Things have really slowed down at The Bearpit recently and most of the walls are becoming congested with fly posters and tagging. It has got a whole lot worse and more trashy since Bristol City Council came down hard on the street art scene and buffed all the walls – unintended consequences and all that…
DNT, The Bearpit, Bristol, September 2018
In among all the sleezyness is this really classy piece recently sprayed by DNT. It is a floral tribute piece to a friend of his, Derek Williams, who passed away, I guess recently. In a touching Instagram post he says that Derek was one of the first people he met when he arrived in Bristol in 1990 and treated him normally. There is a big back-story there of which we only get a glimpse.
DNT, The Bearpit, Bristol, September 2018
As tributes go, this is a really heartfelt and carefully crafted piece and from the Autumn colours to the whole tone of the piece you can see it is a labour of love. Lovely tribute.
Sometimes in life things come together to create a story. Some stories are good and others not so good. This wonderful piece by Kid Crayon provides the perfect backdrop to a good story.
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
Some of you who read this blog regularly will know that I recently lost my father and although we were not especially close, he was my father and that means something. Going back to work was a struggle so I made sure I kept up my lunchtime walks as a kind of mindfulness opportunity. On this day, 20 April, I decided to visit Dean Lane to see if there was any new work there, which is pretty much a certainty if I am honest. As it turned out, the place was really busy, with several artists at work.
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
Some of the artists, including Kid Crayon, were there to mark 420, the long standing campaign to legalise cannabis (now perhaps you see what his artwork is all about). I spent a long while photographing all the works in progress and having a great natter with the artists. Realising I couldn’t spend all day there, although it would have been fun, I set off back to work.
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
Then I had one of those moments where an inner mini me took over and marched me back to Kid Crayon. As I approached him I apologised for my cheekiness and asked him if he could do something really special for me…I asked if he would spray a little tribute for my dad on this piece. Kindly he said he would…if he remembered. I thanked him and went on my way.
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018 (photograph: Street Art Bristol)
The next time I saw the piece was on Instagram, posted the next day (but pictured on the evening of completion) by Street Art Bristol (see above). And there in the bottom left corner is the tribute. I welled up when I saw this, lots of emotions going on. However there are a couple more twists to the tale. I also saw several other Instagram posts taken which showed the piece had been dogged (some people have no respect) probably only hours after the picture above was taken. I asked Street Art Bristol if he could send me a clean copy of the piece and explained why it was important to me – he did so without hesitation for which I am hugely grateful.
Kid Crayon, RIP Gledders, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
I managed to make it down to Dean Lane later on the Saturday (the day after it was completed) and to my surprise, somebody had restored the piece – I don’t know who, It might have been KC or somebody else, but it is great to know there are some good guys out there. If you look at the featured image at the very top of this post, you can make out some of the white markings of graffiti under the green background.
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
I have always liked Kid Crayon’s work, indeed it was largely down to him and JPS that I started blogging about street art in the first place. Through the kindness of Kid Crayon, this was my little way of marking the passing of my father. RIP Gledders.
What a lucky bunch we are in Bristol to have so so many talented street artists walking among us. This is a magnificent collaboration by two Bristol old-timers (I don’t think they’d like me to call them that…probably, but it is more a mark of respect). The gorilla is by 3Dom and the writing by Epok.
3Dom and Epok, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2018
The gorilla is so unusual, I don’t think I have seen something by 3Dom like this before, and I’m not sure I would have known it was by him were it not for Instagram. I am fascinated by the chain and the gold medallion with the letters ASK on it. It is as fine a piece of craftsmanship as I have seen, so beautifully done and right out of the Cheo book of chains.
3Dom and Epok, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2018
The Epok writing is equally impressive, and again a little different from the usual angular and geometric pieces I am used to seeing, this is a little softer and so beautiful, a masterful piece.
3Dom and Epok, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2018
The two pieces coming together in such stark contrast are one of many tributes to the extraordinary Acid Collapse (Treze)who lost his fight against cancer very recently. I posted a piece by Acid Collapse in 2016, and I consider it to be one of the finest pieces I have ever seen. A huge loss.
I’m carol/ zurik . I’m treze’s wife and he wanted to upload this last photo that he never had until a few days ago. I just want to let u know that he didnt have any pain and everything was peaceful and quick as he wanted it. We fight together all this 3, almost 4 years against his cancer and in this time he was not just brave, he never, never complain about his illness, always looking the possitive side of everything. A lot of u who can get to know him and admire his work from the last 4 years until now (what he said it has been his best years ever), need to know that this work was made it with conviction and passion every time he has a day without chemo. He was a strong man who made everything what he wants: travel around the world painting , working on his tatoos , walk on the mountain and the street, and as he used to said: do stuffs .But the most important for him was to take care of you: his friends. I know the pain that u are feeling and as i promess to him i am here for u. Thank u for ur support and i am sure this is the best way to say goodbye to one of the most happy, humble, talented and friendly person in the world. He never lost the battle, he was a figther but he took in his mind the peace to accept what was inevitable until the last moment, and made it leaving everything behind closed and done. Always love u my guillem. With love: ur carol. #trezeforever
This is the first of two tribute pieces in this exact location by Face F1st honouring Minty. My research about Minty has yeilded nothing, but his name has cropped up on a few pieces in recent times.
