Tag: Tag

3346. Brunel Way bridge (76)

Angry Face is so definitely back on the scene and that is great news. For me he represents the rather more edgy side of Bristol street/graffiti art, and his mega-tag comes in both rough tag and finessed forms.

Angry Face, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2020
Angry Face, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2020

This column piece under Brunel Way is nicely done, and the characteristic face with spiky and cracked teeth is nicely decorated with little white bubbles on the two shades of blue face. It is always nice to find new pieces by Angry Face, especially when you know they are out there from the social media postings of others.

3323. St Werburghs tunnel (206)

One of the most recognisable ‘mega-tags’ in Bristol is that of Angry Face. What you see is what you get, and he rarely disappoints. One of the advantages of a ‘brand’ like this is that you can spend time doing a nice one, or spend ten minutes with a single-colour throw up, but they all conform to the stock format and identity.

Angry Face, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2020
Angry Face, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2020

I mentioned last time that after a long spell away, Angry Face seems to be hitting the walls pretty regularly these days, including with this recent one in St Werburghs tunnel. I’m not sure if the tags either side of the face belong to the artist or not, but the central face is more than enough for me. Good to see.

3288. Cumberland Basin

It took me a little while to solve the mystery of these faces that started to appear all  over Bristol from about September time. Of course the answer was staring me in the face (almost literally) all the time, but I simply didn’t make the connection. It wasn’t until I saw an Instagram post by the artist that the penny dropped. It is of course by Slakarts.

Slakarts, Cumberland Basin, Bristtol, October 2020
Slakarts, Cumberland Basin, Bristtol, October 2020

Slakarts is another artist who has been fairly quiet for most of the year, but suddenly a rash of pieces very similar to this one started appearinng a few weeks ago. It is strange that an artist who is known for using a certain style changes the basic shape of his pieces and then repeats them all over the place in the form of a mega-tag, but that is what Slakarts has done. I like this piece with strong lines and fills, and it certainly catches the eye. Look out for more on Natural Adventures before too long.

3194. Brunel Way bridge (55)

I am really enjoying the stylistic variations of Varo’s bull at the moment. He is an artist who has emerged on the Bristol scene over the last couple of years, and his mega-tags are becoming more sophisticated and experimental with each outing.

Varo, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2020
Varo, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2020

This bull is part of a larger collaborative spread with other artists including Kool Hand and Daz Cat (to follow). This time the bull’s head is in profile rather than face on and has a rather cheeky grin. I think that Varo is on to a great theme here, painting the same subject in a variety of styles… endless material and interest value. I can’t wait to see more.

3172. Purdown HAA Battery (11)

It’s that man again Varo with his recognisable mega-tag of a bull’s head, no doubt inspired by his Spanish heritage. This piece is a variation on his throw-up version and is rather an attractive looking beast with a rather foppish haircut.

Varo, Purdown, Bristol, August 2020
Varo, Purdown, Bristol, August 2020

There is something of Picasso in this piece, deliberate or otherwise and although it is nothing like it, it reminds me of Guernica, or his bull’s head sculpture made from a bicycle seat and handlebars. I like the cheeky boldness of the piece. Great fun.

3135. M32 roundabout J3 (249)

Varo is a really interesting artist whose work is most recognised for the large and dominant bull super-tag that he paints around the place, but this somewhat betrays his talent as a great writer. This colourful piece appeared on the M32 roundabout a week or two back and shows off Varo’s talent.

Varo, M32, Bristol, August 2020
Varo, M32, Bristol, August 2020

The left hand side is a beautiful piece of writing, spelling out the name VARO, with a quite unique 3D shading that gives the whole thing a sense of movement and energy. On the right is a fabulous 3D rendering of his bull tag which has something of the exotic about it – maybe something to do with its Spanish creator. A wonderful And energising piece.

2952. Dean Lane skate park (313)

Something a little different from Slim Pickings in May 2017 in which the artist is experimenting with a straight-line version of his ‘super tag’. The piece demonstrates the versatility of the artist, and is something of a rarity.

Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017
Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017

I must confess however that I am not wholly convinced by the success of the experiment, and while it is nice to see something different I feel that Slim Pickings just hasn’t quite carried it off with the same panache that he manages with his more usual curvy variant.

2734.Dean Lane skate park (277)

It is such an obvious thing to say, but I can’t stop myself… this is a two for the price of one wall from Slim Pickings (TES). It is not often that you get to see two pieces by the same artist side-by-side, especially painted around the same time. What is nice about these it that you can compare the subtle differences between the two designs, both of which are beautifully clean by the way.

Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020

I don’t know the derivation of his TES pieces, but I suspect they began as a tag and have evolved over time into these elaborate and aesthetically pleasing works. The one on the left has some excellent colour choices with a wavy separation and some nice drips on the T. Woz Yer = was here, possibly one of the oldest mottos used in graffiti.

Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020

On the right is a slightly older form of his TES with little accent marks to the bottom left and right of the letter sequence. There is a single solid fill, but in this one the whole thing is finished off with a red boundary line. Spotting the difference between the two is rather fun, perhaps he should do this more often.

2449. Turbo Island

FTurbo Island is a dynamic spot in Bristol. It is in the heart of Stokes Croft and attracts a spectrum of visitors, many high or drunk, who use the space to sit and while away the day. It also has a nice wall that the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft (PRSC) try to curate, but tagging is a real problem here which is a great shame.

Hazard, Turbo Island, Bristol, September 2019
Hazard, Turbo Island, Bristol, September 2019

I decided to go ahead and post this beautiful portrait by Hazard in spite of the tags because I don’t  think it had been up for much more than a day when I photographed it. I spoke to Hazard about it when I met her at the Cheltenham Art Festival and she was fairly philosophical about it and said ‘well it’s Turbo Island, isn’t it?’.

The portrait is another in shades of blue and red and is really beautiful. There is something even more annoying about the tags that are indiscriminate in their destruction, can’t the DBK lot appreciate beauty? Are they incapable of leaving some beautiful things alone? Untouched it would have looked a little bit like the pieces below:

 

Hazard, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2018
Hazard and Tasha Bee, M32, Bristol, January 2019

Thursday doors – 30 May 2019

Doors 73 – Bristol doors, various.

Another slightly rushed post this week, a random selection of Bristol doors that might have seen better days, but are all the more characterful for their journeys.

Tagged door, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019
Tagged door, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019

Lakota back door, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019
Lakota back door, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019

Just a door somewhere in Bristol, March 2019
Just a door somewhere in Bristol, March 2019

Doors, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2019
Doors, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2019

Important notice, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2019
Important notice, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2019

Warehouse doors, Gardiner Haskins building, Bristol, March 2019
Warehouse doors, Gardiner Haskins building, Bristol, March 2019

Warehouse doors, Gardiner Haskins building, Bristol, March 2019
Warehouse doors, Gardiner Haskins building, Bristol, March 2019

And that’s it for another week.

For more doors take a good look at the Norm 2.0 blog – the mastermind behind Thursday Doors where there are links to yet more doors in the comments section at the end.

 

by Scooj