Tag: Urban

1490. West Street (3)

This is a lovely mural by Cheo, especially if you happen to be a Bristol City fan. The team are known as the Robins, and Cheo has incorporated this into his tribute to the football club. I’m not entirely sure how long this piece has been here, but I suspect it is several years.

Cheo, West Street, Bristol, April 2018
Cheo, West Street, Bristol, April 2018

One of the surprising things perhaps, or maybe I am just too cynical, is that it hasn’t been vandalised in any way by supporters of the rival Bristol club, Bristol Rovers. I do like it when two of my passions converge like this, but it doesn’t happen as often as one might think (now planning to search my archive for football-related street art). As an Arsenal fan, I have no allegiance to either of the Bristol teams and always want both to do well for the sake of the city.

1489. Dean Lane skate park (125)

There are a couple of Basketball courts next to the Dean Lane skate park, and adjacent to them is this container, which I haven’t really paid much attention to. I decided to take a look and there on the side is a rather nice burner from Soge.

Soge, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018
Soge, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018

The uneven surface of the container must make it difficult to work with, but I think he has done a fair job. I am used to seeing something a little more intricate from Soge, so this is a refreshing change. Perhaps not the best burner in the world, but nice to see nonetheless.

1488. M32 roundabout J3 (74)

Biers is fast becoming a favourite writer of mine. His designs are pleasing to the eye and pretty much always spell out BIERS. Looking at this great piece on the M32 wall though, I am reminded about how little I know about the street art scene and the cultural references.

Biers, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018
Biers, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018

The character in the middle of the piece is familiar to me, but I don’t know if that is just because I have looked at this picture a lot, or whether it is because it is ‘off of the telly’. Unfortunately the tags IMOK and MCF were added subsequently, taking the edge off the piece a little.

1487. M32 cycle path (13)

It feels like it has been a very long while since I saw anything new from Deamze, so this piece came as a long-awaited pleasure. In one of his favourite spots (I’m not sure anyone else sprays this wall) alongside the M32 he has created one of his most riotously colourful pieces to date.

Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018
Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018

On the left hand side we see a fabulously intricate and sophisticated piece of wildstyle writing, spelling out DEAM, and on the right a trademark cartoon from this brilliant artist.

Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018
Deamze, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018

Often the characters that Deamze recreates are from ’70s to ’90s TV shows, but I just can’t make out who this one is, and there isn’t a lot to go on to ‘Google it’ either. The whole thing is very refreshing and a reminder of just how good some of the Bristol street artists are.

1486. Dean Lane skate park (124)

So this is yet another Bristol street artist new to the pages of this blog. I am certain I have seen some of his work in the past, but only recently found out who he is, which is strange, because his signature (as these things go) is reasonably clear – Kool Hand. He seems to have had a little bit of a blitz in Bristol lately, so expect more to come.

Kool Hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018
Kool Hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018

I very much like the crispness of the piece, a deliberate backwash of white paint and well proportioned orange ape (an orangutan?) with large teeth all topped off with a baseball cap. Somehow it just works. It feels like logo territory, five colours, clean lines…the whole thing lends itself to being printed.

1485. Dean Lane skate park (123)

Another first…there seem to be an awful lot of artists making their debut on my blog recently, I don’t know whether there is a new intake of artists in Bristol or whether I have just started to notice them more (probably a bit of both). Actually this is not the first work I have seen from Stupid Stupid Meathole, but it is the first one since I knew who he was. Keep your eyes peeled for more from the archive.

Stupid Stupid Meathole, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018
Stupid Stupid Meathole, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018

Firstly, I love this artist’s name even it if is a little long-winded, secondly, I really like his monsters and his rather unconventional style. This piece I think is called ‘wet fart’ (which makes me chortle in a childish way) and taking a closer look, you can see why. I look forward to more peaces in Dean Lane from Stupid Stupid Meathole.

1484. St Werburghs tunnel (21)

One of the things I love about hunting for and writing about street/graffiti art is when I come across new artists and find out a little bit more about them. I have seen the burner ‘ONER’ for a few months now, but as many readers will know, I don’t like to post about artists until I know a little more about them.

Oner, M32, Bristol, May 2018
Oner, M32, Bristol, May 2018

Well I got lucky recently and met Oner when he was spraying a burner in one of the tunnels of the M32 roundabout (see above). What an incredibly nice man. I started to chat with him, which has become a bit of a thing for me (before I started all this malarkey, I never struck up conversations with complete strangers, least of all spray-can-toting ones) and rarely have I met such an enthisiastic person, and so easy going.

Oner, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2018
Oner, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2018

Now he told me where he was from, and I think he said Exeter, but it might have been Taunton, whichever it was (and I really should have listened better) he now lives in Bristol. This piece in St Werburghs tunnel is typical of his work, which is nice and tidy (can you spot the small error at the bottom right?) and colourful. I expect to see a lot more from Oner and look forward to seeing how his work develops.

1482. The Bridge Inn

This absolutely stunning commission on the outside wall of The Bridge Inn on the corner of Passage Street and Queen Street, is by an artist I have not come across before, David Blatch. Formally an animator and new media designer, David Blatch is from South Africa but now lives in Bristol and is on the look out for commissions.

David Blatch, The Bridge Inn, Bristol, February 2018
David Blatch, The Bridge Inn, Bristol, February 2018

The artwork itself for this amazing Jimi Hendrix portrait is exceptional and provides Bristolians in this part of town with an iconic landmark.

David Blatch, The Bridge Inn, Bristol, February 2018
David Blatch, The Bridge Inn, Bristol, February 2018

It would be great to see more of this kind of ‘high-end’ work brightening up the city, reenforcing Bristol’s USP of supporting the full spectrum of street art in all its foms. Very nice piece.

1481. High Street

Only a few days ago I posted something a little different form Duncan McKellar, the foil butterflies on the tarmac of Frogmore Street. This creation, from the same artist, is designed to bring a smile to people’s faces. No piece of ‘street furniture’ is safe from his creative attention, with several statues receiving the same treatment.

Duncan McKellar, High Street, Bristol, February 2018
Duncan McKellar, High Street, Bristol, February 2018

The pineapple is ‘sculpted’ from hundreds of pieces of bright yellow foam (it looks like insulation foam to me), and attracts the attention of passers by. What I love about his work is its ‘guerilla’ style…he keeps the local newspapers and busybodies guessing about who he is and where his next project will take him.

Duncan McKellar, High Street, Bristol, February 2018
Duncan McKellar, High Street, Bristol, February 2018

I am a fan of all street art that challenges people to see the world through a different lens, and this work by Duncan certainly does this. I’ll try to hunt down more from this ingenious artist.

1480. M32 Spot (19)

I think that there is something about street art and rabbits, or at least I seem to come across a disproportionate amount of them in my travels. This fine example is by Nevla and resides in one of the tunnels up by the Ikea roundabout on the M32.

Nevla, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2018
Nevla, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2018

Nevla has only relatively recently crossed my radar, but I like his unique cartoon style that he brings to the table. I don’t yet think I have seen any of his work outside a tunnel…maybe it’s time to break cover.