Tag: UK

Thursday doors

Doors 68. Fournier Street (Part 1)

Well I think I hit door gold last week when taking a trip to London. My sister, who lives in Stoke Newington, and I had decided to spend the day together to remember our father on the first anniversary of his death.

My sister suggested we take a walk in the Brick Lane area – I think she thought I’d enjoy showing her the street art in the area, and indeed she was right. Some of the pieces we saw are posted elsewhere on Natural Adventures.

Heading back to a bust stop near Spitalfields Market, we turned right off Brick Lane and into Fournier Street. My jaw nearly hit the floor. I explained the whole ‘Thursday Doors’ to my long-suffering sister and proceeded to snap away. Fournier street is one of those amazing East End streets that has pretty much kept its character, and rather than being knocked down in some kind of ill-thought-out gentrification project it has survived and thrived in private ownership by people who took a punt back in the 1950s/60s that these houses were worth looking after. Gilbert and George are an example of that, and if you Google them in Fournier Street, you can see articles about their house (Number 8 I think).

Enough guff… here is the first installment of Fournier Street doors:

Double double door, Brick Lane Muslim Funeral Services, Fournier Street, London April 2019
Double double door, Brick Lane Muslim Funeral Services, Fournier Street, London April 2019
Blue door and fine portico, Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Blue door and fine portico, Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Nice doors and great Victorian tiles, Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Nice doors and great Victorian tiles, Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Door and swanky portico with lamp, Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Door and swanky portico with lamp, Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Door, slightly wonky, Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Door, slightly wonky, Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Door, eight panels and beautiful surround, Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Door, eight panels and beautiful surround, Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Door, is this one wonky too? Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Door, is this one wonky too? Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Door with splendid portico, Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Door with splendid portico, Fournier Street, London, April 2019

More Fournier door delight to come in Part 2 soon.

For more doors and indeed the inspiration behind Thursday Doors go and take a look at Norm 2.0 blog where there are links to yet more doors.

Dog gone

 

Missing for an hour

Ruben ran and disappeared

feared we had lost him.

 

by Scooj

2146. Shoreditch, London (29)

Sweet Toof is a London artist who has always had strong links with Bristol especially through his long-standing friendship with Rowdy. Even now, there are several toothy pieces dotted around the city. It is funny, but I have always thought of him as a Bristol artist, because of his legacy here.

Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019
Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019

It was extra special to find this triptych of shutters, that look rather recent, when in London last weekend walking in the Brick Lane area with my sister. It doesn’t seem to matter where I pitch up in the world, there always seems to be a Sweet Toof piece close by.

Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019
Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019

These three are really rather special, and have a feel of ‘see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil’ about them. It is nice to see the three different aspects of the skulls. Obviously that Master’s degree from the Royal Academy of Arts was not wasted.

Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019
Sweet Toof, Shoreditch, London, April 2019

I do like Sweet Toof’s work very much indeed, always blending mortality with humour in his incredibly distinctive style. Great find.

2145. Dean Lane skate park (205)

I haven’t seen a whole lot of Mr Draws’ work lately – I think he has been out and about, but by the time I get to find his pieces they have been over-painted, so it was most gratifying to come across this one in Dean Lane last week.

Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2019
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2019

His ideas are simple and his execution very much in the style of high-class bombers, but in my mind what really sets him apart from others is his willingness to try new concepts and colour patterns. This piece really works for me, it is easy on the eye and I just can’t stop myself following the purple spiral from the centre outwards and back again. The multicoloured fill is a joy. All good from Mr Draws.

Unexpected tick tock

.

Old mantle piece clock

unwound for years, announces

there’s life in her yet.

.

by Scooj

2144. Lower Ashley Road (3)

Never really at risk of slipping through the net, but posted much later than I had hoped is this magnificent piece by Sled One at the bottom of Lower Ashley Road where construction work has begun. It didn’t take long for the construction company to disrupt any street/graffiti art from making it onto this hoarding, but I think this piece survives.

Sled One, Lower Ashley Road, Bristol, February 2019
Sled One, Lower Ashley Road, Bristol, February 2019

Sled One brings us another creature from his imagination which spells out the word ASK. I think it is a cat – he does a lot of cats – but it is the sketch of a fish on the cat’s shoulder that really makes me smile, so simple but so engaging.

Sled One, Lower Ashley Road, Bristol, February 2019
Sled One, Lower Ashley Road, Bristol, February 2019

For the last couple of months Sled One has been on a real roll, and it is always an immense pleasure to see his work on the streets. I must get round to updating his gallery.

Meow!

2143. Moon Street (64)

In Bristol it would seem at the moment that one is never far away from a Mr Klue piece. He is keeping very busy indeed, and this was from a couple of weeks back, during a paint session with Mr Sleven and DNT.

Mr Klue, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019
Mr Klue, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019

Using, what I am guessing are his favourite colours (he uses them a lot) he has created another calming abstract writing piece that possibly spells out KLUE (or you can even read WONE – Mr Klue’s surname). His light touch pieces always have an ephemeral feel about them, that they might just waft away on the breeze. Still loads more to come.

Rest permitted

 

On doctor’s orders

taking it easy today

an afternoon snooze.

 

by Scooj

2142. M32 Spot (40)

I haven’t posted much by Tasha Bee lately, not because she hasn’t been painting, but more because I haven’t been able to get out much over the past fortnight. This one is under the M32 in the wet-weather DIY skate park, known as the M32 Spot.

Tasha Bee, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2019
Tasha Bee, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2019

Sprayed on one of the ramps rather than on a wall, this is another of her calm, soulful trademark figures with beautifully decorated hair. Recently she has been working or her writing which from the Instagram shots I have seen is really exciting. Unfortunately I’ve not seen any yet… it’s a turnover thing.

2141. M32 roundabout J3 (137)

Great to see this amazing collaboration between Pekoe and Mr Sleven lurking to the far left of one of the walls of the M32 roundabout. I’m not sure if I have seen a collaboration between these two before, although I do know they paint together quite a lot.

Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2019
Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2019

The green portrait on the left is by the wonderful Pekoe and resembles a rather attractive Shrek-type ogre, or is it the empath from Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Neither probably, but a striking image nonetheless. Great hair.

Pekoe and Mr Sleven, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2019
Pekoe and Mr Sleven, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2019

The writing by Mr Sleven is in a really unusual style, appearing almost as if it is organic in some way. The letters spell out SLEV, wityh the ‘V’ being a heart. Is this love between the two artists? I have no idea, but this is a neat collaboration brought together nicely with the green colour shared between both halves.