UK – Page 119 – Natural adventures

Thursday doors – 12 December 2024 – Exeter doors

Doors 289 – Doors from Exeter, Devon, October 2023 – Part VII

Thank you for your patience. Today I complete what has been a marathon sequence of posts of doors photographed during a two-hour doorscursion in Exeter in October 2023. I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing these doors, but am also looking forward to moving on to some other themes and places in the new year.

There are quite a lot of doors in this last selection, which rounds off the walk and picks up a few odds and ends too. Let’s get cracking:

Plain panelled cream door (no handles) and boot scraper, Exeter, Devon, October 2023

Two black doors, and curious trapezoid windows (reminiscent of the Egyptian House in Penzance), Exeter, Devon, October 2023

Functional black glass-panelled door and fancy surround, Exeter, Devon, October 2023

Black door with ornate wooden frame and stained-glass panel, Exeter, Devon, October 2023

Black door with columns at number 5, Exeter, Devon, October 2023

Storage unit doors built into a huge wall on the quayside, Exeter, Devon, October 2023

Shop doors and wonderful ancient lintel, Exeter, Devon, October 2023

Ruin with a fine archway, Exeter, Devon, October 2023

'Chocolate box' scene in Exeter (plenty of doors to choose from), Exeter, Devon, October 2023 — ‘Chocolate box’ scene in Exeter (plenty of doors to choose from), Exeter, Devon, October 2023

Gatehouse entrance, Exeter, Devon, October 2023

When two buildings collide - the view from inside the church must be a little odd. Blue door, Exeter, Devon, October 2023 — When two buildings collide – the view from inside the church must be a little odd. Blue door, Exeter, Devon, October 2023

Two Tudor timber-framed buildings in the city centre - doors somewhat obscured and downgraded, Exeter, Devon, October 2023 — Two Tudor timber-framed buildings in the city centre – doors somewhat obscured and downgraded, Exeter, Devon, October 2023

If you have the time, you can read more about these two Tudor buildings here.

Well, that really is it from Exeter for the time being, unless I go back for another doorscursion. Next time I think the idea is to post favourites from the last 12 months, which could be a little challenging. Have a great weekend.

If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.

by Scooj

6587. Jamaica Street (29)

Zubieta, Jamaica Street, Bristol, November 2024

This was my second attempt at photographing this piece by Zubieta, just outside the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft. The first time I came, there were significant shadows across it, and some people sitting on chairs in front of it – all quite unhelpful. The piece is painted on the PRSC blanket and tent exchange, which in itself tells a story of the times we live in.

Zubieta is a muralist whose work often encompasses nature, particularly floral scenes. I think she uses brushes to paint her murals, rather than spray paints. This decorative piece includes some pink flowers with lips in the centre, a caterpillar, a heart and a figure, and many of the leaves contain beady eyes. The content of the work is not so different from Peggy, but the styles are worlds apart. A nice piece enhancing an otherwise utilitarian storage facility.

6586. Sparke Evans Park (111)

Sworm, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, November 2024

This is the second piece by Sworm that I have posted from this wall in the last couple of weeks, and although they were painted several months apart, I photographed both at the same time. While his first piece concentrated on the most extraordinary explosion of colour, this one turned the attention to the form of the letters.

Sworm paints only occasionally in Bristol, but it is great to see his work, because it is, in my view, really classy. The letters here are not uniform, but instead they blend in well together, filling all the gaps between them. The mid-line running through the letters and the subtle contrast in shades of cream create a lovely 3D effect. This is a really neat and tidy piece from a talented graffiti writer.

6585. Greenbank (144)

Klashwhensober, Greenbank, Bristol, November 2024

Klashwhensober gets a lot of practice with painting walls, which directly leads to improvements in his work. Over the last few years he has managed to develop his style, which has gradually developed into a sophisticated blend of writing the letters SOBER with animated fills that ooze out from them.

This piece illustrates really clearly how the fill tells its own story, or has its own place, and you could almost imagine a scene unfolding, but you only get to see that scene within the confine of the letters. There is always a lot crammed into Klashwhensober’s work, perhaps an indication of a busy mind. This is a nicely executed and finished piece.

