Counterbalance

 

When all around falls

how utterly nice it is

to have the cricket.

 

by Scooj

2360. Leake Street tunnel, London (7)

I have to say that this is a slightly baffling piece by Gustavo Nenao in Leake Street tunnel. It is a photorealistic portrait of Nelson Mandela wearing a not very photorealistic party hat with Happy Birthday written on it. While the subject matter is certainly curious, the execution is perfect, especially as the portrait is in black and whiite, with so many shades in it.

Gustavo Nenao, Leake Street, London, July 2019
Gustavo Nenao, Leake Street, London, July 2019

I am guessing it was done as a birthday tribute to the great man himself, but can’t be sure, and hey – I was in London which is way outside my normal stamping ground and I feel no pressure to know anything about anything on the street scene there. I come as a tourist, just like everyone else. A querky and excellent piece.

2359. Leake Street tunnel, London (6)

Every now and again I have to go to London for work, and a few days ago I ran a workshop in Lambeth. Although going to London can be a real drag, on this occasion I was only a fifteen minute walk from Waterloo Station and Leake Street, which made the whole trip worth it and some. So after the workshop was over, I pootled over to the tunnel and managed to get a few nice pics.

Ebee, Leake Street, London, July 2019
Ebee, Leake Street, London, July 2019

This is a beautiful piece by Ebee, whose name is spelled out on the building blocks, and the character is none other than the amazing Vanellope von Schweetz from the animation Wreck it Ralph 2. Unfortunately the piece is a bit tagged, which is the case with many of the superb murals in Leake Street tunnel, but it goes with the territory I guess. More Leake Street magic to come.

2358. Dean Lane skate park (237)

I was lucky enough to catch up with DJPerks when he was just finishing off this small piece. He really is quite modest, and doesn’t talk much about his own artwork, and still manages to drive around taking pictures of other people’s street art.

DJPerks, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2019
DJPerks, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2019

This is a nicely designed quick one with a vanishing point right in the centre of the piece. Although I haven’t seen much of his work, and have only posted one before this one, I do like the way he mixes it up each time, playing with the letters PERKS, each piece original. It’ll be interesting if he continues along this path or whether, like some artists he’ll sttick with one basic design.

2357. Hotwell Road (3)

This is how I get to see most of Nevergiveup’s work for the first time. Because he doesn’t just paint regular spots but tends to paint everywhere he can in the city, he is one artist whose work you can spot from a car. This cheeky rabbit is on Hotwell Road and in a place that one is unlikely to stop – I got lucky, the traffic stopped right in front of me, my camera was on the passenger seat and so I snapped away. Lazy hunting, but sometimes you have to be opportunistic in this game.

Nevergiveup, Hotwell Road, Bristol, July 2019
Nevergiveup, Hotwell Road, Bristol, July 2019

I have lost count of his bunnies, and I miss an awful lot of them, but there is a bit of an addiction to trying to track them down, a bit like Pokemon Go or the Wallace and Gromit trails that Bristol has hosted in recent years. Another one for the gallery.

Park sounds

.

Ruben’s squeaky ball

a distressed squirrel squawking

chaka chaka crow.

.

by Scooj

2356. Gathorne Road (3)

This is not a new wall, in fact it was painted round about this time last year if I remember correctly, just before Upfest 2018. I am posting it now because at last I have managed to get a clean shot of it without cars parked directly in front of it, a rare privilege indeed.

Inkie, Gathorne Road, Bristol, July 2019
Inkie, Gathorne Road, Bristol, July 2019

The piece is obviously by Inkie, and is a straight refresh of a similar piece by the artist that was here before. There is a little hint of Cheba too on the left, with a bit of cosmic background. What is strange about this piece is that it is unfinished, and it would seem that after such a long tiime it is unlikely ever to be finished. The lettering around the word bread is not completely filled or outlined and the leafy sketch at the bottom of the piece also appears to be unfinished. It is a bit naughty of Inkie to leave it like this, and I hope that if it was a commission that the bakery got a discount.

Inkie, Gathorne Road, Bristol, July 2019
Inkie, Gathorne Road, Bristol, July 2019

In the bottom right of the piece we have a beautiful trademark Inkie girl with hair, a motif that is probably most recognisable as being by Inkie. Pleased to have posted this one at last, and even though it is unfinished, we can all move on.

Inkie, Gathorne Road, Bristol, June 2016
Inkie, Gathorne Road, Bristol, June 2016

 

2355. Grosvenor Road (2)


I think that this piece by DNT was specially comissioned for this year’s St Paul’s carnival, and it is a gentle reminder to us all that knife crime in the UK is on the rise, and is not welcome at the carnival. In years gone by, there has been trouble at the carnival, and St Paul’s, when I first arrived in Bristol 28 years ago was a bit of a ‘no-go’ area. Things are much improved these days, but there is still a bit of edge to the place.

DNT, Grosvenor Road, Bristol, July 2019
DNT, Grosvenor Road, Bristol, July 2019

The piece itself demonstrates that DNT can turn his talents to pretty much anything, and stylistically, this piece is quite different from the kinds of things we are more used to sdeeing in the Stokes Croft area. Nice one, great message.

Golitha falls

 

Moss dusted boulders

each one smooth as a moth’s nose

the river Fowey.

 

by Scooj

 

2354. M32 roundabout J3 (155)

I first featured Morny (or Merny – the name seems interchangable) on Natural Adventures last week, and actually this piece was painted before that orange car in pretty much the same place on the south wall of the M32 roundabout.

Morny, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2019
Morny, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2019

Morny’s love of vehicles is once again demonstrated with this articulated lorry painted in this characteristic naive style. It looks likem a child’s felt-tip drawing, especially the way the fills have been scribbled in. The overall effect is rather pleasurable, even if some of the perspective is a little wonky.