Tag: Urban

3534. New Stadium Road (28)

The incredible Laic217 has been out and about again although his efforts over the last year or so have very much been in fits and starts. It is a long time ago since he has painted in this particular spot and how his work has come along since then.

Laic217, New Stadium Road, Bristol, March 2021
Laic217, New Stadium Road, Bristol, March 2021

I am a complete sucker for his work and every time I find a piece my endorphin levels are suitably topped-up. This is an absolute belter, and I think one of my favourites. The woolly hat reminds me of the cap that my all time hero Jacques Cousteau used to wear and is so perfectly sprayed. Laic217 has become such a specialist in painting different fabrics and textures and the black and red puffer jacket is a perfect example.

Laic217, New Stadium Road, Bristol, March 2021
Laic217, New Stadium Road, Bristol, March 2021

The pose of the skeletal character is typical of a Laic217 piece with  a spray can at the ready. Some great detail, imagination and craftwork have been combined to produce this fine work… one that is so utterly worth a look if you get a chance.

3532. Bragg’s Lane (2)

Bragg’s Lane is a little bit off the main drag of street art spots, and although there are pieces here from time to time, I can’t think of quite such a good ‘gallery’ as there is at present. This is a fine contribution from Mr Klue and Mr Sleven, who often collaborate and who were very busy in the tunnel at the back end of last year.

Mr Klue and Mr Sleven. Brigg's Lane, Bristol. February 2021
Mr Klue and Mr Sleven. Brigg’s Lane, Bristol. February 2021

I’m not entirely clear when this collaboration was painted, but it is looking bright an clean and is I tagged, so it must be relatively new. Mr Klue provides the foundation for the collaboration with his inimitable abstract style in his preferred purple and pink tones with dashes of yellow. One of his key motifs, the mad hatter’s hat, makes a welcome appearance to the right of the piece.

Mr Sleven. Brigg's Lane, Bristol. February 2021
Mr Sleven. Brigg’s Lane, Bristol. February 2021

Mr Sleven has made great use of the shutter door to frame his bright and vibrant piece. The face appears to be that of a very unscary monster with three eyes and a mouth displaying four gold teeth spelling out LOVE. The multicoloured skin of the monster is stitched together a la Frankenstein’s monster, and the artist has spelled out his name using the same stitch technique. This is a fine collaboration and well worth seeking out, but it is a bugger for parking.

3531. St Werburghs tunnel (228)

Another nice piece from Mr Draws whose work creates a drumbeat for the whole graffiti art scene in Bristol. If Mr Draws isn’t painting then things must be very, very bad indeed. I don’t post all of his work, simply because with only two posts a day on Natural Adventures I have to be selective with all artists. Anyhow, in my retirement I’ll have hundreds of images in my archives to post, so all is not lost.

Mr Draws, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2021
Mr Draws, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2021

The entrances to St Werburghs tunnel are so much easier to photograph than the interior, and the colours are so much truer. This is a classic Mr Draws piece, with a deep black shadow and some decent fills with yellow accents. Mr Draws marches on.

3530. St Werburghs tunnel (227)

Obviously I am thoroughly enjoying Zoe Power’s enhanced presence on the streets at the moment, with her recent collaboration with Mr Penfold, her work in progress under the railway bridge on Stapleton Road and of course, this lovely collaboration with Rtiiika in the tunnel.

Zoe Power and Rtiiika, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2021
Zoe Power and Rtiiika, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2021

I had heard that she was keen to do more street work but was nonetheless surprised to stumble on this collaboration so soon. I have seen two or three Rtiiika pieces around Bristol, but this definitely raises her profile. Their styles are complementary and the bright colours work well. Zoe’s characters continue to remind me of Matisse and Rtiiika’s character also has a touch of modernism about it. I love this and want to see a whole lot more from these two.

3529. Moon Street (87)

Moon Street, once one of the most vibrant and active graffiti streets in Bristol has become something of a forgotten backwater since the gentrification tsunami struck the Stokes Croft area about two years ago. Since that time decent pieces are few and far between, but every now and again there is a little gem, like this dazzling piece from Lee Roy.

