Tag: Upfest

1362. Upfest 2017 (141)

One of the first large pieces I saw at Upfest 2017 was this fabulously pink ice cream delight from Buff Monster on the side of the Salvation Army building which has played host to some wonderful work in previous festivals.

Buff Monster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Buff Monster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

There seems to be quite a big thing for monsters in the street art world, and I guess it relates to having a licence to spray whatever comes from the imagination. There are some great monster artists out there of which Buff Monster is one.

Buff Monster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Buff Monster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This is a great big piece of fun which has been beautifully sprayed and is a real asset to this part of East Street.

Buff Monster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Buff Monster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I hadn’t seen any of Buff Monster’s work before this (one of the brilliant aspects of Upfest), but was lucky enough to find a piece subsequently when I was on holiday in New York. It is always great to see something by an artist you are familiar with…comforting.

 

 

1354. Upfest 2017 (140)

The boards erected in South Street Park played host to some of the very best work at Upfest 2017, and this piece by Krimsone and Scott Nagy was right up there with the very best. This amazing collaboration shows street art storytelling at its very best.

Krimsone and Scott Nagy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Krimsone and Scott Nagy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The magical story unfolding here is of a young child in bed, and a bedroom that is transforming into a dream-like fantasy world, and his bed is in fact a little boat. The whole image has the look of an illustration from a children’s book.

Krimsone and Scott Nagy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Krimsone and Scott Nagy, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Both artists are from Australia, and if it weren’t for Upfest, how on earth would I ever get to see their amazing work? Such is the draw of the festival that artists from all over the world make the journey to Bedminster. I sometimes wonder if Bristolians know how lucky they are.

This is such a skillfully painted piece, such a shame that it was only temporary.

1352. Upfest 2017 (138)

Angus was a very busy fellow at Upfest last year. Not only did he create this magnificent mosaic, but he also found time to collaborate with Chinagirl Tile and also lay down several other mosaics dotted about the place. Added to all of that business, he still had time to schmooze and chat with visitors over the two days.

Angus, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Angus, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This piece will be familiar to anyone who has played Street Fighter – I do not count myself amongst this happy crew – specifically it is move called ‘hadouken’…now go and consider yourself educated. Writing about street art really does take you on many new discoveries, tapping into the popular culture that influences the artists.

More from Angus to follow at some point.

Angus, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Angus, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

1351. Upfest 2017 (137)

The very first post I wrote from Upfest 2017 was this piece by Apset and Ionas, a couple of Greek artists who had arrived in Bristol but had not been allocated a wall. The sprayed a wall in Dean Lane skate park, but then got very lucky and managed to find a hoarding in South Street Park where they produced this fine piece.

Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Both of their Upfest works incorporated an animal paired with a portrait. I think that the animals are by Ionas and portraits by Apset. Both works are great collaborations and something a bit different.

Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I hope that they are coming back this year, and that if they do, that they get allocated a spot, without having to agonise too much. A much needed little ray of Thessaloniki sunshine at a damp Bristol Upfest.

Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

1350. Upfest 2017 (136)

Really, this is one of my favourite pieces from the whole of Upfest 2017, not only because of the quality of work, but because of the cheerful resilience of the artists in persevering with their work in spite if the inclement weather.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

A fine collaboration between N4T4 and Philth which really brightened up the walk between North Street and Ashton Gate.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

These two artists have painted together at the last three Upfests, and although not a true collaboration, their pieces complement each other perfectly.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I walked past these two a few times, and took my favourite picture of the festival (above) of them cheerfully painting in the rain. Such dedication.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The N4T4 piece on the left is a wonderful example of his portrait style, incorporating colours and shapes which combine to make the whole. A blast of exquisite colour and a stunning face.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Contrast this then with the grey scale portrait by Philth on the right. He is as well known for his floral designs as he is for his portraits and this piece is overflowing with flowers that lift the piece to another level.

i absolutely love this wall. Beautiful.

 

 

1325. Upfest 2017 (135)

This stunning piece was the second by Oze Arv at the festival and one of several astonishing pieces he sprayed in Bristol while he was visiting. On the basis of seeing only these few pieces, I can without any doubt say that I admire his work hugely and hope he returns for this year’s festival.

Oze Arv, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Oze Arv, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

He uses a wonderful range of colours and combines an abstract form with superb wildlife illustrations, captured in a carefully balanced composition. In this piece it is a humming bird takes centre stage…in his other festival piece it was a ram. If I had the space and cash, I’d love to have a piece like this hanging on a wall at home. Classy stuff.

1324. Upfest 2017 (134)

This is a small section of a larger wall which was sprayed by the Lost Souls crew for Upfest 2017. The concept for this wall was for each of the artists to produce a kind of playing card with a character piece on it. Here we have a pairing of SPZero76 and Squirl.

SPZero76, Upfest, Bristol, July2017
SPZero76, Upfest, Bristol, July2017

SPZero76 has created an incredible skeleton figure, rather disturbingly holding a whole bunch of lollies and sweets. It would seem that he enjoys using these blues and purples in his work, as I have seen them in many many of his pieces.

Squirl, Upfest, Bristol, July2017
Squirl, Upfest, Bristol, July2017

The Squirl piece is also a skeleton but of something altogether different…a horse maybe or perhaps a dog (see the flying bones) but the dentition is all wrong. What is it with street artists and death? The horse/dog is interacting with the female skeleton, maybe he wants the sweets.

Both of these pieces combine well and are technically beautifully sprayed. More from the Lost Souls to come.

1323. Upfest 2017 (133)

Sophie Long is an established artist in Bristol whose wildlife pieces with stunning drips are well known to those who look out for such things. I recently posted her fabulous shark piece in Cheltenham road which I walk past pretty much every day.

Sophie Long, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Sophie Long, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This upright orangutan is rather beautiful and conveys so well the sombre disposition of these incredible creatures. we are reminded of our evolutionary closeness to them and our utter disregard for their environment. Orangutans have become an emblem of despair, but also of hope for the future. This fine piece would sit comfortably on any naturalists wall.

1322. Upfest 2017 (132)

At last year’s Upfest, 23 Magpies had a board all to herself, rather than her usual wheatpastes dotted around the place on utility boxes and lamp posts. I am a big fan of her work and am the proud owner of one of her small creations.

23Magpies, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
23Magpies, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This work at Upfest is a clever piece of artwork purporting to be a National Geographic cover. A nice political message up front and lovely illustration, which chimes very much with the National Geographic house style. Packing a punch and an evocative image.

1321. Upfest 2017 (131)

What a remarkable collaboration this was for Upfest 2017 between Guy Denning and Yatika Fields. The work can be found on Dean Lane, in one of the more difficult spots to view. There is a tree a few yards in front of it, which presents the viewer and photographer (let alone the artist) with all sorts of light related challenges.

Guy Denning and Yatika Fields, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Guy Denning and Yatika Fields, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I don’t know if these two regularly collaborate, but their two distinct styles come together to create a fantastic whole. The central face is by Guy Denning which if inspected closely is made up of carefully stencilled letters and patterns to make up the composite face – brilliant work.

Guy Denning and Yatika Fields, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Guy Denning and Yatika Fields, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The patterning and abstract work either side of the face is by Yatika Fields, who has spent most of his time working on the East coast of the USA. On their own, neither of these pieces would carry the same impact as they do together.

Guy Denning and Yatika Fields, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Guy Denning and Yatika Fields, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The reference and portrait is of Tara Houska Zhaabowekwe (I had to look her up) who is the national campaigns director at ‘Honour the Earth’, and a native North American.