Tag: Upfest

42. North Street, Aldi car park

During this year’s Upfest 2015, arguably the premium wall was handed to Argentinian artist Martin Ron. This enormous mural is a picture of his girlfriend, her torso emerging from what looks like a tablecloth. I am very fond of the fish, but am not sure what it symbolises.

Martin Ron, North Street, Bristol, September 2015
Martin Ron, North Street, Bristol, September 2015

This mural has been painted over an earlier Upfest (2011) mural by German artist duo Herakut. You can see what it looked like in this post from zaqwsxcderfvbgtyhn.

Martin Ron, North Street, Bristol, September 2015
Martin Ron, North Street, Bristol, September 2015

As always, these things are ephemeral, and I’m sure that this mural will itself be over-painted in due course.

Martin Ron, North Street, Bristol, September 2015
Martin Ron, North Street, Bristol, September 2015

 

39. Church Road

Another fabulous mural created as part of Upfest 2105. This huge scene by DANK (Dan Kitchener) above the Salvation Army shop on the corner of Church Street and North Street is worth a trip to the area on its own. It reminds me of some of the street scenes from Blade Runner – and that is a good thing.

Dan Kitchener, Church Road, Bristol, September 2015
Dan Kitchener, Church Road, Bristol, September 2015

DANK, a London artist remains on the legal side of street art, and supports it through the large amount of commercial work that he does. He includes among his influences comics, science fiction films and black and white ’60s war films. There is a good interview with him from a couple of years ago here.

Dan Kitchener, Church Road, Bristol, September 2015
Dan Kitchener, Church Road, Bristol, September 2015

8/10

34. Raleigh Road

One of the most eye catching murals from this year’s Upfest must surely be this wonderful fox by artist Rob Wass.

Rob Wass, Raleigh Road, Bristol, September 2015
Rob Wass, Raleigh Road, Bristol, September 2015

The urban fox has become part of the furniture in Bristol, and has been studied over many years by Bristol University. It has become something of an emblem for the city.

Rob Wass, Raleigh Road, Bristol, September 2015
Rob Wass, Raleigh Road, Bristol, September 2015

Rob Wass, who lives and works in London creates some wonderful colourful works, but I think that these large scale murals are something of a slight departure.

 

17. North Street, hoarding (1)

I have not come across Dice 67 before. He is an artist from Cheltenham who likes to use a mix of stencils and freehand.

Dice 67, North Street, Bristol, July 2015
Dice 67, North Street, Bristol, July 2015

This political anti-austerity piece is slightly hidden away from view, and I am not sure if it is typical of Dice 67’s work. This was created as part of Upfest 2015.

Dice 67, North Street, Bristol, July 2015
Dice 67, North Street, Bristol, July 2015

I will be looking out for more of his work in Bristol.

6.5/10

12. North Street, heating and plumbing

This self-portrait? by Brave One AKA Scotty-B is another Upfest 2015 artwork (I think).

I have not seen any of his work before, but I guess this is the joy of Upfest, which brings so many artists to one place, and allows us to enjoy their work, often for the first time.

Brave One, North Street, Bristol, July 2015
Brave One, North Street, Bristol, July 2015

Brave One is a UK based graffiti artist who has been spraying since the late ’80s. He runs a creative business that offers spray can art/graffiti art. He does private or public commissions and also runs teaching workshops and events.

I rather like this, but especially like the setting.

7/10

 

8. North Street, midway

This is the first post from North Street, the home of Upfest 2015. There will be dozens more to come.

This wonderful and humorous conflation of Minions and Pulp Fiction is really striking, and is an extension of the original Banksy Pulp Fiction piece.

Angus, North Street, Bristol, July 2015
Angus, North Street, Bristol, July 2015

It is by another Bristol artist, Angus, who has only been creating works on the street for about a year. He is known for bringing well-known characters and objects into his work.

I really like this.

Banana!

8/10

6. @Bristol

A beautiful commission on an outside wall of the excellent @Bristol museum. It is called ‘The Honey Bee’, and highlights the importance and plight of our pollinators.

 

ATM, Millennium Square, Bristol, July 2015
ATM, Millennium Square, Bristol, July 2015

ATM is an artist who went to art school in Sheffield and now lives in London and is famous for his striking pictures of birds. I am drawn by his highly ethical position on the natural world, and his images are reminders of species at risk, that were once abundant. My only criticism, which seems a little harsh, is that his work is not very edgy, and I like a bit of edge.

I understand from his Twitter feed that he painted a mural last weekend at Bristol’s world-famous Upfest. I will seek it out soon.

6.5/10