Lee Roy, Moon Street, Bristol, February 2021
Lee Roy, Moon Street, Bristol, February 2021

Everything about this one screams out ‘look at me.. I’m here and I want to be seen’. As I have said in an earlier post of a piece from Lee Roy, he seems to have gone into overdrive in the last few weeks and is chucking up his unique brand of graffiti writing all over the city. I particularly like this one though. Great for the somber mood we seem to find ourselves in these days.

3528. Lower Approach Road (9)

I always enjoy finding John D’oh pieces, and that pleasure is always heightened when it is a piece that you just didn’t know was there, which to be fair is most of the time with John D’oh. I found this one while I was looking for an Andy Council/Acer One collaboration near Temple Meads Station.

John D'oh, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, February 2021
John D’oh, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, February 2021

This is another political piece from this stencil master and is a commentary on the appalling costs of rail travel in this country alongside the dreadful service provided. I’m not too sure how long it will last here, given its location, but good on John D’oh for keeping this in the spotlight. This country is a mess.

3527. Bragg’s Lane (1)

It always pays to explore the city. It is easy to get trapped into only visiting the places you know or are familiar with. Hunting for street art has taught me to leave no stone unturned and to always look over your shoulder to see if you have missed something.

Object..., Bragg's Lane, Bristol, February 2021
Object…, Bragg’s Lane, Bristol, February 2021

I caught sight of this beauty from Object… out of the corner of my eye a few weeks ago while driving by and resolved at that moment to return to take some pictures, which I did last weekend. This is a big bold and angry piece from the people’s champion Object… and features some of his recurring motifs, such as ‘eat the rich’ slogan and disfigured body parts, in this case a hand. I like and have always liked his work. There is so much passion and anguish, and it bursts out from the wall, even if it is a little uncomfortable to look at. A fabulous large piece.

3526. Temple Way (3)

In have held on to this piece in my archive for way too long, and spurred on by the surge of recent pieces by Acer One, I wanted to share this geometric piece that is quite different from his more recent stuff, but still carries that heavily designed feel to it.

Acer One, Temple Way, Bristol, September 2020
Acer One, Temple Way, Bristol, September 2020

The hoardings on Temple Way around a huge development will in time be removed, but at least the developers had the foresight to commission some pieces which have not only brightened up this very dull bit of road, but have also gone a long way to keeping taggers at bay. This design is not only beautiful but has been meticulously painted by Acer One. I am becoming a very big fan.

3525. River Avon (14)

There so many things that I love about street art and graffiti writing. Firstly there is the beauty of the art itself and an admiration of the technical skills needed to create it in the first place; then there is the hunt… finding a piece and photographing it and if you get extra lucky having a chat with the artist whilst they are working; post-production includes archiving the pieces and finally sharing them here on Natural Adventures and on my Instagram feed. It keeps me busy. There is also resolution, which happens when you archive a piece, waiting for the day when you know a little bit more about it and can post it. This day is now and the piece is by Pura Decadencia.

Pura Decadencia, River Avon, Bristol, November 2020
Pura Decadencia, River Avon, Bristol, November 2020

I think that this was the first piece I saw by Pura Decadencia, but it is the third that I have posted. A girl dressed as Satan set on a purple and orange flame. I saw a sketch of this piece in her Instagram feed and the devil had a tail, which I think would have capped this piece off nicely. I wonder if she forgot to add it. Fabulous work nonetheless.

3624. St Werburghs tunnel (226)

This is the first of two outstanding recent collaborations by Andy Council and Acer One. What a great combination these two make… their very different styles have come together in this piece in an extraordinary way and it feels as if they were made for each other.

Andy Council, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021
Andy Council, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021

On the left is a superb ammonite or nautilus by Andy Council, with the coiled shell appearing to be stitched together with thick thread. The body and tentacles in rich and vibrant blues extend across the piece and weave their way into the lettering from Acer One. It is incredible how Andy Council can draw together inorganic components and create organic creatures. He is a master of this.

Acer One, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021
Acer One, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021

The right hand side of this collaboration is yet another stunning piece of designed writing from Acer One, who is definitely going through a golden period in my eyes. Here he spells out ‘Acer’ with his geometric lettering. There is an optical think going on here where the patterns can be seen either as flat designs or as 3D images. Very clever stuff.

Andy Council and Acer One, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021
Andy Council and Acer One, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021

An outstanding collaboration from these two and a little warm up for another one at Templemeads Station.