there are several toothy pieces dotted around the city. It is funny, but I have always thought of him as a Bristol artist, because of his legacy here.

Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019
Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019

It was extra special to find this triptych of shutters, that look rather recent, when in London last weekend walking in the Brick Lane area with my sister. It doesn’t seem to matter where I pitch up in the world, there always seems to be a Sweet Toof piece close by.

Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019
Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019

These three are really rather special, and have a feel of ‘see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil’ about them. It is nice to see the three different aspects of the skulls. Obviously that Master’s degree from the Royal Academy of Arts was not wasted.

Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019
Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019

I do like Sweet Toof’s work very much indeed, always blending mortality with humour in his incredibly distinctive style. Great find.

1033. Jamaica Street (12)

I am spending a little time trawling through my archives and posting some pictures that I always intended to post, but just never got round to. It is one of the major problems with writing about street art…there is always too much to cover. Even writing two posts a day only really scratches the surface.

Sweet Toof, Jamaica Street, Bristol, January 2016
Sweet Toof, Jamaica Street, Bristol, January 2016

This piece by Sweet Toof has been on the high wall by the PRSC outdoor gallery for years – even when I took the picture it was long in the tooth (pun intended). His style is one of the most distinctive of all, and I strongly recommend that you take a look at his Instagram feed which is just brilliant and always entertaining. Sweet Toof is based in London, but seems to spend a lot of time in mainland Europe, he even has his own Wikipedia entry.

575. St Andrews Road (1)

Recently I posted the iconic Bristol work by Rowdy and Sweet Toof on the top levels of the Carriageworks in Stokes Croft. Sweet Toof, although his early history is not clear, either came from, or spent some time in Bristol. There is quite a lot of work dotted around the city, all of it bearing the hallmark pink gums and teeth.

Sweet Toof, St Andrews Road, Bristol, January 2017
Sweet Toof, St Andrews Road, Bristol, January 2017

This piece is a small one on a garage door tucked away in Montpelier. His work is so unique, and slightly weird if I am honest. I thoroughly recommend a look at his Instagram account to see how versatile he is in the way he applies his themed approach. I will hunt down some more of his work. All good fun stuff.

555. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (21)

Without question this is the most iconic graffiti view in Bristol. These two have been side by side at the top of the Carriageworks building for as long as I can remember. Any street art fan that has visited Bristol is more than likely to have this shot.

Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016
Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016

The crocodile on the left is by Rowdy, many of whose works can be found in nearby Montpelier and which I have featured on this blog before. Remember this cat for example? The skull on the right is by the very famous Sweet Toof who along with Rowdy is one of the original Bristol street/graffiti artists. It is incredible, but I think this is the first piece by Sweet Toof I have featured here on the blog – I am losing my touch. I will dig out some other of his pieces. If you cannot wait for that, I recommend his very active Instagram account @thesweettoof or take a look at his rather nice website.

Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016
Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016

When you pull back from the closeups, you can see how high and large these pieces are, and for the observant among you, you will also notice the FOIS letters by Kleiner Shames on the bottom right. Welcome to Bristol.