For the first time during Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days summer event I find myself a little baffled. This piece by Jay Sharples, an Upfest veteran, leaves me a little cold. It is technically beautifully painted and has a very strong design element which works well in the space, but it just doesn’t do it for me, which is a pity, because I like Jay Sharples’ work very much. I guess I can’t like everything.
Jay Sharples Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The black and pink stripes are very striking and the contrast is very eye-catching. I am guessing that there was a lot of masking tape involved in the painting of this piece. I have a feeling that Jay Sharples may have left us a little present elsewhere in Bristol, rather more akin to his usual work. I thought I’d just include a previous Upfest piece from the artist below for comparison.
How utterly perfect to welcome Aspire back to Bristol for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days, and what an amazing huge mural he has gifted the fine people of Bedminster. I have to admit that this piece came as a bit of a surprise as he seemed to have painted it quite quickly between visits, or maybe I just didn’t stop to look the right way at the right time.
Aspire, Fairfield Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
I thought I was going to get a bit frustrated with the parking situation, but the gentleman in the black van was very obliging and moved out of the way for me to take a picture, and just to prove it, here he is giving me the thumbs up. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. The upshot was I managed to get a full and uninterrupted photograph of the wall.
Aspire, Fairfield Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The mural itself is awesome, and takes Aspire into the next level. I am not sure how many large murals he has done since moving to London from Bristol, but this is definitely the biggest I have seen.
Aspire, Fairfield Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The focus of the piece is a stunning Kingfisher, with a cherry on the top, and a little bit of pixelation, for which Aspire is famed. However, Aspire has combined the bird with a classical study of a bowl of fruit and the combination makes for a very special and intoxicating mural. This is glorious stuff and reminds us of what we have been missing in Bristol (as if we didn’t already know) since Aspire left. Bravo!
It feels like a very long time ago since I last saw a new Copyright mural but my goodness, it has been well worth the wait. Copyright has produced this outstanding and colourful piece for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days, and I am grateful to both artist and organisers for making this happen.
Copyright, Greville Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
This wall has had some notable occupants in the past, but I think that this one might eclipse them all. The piece would appear to be a reference to rebuilding a broken nation maybe, and doing it brick by brick. Of course it might be something else altogether.
The female portrait, in black and white, is wearing a most incredible headdress bursting with colours and designs and even a Felix with a crown. There is a lot of symbolism here and I am not sure what it all means, but the ensemble is quite an eye full with flowers, butterflies, a jewel and even a couple of ‘toilet door’ figures to the left. If all of this was not enough, Copyright has set the piece on a nicely decorated and eye-catching background. The whole mural is stunning… it would be great to see more of this more often from Copyright.
What an absolute delight to find this beautiful mural by Bex Glover which has been painted as part of Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days initiative. Set on the side of a North Street shop, Bex Glover brings her unique design style and colour combinations that spreads the wonder of British nature to our streets.
Bex Glover, North Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
This mural celebrates the hedgehog, a native mammal that has been in steep decline for some years now, just another casualty of our human carelessness and disregard for our environment. These three little characters are beautifully painted and appear to be following a yellow trail – perhaps it is their yellow brick road at the end of the rainbow.
Bex Glover, North Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
I am a huge admirer of Bex Glover’s work which always stands out from the crowd and her connection with nature certainly chimes with me. Lovely stuff.
This modest piece by Emma Philippa Maeve is one of the smallest of Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days, and could easily be missed by many due to its location just off North Street and the recess it sits in. It is a really interesting piece and quite unlike anything else from the event, demonstrating the breadth of styles and talent that is on display in Bedminster.
Emma Philippa Maeve, Merrywood Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The bright and colourful piece looks like an etching scratched into the surface of the wall and her work is influenced by her travels. Emma Philippa Maeve has a very interesting website that shows you more of her work and tells you a little about her inspiration. She uses the term Flaneuse, derived from Flaneur, to describe her lifestyle, and it is a subject close to my own heart. To explore for the sake of making new discoveries and learning more about what is around you… keeping your eyes open is what it is all about. Fabulous.
Damn, damn, damn those damn parked cars. This is a notoriously difficult wall to photograph, and while Epod was painting this incredible piece, I commented on the fact and said that clean photographs of his work would be something of a rarity. Somebody needs to put in some double yellow lines!
Epod, North Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
I spent a little while chatting with Epod, an artist from London, about the piece and how it reminded me a little of artists like Yvette Tanguy and René Magritte. So I gues what I was saying was that there was an element of dreamlike surrealism and symbolism going on in this piece.
