A gallery of superb graffiti writing from Bristol’s Benjimagnetic.
Instagram: @benjimagnetic
All photographs by Scooj
Benjimagnetic
Tag: Urban
4087. Upper York Street (26)
It is good to be posting a piece from Upper York Street… it has been a while, and even better that it is a thing of beauty by The Hass. this wonderful mural appeared a few months ago, but my first photographs of it were not at all good, so I have had to wait a while to get some new ones.
On the front of the Bristol Design Forge, this incredible skull is a great improvement on what was rather dreary and drab facade previously. The striking image is centred around the skull, and the patterned shapes cascading away create interest and colour to the whole wall. Another glorious production from The Hass, whose work really is out of the top drawer.
4086. M32 Spot (126)
You know that thing where you hear a word for the first time, and then start hearing it again and again, and realise that you have been blind to that word for no explicable reason? Well it is a bit like that with me and Dopes. I met the artist a couple of months ago, and although I have seen and probably photographed his work in the past, I just didn’t post any of it. After meeting him, I am seeing his work everywhere, and it is really good. This is a nice little burner recently painted in the M32 Spot.
The colours are really nicely selected and work well, and he has fitted his letters to this awkward space really well. Super nice that this is a birthday piece for his son Jack. Great work.
4085. Dean Lane skate park (440)
Until earlier this year, I had never come across Veee. His art just wasn’t a thing in Bristol, not that you’d know it now, it seems that there are dozens of his little pieces dotted all around the city, and this is one of the more recent ones from Dean Lane.
This small flat wall is the perfect size for Veee’s work and his ‘face’, made up of symbols, fits the space really well. Bright and colourful, Veee’s work is definitely becoming part of the furniture, and I think that he must have moved to Bristol for there to be so much of it. Watch this space for more from this artist.
4084. M32 roundabout J3 (363)
Another fine piece that has been in The Natural Adventures ‘departure lounge’ for an eternity is this lovely bird by Aspire, reminding us of what we have missed since he moved to London a few years back.
Painted as part of a paint jam, you will notice a Kid Crayon character just to the right… what heady days those were. Pieces would stay intact for much longer back then. These days if you snooze you lose. I have had trouble identifying the blue and white bird, which troubles me as I consider myself quite good at identifying wildlife. It is beautifully painted with Aspire’s signature pixelated boxes. It was a sad day indeed, when he left Bristol.
It has begun
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Light decorations
selection of Christmas films
supermarket ads
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by Scooj
4083. North Street
This old piece by John D’oh has been sitting in my ‘departure lounge’ for several years, and at last I have found the space to publish it. I am going to show my ignorance by not having any idea who the character portrayed in the piece is… a bit of popular culture that has passed me by, and maybe this is why I never posted it when I had prepared it way back.
Placed on a shopfront that I think has changed since April 2016 when the picture was taken, the text states ‘ life is sometimes just torture. As I said earlier I am not sure what the reference is, but I still like it, and the whole rather run-down scene nonetheless. As you might have spotted, I am going through a bit of a John D’oh purple patch and it has no signs of abating.
4082. Brunel Way (134)
The Maybe (or MaybePaints) factory continues to churn out more high quality and charming face pieces under Brunel Way. Maybe has definitely carved out a niche for himself in Bristol’s street art scene and is becoming established for what he does, and all of this in under a year.
Due to his prolific painting I have to group his pieces. If I didn’t ether wouldn’t be enough room on Natural Adventures for anyone else. This first column piece combines ideas that the artist has had, with a series of three interlocking faces, the central orange one being sandwiched by two planetary space scenes.
Another theme running through Maybe’s work is aggregating profile faces into geometric shapes, and in this piece he has three kissing pairs on three sides of a cube, which is very nicely done, adding perspective to his work.
The third piece in this group is probably my favourite and is a little less structured. It is more of a story-telling piece with one of his face characters communicating or taking a selfie on his cell phone across an oceanic sunset. Beautiful and tranquil, it should perhaps be entitled ‘face time’. All great stuff from an artist I have yet to meet.
4081. Cumbrland Basin
Ooh! Creative, imaginative and lots of fun, this wonderful piece from Slakarts down in Cumberland Basin is an elaborate expansion on his regular face template. In this piece, Slakarts is telling much more of a story than simply painting up his mega-tag that we see quite a lot of in the city.
A man, a flower and a dog are the subjects of this lovely piece, and the confidence and boldness ooze out of the wall. Slakarts’ work is typified by the thick outlines and solid fills that present as clean and tidy work. There are some similarities in this work and that of Roo, which is a compliment indeed. More sophisticated stuff from Slakarts to come.
4080. M32 roundabout J3 (362)
Another Bristol artist who has been very busy over the last eighteen months or so is Acer. Whether collaborating or painting alone, his productivity has been on the up, and that is definitely a good thing.
This quick piece was painted alongside Benjimagnetic, way back in August this year, but inexplicably ended up in my archive. I have picked it up and posted it as part of my constant review of photographs languishing in archive folders. Here Acer is keeping it simple, spelling out his name with his familiar geometric design and technique.
Natural adventures 