I don’t think I have posted anything from Alos for rather a long time, so it was nice to encounter this small piece at the end of the long wall at Cumberland Basin. His rather loose anti-style writing appears to have been superimposed on another piece, and it looks like the fills in his letters are from that previous piece.
Alos, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2024
One could view this technique as lazy, but I prefer to think of it as opportunistic and illustrative of the perennial layering on the walls we know and love. The skill has been in how to make his letters ALOS rise above from the surrounding chaos, and I think he has succeeded.
Mr Klue is having another of his purple patches – he is very much a peaks and troughs kind of artist, and this one in the tunnel is one of several new pieces in his favourite spot. Mr Klue is also posting a lot of old pieces on his Instagram account right now, which is almost like a retrospective exhibition – and most enjoyable.
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2024
This piece follows the familiar formula of wispy ephemeral writing that spells out KLUE, using the blue tones that he loves so much. I hope that this productive period continues, because Mr Klue is another of those artists whose work underpins the diverse scene we have in Bristol.
I am getting rather excited about an exhibition of Merny’s work in Bristol running from 12-18 July 2024, in other words, starting on Friday this week, entitled ‘A Waste of Paint’. Time enough to enjoy this recent piece that was painted during a paint jam a couple of weeks ago. It is great to see that Merny is able to get out and paint from time to time as he has to juggle his painting free time with parental duties.
Merny, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024
The piece tells its own story, that you don’t really need to hear from me, because you can work it out for yourself. The naively painted characters, which look like they have been painted with brush work are sharing a tender moment of illness and care, but in a humorous setting. The trademark bullet labels are there and accompanied by steps 1 and 2. A wonderful piece, and so different from much of what you tend to see in Bristol.
After what feels like a long absence, I have noticed one or two new Mest pieces appearing about the place, which is good news, and this is a recent one from Brunel Way. His journey can be applied to so many other artists with peaks and troughs in activity, which can happen for all sorts of reasons.
Mest, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2024
I have always liked Mest’s graffiti writing. For me he falls into the school of artists who present their letters clearly, without too much disguise, and concentrate on fill patterns and other details. Other artists that I would liken his work to are Phour, Mr Draws, Raid, Nips, Oner and Mates, and I am sure there are a host of others too. Mest has crated some nice letters with fabulous fills, and appears to have hit the ground running on his return. Looking forward to seeing more from Mest.
What a surprise this piece by Face 1st is. I don’t think I have ever seen anything like it from him before, and had he not signed it, I might have struggled to guess it was one of his, although once you know, there are some signs you can read with hindsight.
Face 1st, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2024
There is something very beautiful and homely about this piece and I assume it is a portrait of Ella, one of his children maybe. I find the whole piece very touching and full of love. I particularly like the wooden table, and the girl’s freckles. I love it when artists do something unexpected like this, demonstrating their range and versatility. This is brilliant from Face 1st.
If I were only allowed to keep my galleries of say ten street artists, Laic217 would be close to the top of the list. I feel like I have grown up (in terms of my interest in street/graffiti art) with him, and as he has improved and expanded his horizons, I have learned more and grown my expertise. We both have plenty of headroom, but our journeys have taken a parallel pathway, and that feels good.
Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2024
This is a great piece on the long wall at Sparke Evans Park which reminds me a lot of the Hollywood horror film genre. I think it is the check shirt and baseball cap that do it along with the disfigured melting face, of course. This is what Laic217 does so well, and although the subject might not be to everyone’s taste, the technical skills must surely be admired. I loved stumbling across this one.
Pekoe and Jody, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024
This is another installation from the recent paint jam to celebrate Wispa’s (in absentia) birthday. I can’t recall whether Pekoe and Jody have collaborated before, but they have done so spectacularly well in this writing/cup-cake combination piece.
Pekoe and Jody, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024
Pekoe has been working more on her letters over the last year or so and is clearly gaining in confidence. There is a uniformity and discipline here which is good to see, She has added a sprinkling of ‘love hearts’ in line with the confection theme for the paint jam. The cup-cake by Jody is nothing short of perfect… topped with a swirl of cream a cherry, mint leaves and some chocolate sprinkles. A superb collaboration from the pair – I hope Wispa was suitably impressed/touched.
Fade, Andy Council and Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024
What I love about recording and writing about street/graffiti in Bristol is the enormous array of quality, experience and styles that I get to see – it is never boring, and I love to try and represent it all here. This is an extraordinary ‘high-end’ production from Fade, Andy Council and Acer One. I get the feeling from the balance of the piece that Fade may have been an opportunistic addition to this piece, but has integrated perfectly with the colour scheme and tone,
Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024
Fade, using all his experience, manages to create such a tight finish to all of his work, and it feels like there is never any part of it that is untidy or out of place. His letters spell FADE, and are filled beautifully in black fading to brown. The writing is set on a stunning grey/brown cloud that runs through the whole collaboration.
Andy Council and Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024
The balanced symmetry of the Acer One and Andy Council element of the collaboration is what makes me think that Fade was an add-on. It comprises one of Acer One’s designs that he is currently favouring, which is accompanied by two of Andy Council’s famous Ammonites.
Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024
Acer One has come up with this incredibly clever and intricate concept, where two words are incorporated into one design – something he has done before, but is now more refined. Some of the words are easier than others to see. The upper chrome lettering spells ACERONE and the lower black letters spell COUNCIL. If you block off the upper or lower part, it is easier to read the names.
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024
I love it that Andy Council will often return to his ammonites in his mural work. They obviously hold an important part in his work because his signature incorporates one. These creatures are ‘composites’ made up of elements ‘stitched’ together in Andy Council’s unique and inimitable style. This is overall a brilliant production, and a precursor to a larger one including Dibz and Jody… watch this space.
I think that we are approaching the last few months of this wonderful spot with its long hoarding, because the housing development is nearing completion, and when finished the boards will come down and the graffiti spot will become a thing of the past. That is part of my motivation to capture these spots and the art, because it is all so ephemeral. I was lucky enough to meet Esme Lower while she was painting this piece, and she said at the time that she was looking forward to doing more artwork on the streets, because she really enjoys it.
Esme Lower, Greenbank, Bristol, May 2024
I love this representation of a fight or scrap, because it is representative of so many conflict situations, and painted in a humorous style. It reminds me of the fights that Asterix and Obelix would have with the Romans in the comic book series. There is plenty of action and movement in this fun piece, and I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for more from Esme Lower.
Abbie Laura Smith, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
There are two important elements to a great wheatpaste, which are; the quality of the artwork and the location. Abbie Laura Smith has nailed it on both counts with the Swiss cheese plant cut out portrait pasted onto one of the old bollards alongside the river – an immediate impact piece for those with their eyes open.
Abbie Laura Smith, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
The black and white portrait drawing, makes great use of two-tone light and dark and is superimposed onto the leaf, before being cut out. It was so much to find this piece and some of the others she has pasted up in the area, and I hope that it encourages her and others to do more of this kind of stuff.
Natural adventures 