FaceF1st, Ashley Road, Bristol, August 2017
So this is a departure for Face F1st who normally writes FACE and incorporates the face into the lettering. The letters M I N T Y are more aggular and do not lend themselves to the incorporation of a face so well. Instead the face is added on to the end of the piece. I don’t think I have ever been disappointed by Face F1st’s work and this is another lovely piece.
Anyone familiar with Bladerunner (the original) will be familiar with the Tyrell quote: ‘The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long – and you have burned so very, very brightly, Roy’.
Pegasus, Camden Town, London, November 2017
This quote could equally well be applied to the extraordinary vocalist Amy Winehouse who died of a drugs overdose in July 2011. In the UK, and especially in North London there is a terrific fondness for this amazingly talented young woman whose moment in the spotlight was so short and fragmented. This wonderful stencil, by Pegasus, is a fine tribute to the singer.
Pegasus, Camden Town, London, November 2017
I have featured a couple of Pegasus pieces in previous posts, this one of Mother Teresa from last year’s upfest, and this one of Donald Trump. Pegasus is fond of creating works of iconic public figures and is not afraid of controversy.
This is a fabulous Rowdy piece which is not only bright and vibrant but is also a tribute/protest piece for the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire disaster. The crocodiles are festooned with flowers and there is a heart in the middle of the piece.
Rowdy, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
This piece demonstrates the reach of the tragedy in London, and I guess the whole wretched thing highlights a world we live in where profit and margins trump regulation and safety. Pitiful really. It is the same with environmental regulation – there are some that say it gets in the way of business and prosperity – try being prosperous when you have buggered up the environment, the place that provides our food, our water, our very life. Red tape is there for a reason, to keep us safe, and if it suppresses profit, then so be it. Right I’ll stop there before I go off on one.
Rowdy, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
I don’t generally get to see too much street work from Rowdy, so it is always nice when one crops up.
A few weeks ago this stunning and touching tribute piece appeared on the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft (PRSC) outdoor gallery wall. It is a wonderful collaboration between The Paintsmiths and Ryder.
The Paintsmiths and Ryder tribute to Raphael Dufresne, Jamaica Street, Bristol, April 2017
The tribute is to Raphael Dufresne, a popular musician on the local scene who passed away on 14 April 2017, suffering a fatal aneurism whilst at the gym. He was only 27 years old. This piece fills me with a sadness, but what a magnificent way to celebrate his life.
The Paintsmiths and Ryder tribute to Raphael Dufresne, Jamaica Street, Bristol, April 2017
I never heard his music, and feel sorry that I never had the chance of seeing him, it sounds like he had a good soul and attitude to life. He had links with PRSC, which is why this tribute is all the more poignant. Really terrific letters from Ryder and a superb portrait by The Paintsmiths. Sad.
The Paintsmiths and Ryder tribute to Raphael Dufresne, Jamaica Street, Bristol, April 2017
I came across this wall quite by accident. I was looking for somewhere to park in the Montpelier area – a challenge in itself, so that I could investigate some garages which I had checked out on Streetview.
Sepr, Richmond Road, Bristol, January 2017
I noticed some scaffolding and early stages of spraying of a tribute to DJ Derek, more about him here and here. The first day I visited nobody was spraying – maybe they had gone home for the day, so I returned the following day.
Deamze, Richmond Road, Bristol, January 2017
This time two artists were working on the piece. Obviously I stopped for a quick chat – one was Sepr, I didn’t speak to the other, but it might have been Deamze. It was good to ask about the piece, and to meet Sepr, who is, like my daughter, the owner of a panther chameleon.
Sepr, Richmond Road, Bristol, February 2017
The piece is a really fitting tribute to the great, and very much missed, DJ Derek by two of the very best street artists in Bristol. And what a wall too. The right hand side of the collaboration, the protrait, is by Sepr and is quite unusual because most of his work is rather more cartoon-like and creative, let’s say.
Sepr, Richmond Road, Bristol, February 2017
The portrait is a good likeness to DJ Derek, and I am sure it will remain here for quite some time.
Deamze, Richmond Road, Bristol, February 2017
On the left hand side, we have some very recognisable writing from Deamze spelling out the words ‘One Love’ without any wildstyle disguise. I am guessing, but I don’t know that this might have been one of many catch phrases that DJ Derek was known for.
Deamze and Sepr, Richmond Road, Bristol, February 2017
Everything about this tribute is good, the artists, the wall, the quiet location. It is great to honour important Bristol figures in this way.
This is a piece from my archives from way back in April 2016. It is a tribute piece to Buzz by the enigmatic OHMS.
OHMS, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, May 2016
The colour quality is poor due to the lighting conditions in the tunnel. The only way I am ever going to overcome these problems is to buy a much better camera with all the proper flash gadgets, but I have to say that is not my style. Another triumph from OHMS and the Splab Gang.
I was deeply moved today when I met a lady roughly my age spraying a cardboard stencil tribute to Dom. I stopped to ask her who Dom was. She told me through her tears that he was her son, aged 21, who died two days ago on a basketball court. Too tragic for words. Sometimes life is just so very tough. Such sadness. As a boy Dom used to skate here at Dean Lane skate park.
Natural adventures 