Epod, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
I am so disappointed with these photographs, and short of camping on the street for days, simply don’t know how I will ever get clean shots of what is a truly stunning piece.
Epod, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
The final photograph at least gives you a feel for the skill and talent that Epod has and the wonderful concept behind this piece. This is one that if you live in Bristol or are visiting the city you will need to see for yourself. A superb mural.
From my favourite Bristol artist, Andrew Burns Colwill, is this outstanding new mural for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days event. Everything about this triptych piece is pretty much perfect. From the wall selection and use of the spaces to the highly political content, let alone the brilliant execution using his soak stain technique.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Luckwell Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21,
My interpretation of the three suited figures in a pool represents the drowning of our Government and in particular senior ministers who, let’s face it, haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory over the last few years. On the left could be Sajid Javid, our SoS for health who took over the role from the utterly incompetent and indiscreet Matt Hancock. It doesn’t really matter who it is as they are representative of the Conservative Party political gang who care more about power than they do about the citizens who put them there.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Luckwell Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21,
The central panel is more obviously a caricature of our utterly ridiculous Prime Minister who is now completely under the control of his power-hungry wife Carrie Johnson who seems to have more influence over government policy than he does. The pantomime continues, although it is more of a tragedy as our country slips into isolation and irrelevance.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Luckwell Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21,
The final panel, with the red budget box, is obviously our beloved (not) chancellor Rishi Sunak who appears to have hoodwinked the entire country into thinking he is our saviour. I don’t feel particularly saved. The bar amongst the cabinet is so low, that anyone with the slightest talent shines like a beacon, but it is all comparative. So the piece certainly portrays a failing government and failing ministers and it is delivered in a tranquil, calm and resigned manner that gives the piece so much power. It is brilliant.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Luckwell Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21,
Andrew Burns Colwill is also amazing at creating those tiny little details that add so much to a piece, like this little drip of water oozing from a real crack in the wall. A sensational piece and commentary on our current political state. Bravo!
This is such a wonderful piece on one of the most tricky walls to photograph in Bedminster (and there are a great many of them), but SkyHigh has worked with it rather than against it, and told me all about it when I met him while painting it.
SkyHigh, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
The wall is in front of a little green which has been planted with trees, so photographing the full wall can only be achieved from the sides or through the trees. Taking this into account, SkyHigh has introduced a woodland scene as a backdrop and added a beautiful Bristol fox.
SkyHigh, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
The block letters spell out SKYHIGH and are painted in a vibrant blue colour that contrasts brilliantly with the woodland greens and browns.
SkyHigh, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
The whole scene might be a little more visible in the winter when the young trees have shed their leaves. I don’t think it really matters though because of the way the artist has approached the piece and incorporated the trees as part of the overall effect.
SkyHigh, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
SkyHigh is a highly skilled artist and demonstrates this with the stunning fox portrait to the right hand side of the piece, one of the best street art foxes I have seen. SkyHigh is always, always welcome in Bristol.
One of the street artists I admire the most is Zabou. Her portraits are legendary and I am constantly left in awe and admiration every time I see one of her pieces. This huge wall on the Redpoint Climbing Centre is her contribution to Upfest 75×75 and is jaw-droppingly brilliant.
Zabou, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21
The portrait is of a fellow artist called Slim Safont, who is a bit of a global superstar, and whose works are not too dissimilar in size and style to this one. Zabou is a French artist who, I think, lives in London, and there are plenty of examples of her incredible work in the capital.
Zabou, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21
I like the way she has combined the grey-scale portrait with lots of colour around it, something that our own Kosc has been playing with lately. I guess that this would be classed as a photorealistic piece set on an abstract background. Whatever it is called, it is a truly magnificent piece and painted on such a grand scale. She will have worked her way through several cans of paint on this one.
Zabou, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21
It is so good that Zabou comes to Bristol from time to time, and she has also painted in Cheltenham for the festival there. Zabou is without one of my all time favourite street artists.
Nothing from Rowdy for a long while and then two posts in close succession, what joy. Rowdy is held in high regard in Bristol. He is a friend of Banksy and one of the early graffiti artists emerging from the Bristol scene in the 1980s. Probably the biggest public impact that he has made is his trademark crocodile which adorns various buildings around the city.
Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21
This magnificent beast for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days festival is the largest and most prominent piece I have seen by Rowdy since his piece in Stokes Croft that came tumbling down with the demolition of buildings around the Carriageworks.
Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21
I am very fond of Rowdy’s crocodiles and other crazy creatures and it is fitting that Upfest should honour him with such a large wall, which just happens to be a perfect fit. Wonderful stuff.
Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016
Natural adventures 