Tag: Urban

1438. Old Bread Street (13)

The boards at Old Bread Street have all but gone now and given way to a large construction site, which I suppose was inevitable. It does seem that there are fewer spots left in Bristol than there were a year ago which means that artists tend to concentrate on the places that remain, and therefore turnover increases.

Biers, Old Bread Street, Bristol, September 2016
Biers, Old Bread Street, Bristol, September 2016

Anyhow, this is a little glimpse back a year or two to a piece by Biers, whose beautiful and unique letter styling stands out. This is a nice clean piece that oozes character and playfulness, nothing self-conscious and earnest about this one. Glad I dug it out. Shame about the water droplet on the picture.

1437. The Bearpit (133)

I believe this to be the best piece I have seen this year, and one of the best that the artist, Tom Miller, has produced to date. This classy work was painted for a Spring paint jam on 14 April 2018 and dominates all around it.

Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018
Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018

This most most eye-catching and vibrant of pieces, illuminates the tunnel and brings a touch of fine art to the people who pass through it. So typical of Miller’s work, there is a face, disfigured and distorted by colour stretching out of it. A scene of serenity and torture compressed into one space. His surreal and dream-like pieces never cease to amaze me, but this one really trumps the rest.

Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018
Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018

Tom Miller has been busy this Spring, a trend which I hope spans into the summer and beyond. This piece is so good.

1436. Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare (8)

I haven’t posted much from JPS for a long while, because I haven’t seen any of his recent work, and he doesn’t seem to come to Bristol as much as he used to. I owe my interest in street art to this artist thanks to a small piece near my work in Frogmore Street which he had just restored.

JPS, the Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
JPS, the Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016

This old one in the Tropicana entrance area is a multi-layered stencil of Cain from Robocop. It showcases just how brilliant JPS is at creating these large highly detailed stencils. The broom next to it gives an indication of scale. I am in love with this man’s work.

1434. Raleigh Road, Tobacco Factory (11)

I’m not too sure when Gregos came to Bristol, but I have a feeling it might have been for Upfest 2015. There are only one or two of his face masks that remain in the city. I took this picture in 2016, and to be honest I’ve not checked to see if it is still there.

Gregos, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2016
Gregos, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2016

His masks adorn walls all around Europe and beyond, and it is always a pleasure to come across one. These haunting masks retain so much detail from the original mould and you can see wrinkles and eyelashes. His expressions vary from mask to mask, and with all installation artists location is critical. Gregos is the king of this style of street art.

1433. Brunswick Square hoardings (4)

I was very fond of these hoardings in Brunswick Square, but alas, they are long since gone.I still have several pieces that I have not posted, and this is one of them by Dibz. I am more used to seeing his work at Dean Lane or on Instagram, so it is nice to have another location for the collection.

Dibz, Brunswick Square hoardings, Bristol, March 2016
Dibz, Brunswick Square hoardings, Bristol, March 2016

As always his deep shading and complex letter patterns are technically superb, and there is a cleanness of the lines in all his work. The blue line and its glow add something special to a very nice piece indeed.

1432. Moon Street (45)

I do like Face F1st’s work, a lot, he is so typically ‘Bristol’. It is difficult to explain what I mean by that, but I know what I mean, so that is ok. This is just a small piece in Moon Street, but it is wonderfully expressive.

FaceF1st, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2018
FaceF1st, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2018

There is not too much more to say about this little gem other than to take a look and enjoy it.

1431. Moon Street (44)

There are a great many graffiti artists in Bristol that I don’t feature in the pages of this blog. Some are not up to scratch, some are extremely elusive and some have a bit of an attitude. However, as their work develops over time, it becomes impossible to not start to write about them. Soak is one such case.

Soak, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2018
Soak, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2018

I have been aware of Soak’s work for a while and have several of his walls in my archive, but this is one that stands out for me as moving up a level. The fill and patterns are sophisticated and a lot of thought has gone into its production. Soak often inverts his ‘A’ but has used other tricks to reverse or invert letters. There is a Soak graffiti artist from Oxford who was jailed for Tagging and drug dealing, but I am not sure if this is the same one. The styles look a little different, so I am guessing this one is not the same. Soak is a member of the DBK crew.

1430. The Bearpit (132)

Observant citizens of Bristol might have noticed this little character making a few appearances about the place recently. This little toucan, in the middle of The Bearpit, is by relative newcomer (I think) Touc (Sven Stears).

Touc, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018
Touc, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018

I always like to see new street artists joining the throng and it is particularly nice to see something rather different. On his Instagram profile, Touc descrbes himself as a performance poet, artist, actor, B-movie hero and probably a lizardman. Im not sure about the last bit, but I look forward to seeing more from Touc in all his guises in the near future.

 

1429. Moon Street (43)

I love, love, love this one from NEVERGIVEUP in Moon Street. Regulars will know that I am very fond of his bunnies, but it is as much to do with the location and environment as it is to do with the artwork that attracts me to this piece.

NEVERGIVEUP, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2018
NEVERGIVEUP, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2018

The door in the wall leads to a derelict old building and gets sprayed regularly, but there is something about this rabbit that just seems to be utterly representative of how a little bit of art can bring a ray of sunshine to a grotty area. It stands out even more because of the way it contrasts with the wall and graffiti either side of it. All good.

1428. Stokes Croft

Right next door to the huge Alex Lucas mural in Stokes Croft is this interesting recent shutter piece by Object… . This is a commission piece from TLD cycles and helps us to understand the boundaries between commissions and free street art.

Object..., Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2018
Object…, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2018

Object… is no stranger to this blog, and much of his work is highly political and outspoken. He is also an artist who needs to make money, just like the rest of us, and producing work like this is how he does it. What I really like about this piece is that is is a really nice rendition of a bicycle gear block which carries the strong signature stule of the artist. The shop could easily have commissioned some sterile corporate artwork, but instead chose a local artist. The shopfront as a result really fits in with the area.