Goldfinger

Memorable scene

Oddjob drives car to scrapyard

car and Solo crushed

by Scooj

a scene that haunted and intrigued me for many years.

6584. Dean Lane skate park (788)

I love Ceus’ work. His writing has a flow about it that is welcoming to the eye, and there is often a hint of wings in his work, a regularly occurring theme. If I am brutally honest, I don’t very much like primary colours in street art… for some reason the red, blue and yellow thing leaves me cold.

I usually praise Ceus’ colour palettes, and I love some of the softer, subtle colours he often uses, but the adoption of these primary colours dominates the form so much and makes the whole thing feel rather clunky. Maybe it is just me and the embedded memories of childhood building blocks… who knows? Aside from the colours, this is a classy, as always, piece for graffiti writing from Ceus.

6583. St Werburghs tunnel (462)

Kid Krishna, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2024

Kid Krishna is a very versatile artist whose portfolio includes the simplest roller-painted pieces through to complex graffiti writing with the inclusion of characters and objects, blended to perfection. This piece is one of his more complex pieces and speaks of a very busy mind – there is a lot going on here.

The cryptic writing spells out CRIE, although I confess that I have difficulty seeing it. The colour palette, as always is thoughtfully put together, and the whole piece has an organic feel to it. Even the background is treated to a bit of ‘cracked-wall’ magic. I have noticed that of late he has been including a ‘No Frills’ stamp on his work, and I guess he is now a welcome addition to the crew. It is difficult to convey what a superb piece of graffiti writing this is, largely because it is unconventional and doesn’t really obey any rules.

6582. Dean Lane skate park (787)

Zake bases his work around a cartoon face. A few years ago, the face would usually be just the face, but these days, the face has become the central element to something bigger, perhaps more of a narrative around the face, with things going on. A glance at this updated gallery of his work gives you some idea of his development and growth as a street artist.

This is a curious piece, and all I can think of when I look at it is ‘sperm cell’, a thought very difficult to unthink. I suppose it could be a tadpole, or at a stretch some kind of eel. Whatever it is, it is mildly unsettling and weird. The piece was painted as part of a three-way collaborative wall by Hire, Zake and Ceus, where each piece was utterly distinct from the others in style, colour and content. So the only real element of collaboration was the background and the friendship of painting together.

Algorithm (thoughts are not facts)

Content provision

prompts confirmation bias

no need for the facts

by Scooj

Reflecting on why we have such divided opinions and polarised societies like never before. My verdict… it is the digital channel algorithms and our unconscious attachment to them.
Before the general election I followed a few conservative MPs to see what they were saying in my desire to be well informed. Now my ‘X’ feed is bombarded with right-wing narratives (some quite extreme) all day every day, at the expense of the Labour streams and MPs I have been following for years.
Solution… regulate the algorithms – allow us to choose what we see, and not what AI thinks we want to see.
A conspiracy theorist might say that these platforms (‘X’ in particular) favour right wing narratives, although I don’t subscribe to that view. I think that there is more right wing disruptive/divisive content out there, much of it being produced by Russia and other nations looking to divide and conquer. They and the algorithms are having a profound impact in the UK, Europe and globally.

6581. Greenbank (143)

Daz Cat, Greenbank, Bristol, November 2024

When the Greenbank hoarding is eventually dismantled, I wonder what will happen in the other spots. Will turnover increase, or will some new hoardings become an oasis for graffiti/street artists? I, for one, will miss this place and its colourful gallery. Daz Cat has painted a few memorable pieces here, but this one is a little bit special.

As with many of Daz Cat’s larger pieces, there is a story unfolding here. A girl, wearing a bird costume, is sitting on a log in a wood, and beside her is a cat spirit. I don’t know what the conversation they are having is about, but it feels earnest and important. There is a lot of spirituality in this colourful and beautifully illustrated piece.

	paulh121 on 7503. Stapleton Road
	scooj on 7524. M32 roundabout J3 (…
	scooj on 7503. Stapleton Road
	paulh121 on Precocious
	hitandrun1964 on Warmongers

	paulh121 on 7503. Stapleton Road
	scooj on 7524. M32 roundabout J3 (…
	scooj on 7503. Stapleton Road
	paulh121 on Precocious
	hitandrun1964 on Warmongers

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