.
An old man declines
this strong man now so fragile
our hug long lasting
.
by Scooj
Tag: UK
5625. M32 roundabout J3 (521)
This classic burner on the long roundabout wall is one of two recent Mr Riks pieces to appear in Bristol. To the untrained eye, this might look like any other chrome throw up, but have a closer look and there are signs that this piece is by no ordinary artist.
The letters spell out RIKS, with a couple of comedy eyes and fingers at the top of the ‘I’, and there is a little deliberate blurring on some of the edges of the letters. It is the drop shadow, however, that gives this piece away as having been painted by a craftsman. The shadow has a vanishing point somewhere beneath the piece, and its curves perfectly match the curves of the letters. The stripes, which add depth, and orange border are really nice and tight too. The whole thing may appear modest, but is at the same time classy and masterful.
5624. Dean Lane skate park (657)
Some collaborations are so good they simply ooze class, and any observer would be able to notice that something a little bit special is happening here. Rusk and Shade One have paired up once again in Dean Lane to give us this fabulous treat.
The writing from Rusk is beautifully proportioned and finished to his usual very high standards. The purple drop shadow works spectacularly well with the green/grey letters. Two stand out details are the white shine running horizontally through the piece and the yellow stripes on some of the letters. Utterly outstanding.
The portrait piece by Shade One on the right is, I think, a tribute piece to Shimz. The wonderful attention to detail and extraordinary capture mark Shade One as the best photorealistic artist in Bristol right now, and how different his style is from only a couple of years ago, when his characters were more cartoony. This is simply brilliant, and the combination with Rusk is a real worldie in my mind.
Downpour
.
Dampness grips the air
sharp showers and prolonged rain
an English autumn
.
by Scooj
5623. River Avon (54)
More fun painting from the playful Pl8o. This modest piece is located on the cycle path between Sparke Evans Park and Temple Meads station alongside the tidal River Avon. What I like about Pl8o is the complete absence of ambiguity in his work. What you see is what you get and that is that.
It is possible that this is a Halloween piece as it was most likely painted in October and has a ghostly skull character, it is also possible that it has nothing to do with the festival and any ghostly link is coincidental. Big fat solid letters, big fat yellow fills and a cheeky character. This piece does what it says on the tin.
5622. St Werburghs tunnel (391)
Klashwhensober is a force of nature, and his painting is his ‘rock’ in a turbulent environment. Over the last couple of years his work has been leaning towards quantity rather than quality (painting is what makes him happy), but recently I have noticed that that balance has shifted and he is starting to turn out some outstanding pieces, but fewer of them.
This is a wonderful and colourful piece at the farm end of the tunnel, spelling out SOBER. The letters each have an individual colour, with quite a lot of blended fills going on. The drop shadow is tidily done and lifts the letters from the wall a little. at the right hand end Klashwhensober has painted a sword, which is cutting into the letters. It looks like Klashwhensober has spent a little bit more time on this piece and has finished it off with care and attention. I like this more focussed approach from Bristol’s most prolific artist.
5621. Elton Street (24)
On the side of the Lost Horizons Arts Centre there are some framed panels which are curated by the Centre, and I think that Bnie has a lot to do with that curation. Most of the panels were refreshed about three weeks ago, and this one from Merny is particularly fun.
Merny says “jelly! Get over it!” – you’ve got to laugh, really. The jelly, which is sitting on a pink plate, is brilliantly painted, demonstrating an understanding of colour, shading and portraying translucence that few artists manage. To do it in his naive style is even more remarkable. Break-out labels finish the piece nicely, a piece which I think combines fun, mischief and talent in equal measure. Jelly – get over it!
5620. River Avon (53)
We live in a crazy world. On the one hand there is everything to be excited about, all the beautiful things that our planet has to offer – nature, culture, science, poetry, art, landscape, architecture, sport, friendship and so on, the list is almost endless, and yet, on the other hand I feel stifled by all the horrors that surround us, from wars to disease to the rise of authoritarianism, the grip of advertising, selfishness, profit and greed, that list too is almost endless. My small gesture of kindness to myself is to keep writing this blog, all elements of it, as an antidote to the evil and to bring a little focus on the good things that I am grateful for.
Laic217 among many, many others brings me pleasure and happiness, both on discovering his work and then on recording and writing about it. This is a particularly good one from him on the cycle path between Sparke Evans Park and Temple Meads station.
The character, wearing a wooly hat and smoking, has a dark and sinister appearance, cleverly created by the absence of any white in the eyes, which is unsettling. The brilliantly painted skull tattoo adds a little threat and menace. No need to sign this one as it is pure Laic217 at his best, and although his choice of subject might not suit everyone, his mastery of technique is a sight to see.
Mr Underbite
A gallery of wonderful and expressive faces by Bristol’s Mr Underbite.
Instagram: @mr-underbite1
Facebook: Jay D Artworks
All photographs by Scooj
Happy place
.
I am transported
to the dunes where insects buzz
just for a moment
.
by Scooj
