Tag: Upfest

1878. Upfest 2018 (97)

I think that this Paul Monsters piece counts as an Upfest work, even though it was completed a few days before the festival itself. Upfest simply wouldn’t be the same without Paul Monsters, and I mean that quite literally, as he is at the core of the organising work and biography gathering for the festival and works in the Upfest shop in North Street.

Paul Monsters, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Paul Monsters, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Paul Monsters is a master of creating these geometric 3D patterns which he does both as small prints or enormous walls like this one. What was preciously a bland and unremarkable wall has been transformed into a thing of beauty which lifts the mood of the area and those that look upon it.

Paul Monsters, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Paul Monsters, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

In this piece he uses his trademark colours of orange, brown, purple, green and blue using shades of these colours to create the 3D effect. A remarkable wall from a lovely chap.

1877. Upfest 2018 (96)

I think that this was my favourite wall of Upfest 2018. Situated just off Dean Lane and on the margins of the Upfest main drag this new wall played host to four or five astonishing pieces, including my favourite piece of the festival by Kowse One. This magnificent and rather different piece is by Ione from Tenerife, which is interesting, because it shares the same understated tones used by Feoflip, a fellow Canary Islander, who came to Bristol in 2016 for Upfest and sprayed many pieces all around the city.

Ione, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Ione, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

I rate this piece very highly in part because it is so unusual. It seems to borrow heavily from the Cubist and Surrealist genres and there are elements that remind me of Picasso and Miro. The figure also makes me think of Mary Poppins, but that might just be me. Subtle and interesting, I love this piece and love the wall.

 

 

1876. Upfest 2018 (95)

Krishna Malla was late to the party this year, which was a good thing for me, because I managed to catch up with him just as he was packing up. Even though he seemed to be in a bit of a rush, he still made time for a chat. I remember his brilliant snail and hare work from Upfest 2016, so it was good to meet the Cornwall-based artist this time round.

Krishna Malla, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Krishna Malla, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

This piece embraces fully the Simpsons theme for this year’s festival. The theme does seem to have divided opinion, but I sit firmly on the side of ‘love it’. I like the concept and execution of a mister Burns palm holding up the five fingers, each one a member of the Simpsons family. There is something rather od about it, but I rather like that. It would be great to see Krishna Malla return next year.

Krishna Malla, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Krishna Malla, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

1875. Upfest 2018 (94)

I love this stunning piece by Mose78, and I think the guy with the beard seems to rather like it too. Mose78 started off as a graffiti writer in the mid 1990s and transitioned into street art, although he doesn’t restrict himself to the spray can.

Mose78, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Mose78, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

I have taken a look on his website, and I wouldn’t say that this piece is all that typical of his work, which is actually really diverse. Having said that, I really like this one, there is something rather compelling about it. It would be great to see more work from this Birmingham-based artist.

1874. Upfest 2018 (93)

I first encountered the work of The Thomas Brothers at Upfest 2016 where they produced this wonderful work in North Street. Their style is highly distinct and recognisable, pulling together a kind of 1980s meets pop art flavour full of colour and dazzle.

The Thomas Brothers, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
The Thomas Brothers, Upfest, Bristol, July 201818

This piece can still be found in the Tobacco Factory car park and is well worth a look. It is particularly gratifying to have pictures of the work in progress as it gives an insight into how the brothers construct their work.

The Thomas Brothers, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
The Thomas Brothers, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Backgrounds are laid down first, which are then over-painted with stencil work, marking out the finer detail of the piece, such as the writing and the features on the woman’s face. The final touches are added to create the completed collaboration which is vibrant and assertive.

The Thomas Brothers, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
The Thomas Brothers, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

I like the way these guys work and am pleased that they visited again in 2018.

1873. Upfest 2018 (92)

I have featured the work of Sofly a couple of times on Natural Adventures before and each time hoped that she would return to Bristol which thankfully she did at Upfest 2018. Sofly (Sophy Robson) was an official artist at the festival but nonetheless decided to paint on an unofficial wall, something I admire and something that keeps the festival ‘real’.

Sofly, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Sofly, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Tis is simply a really nice piece of writing, beautifully proportioned, and the colours are wonderful, especially the way the pink gets lighter towards the right hand side of the piece. I tried to have a quick chat with Sophy, but I think she was keen to finish up and move on, so the conversation was brief.

Sofly, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017
Sofly, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017

1872. Upfest 2018 (91)

Whoops! a slightly wonkey picture of a beautiful shutter piece by Vanesa Longchamp on North Street. This was one of two Upfest pieces by the artist that I had not come across before the festival. Looking at digital social media, you can see how popular her work is and it is easy to understand why.

Vanesa Longchamp, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Vanesa Longchamp, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

I love it when artists do more than one piece at the festival, especially when one of them is likely to have some permanence. Like her other piece, this is a beauty which oozes class. While the lines and concept are straightforward, the execution and USP are stamped all over it. We wwere lucky to see two of her works this year.

Vanesa Longchamp, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Vanesa Longchamp, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

1849. Upfest 2018 (90)

Kin Dose is a Bristol artist who doesn’t hit the streets too often, but at Upfest 2018 he really excelled himself, spraying several wildlife stencils along the North Street area. This is the second one I have featured in Natural Adventures.

Kin Dose, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Kin Dose, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

This piece, a bat of some description, is perfectly fitted to the utility box on which it appears, and kind of blends in a little so as almost to be invisible to the passer-by. You can tell, at Upfest, the difference between general visitors and street art ‘hunters’ as the latter are always looking at every wall, every door, every side street, every lamp-post, every utility box, in fact pretty much everything, whereas the former tend to stroll along chatting and seeing art almost passively.

Lost my thread a bit there…anyhow, this piece, along with its partners is something really special, which is what Kin Dose does so well. Special.

 

 

1848. Upfest 2018 (89)

Bart says “reach for the stars” and Lemak has done just that with this fabulous space stencil. Some of you might remember that I have already posted this stencil, in a slightly different format from Park Street a few weeks back.

Lemak, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Lemak, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

There is little more for me to say than I have already said about Lemak and his superb artwork. His stencils are always precisely presented and always have some original thinking behind them. Checking out his Instagram account also gives you some real insight into the kind of works he is producing. Always good, never sub-standard.

Lemak, Park Street, Bristol, October 2018
Lemak, Park Street, Bristol, October 2018

1847. Upfest 2018 (88)

Shade One is a Bristol artist who has been spraying since 1985, so can probably be considered as one of the godfathers of street art in the city. Having said that, I am relatively new to the street art scene here and anything older than about five years is a bit of a murky area and I need to do extra research.

Shade One, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Shade One, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

This is a striking cartoonesque portrait that for me has Disney written all over it. Something about it reminds me a little of Cruella de Vil. Fabulous crisp lines and solid fills, this is the work of an expert.