This is another stunner from Tristan Eaton entitled Big City of Dreams which rises high above a car park, you know, one of those funny little ones in New York that must charge the most extortionate fees, and stack cars in a way we are not accustomed to seeing in the UK.
Tristan Eaton, Broome Street, New York, October 2017
Tristan Eaton reminds me of an amalgamation of different styles that has elements of PichiAvo and Louis Masai about it, which is of course a great compliment. I think that his work is exceptional and love the piece I posted before of his Audrey Hepburn in SoHo.
Tristan Eaton, Broome Street, New York, October 2017
I still have a great many pictures from my trip to New York in October 2017, but have had some difficulty finding the names of artists, and the locations of some of the pieces. These difficulties act as a bit of a barrier to writing these posts, as I have limited time to do the research required. The emergence of Street Art Cities, a website and app, has been an absolute godsend in that respect. Street Art Cities allows local street art ‘hunters’ (people like me) to upload street and graffiti art onto a map-based platform with descriptions of the work. I am one of two such approved hunters in Bristol, and in New York, a recent upload extravaganza by the four hunters there is making my job of posting my holiday snaps so much easier. Maybe if they ever visit Bristol they will benefit from the work I have done for Street Art Cities.
John Matos, Bower Street, New York, October 2017
Now I can tell you that this stunning piece of Yosemite Sam in Broome Street is by John ‘Crash’ Matos, an artist brought up in the Bronx in the 1960s and 70s. He tends to feature a cartoon character combined with the word CRASH in many of his pieces, a long way from bombing trains in train yards as a teenager. His nickname ‘Crash’ was coined after he accidentally crashed a computer in school…something that was much easier to do back in the old days I can assure you. This is a brilliant piece from a brilliant artist.
I love this door which I walk past most days on my way to work. It is not so much the door, but the door frame that attracts me. It has that ‘distressed’ look. Many years worth of different colour paints have been roughly exposed, intentionally I think, to produce this colour burst and polite nod to the passing of time.
Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol
Thursday doors has given me the platform to talk about this lovely door.
This is a part of a slightly curious collaboration mural down behind Temple Meads station, accessed via Lower Approach Road. On the day that I went to photograph the mural, I couldn’t actually get to all of it because there was some construction work barricading off the left hand side. This was a bit annoying and rather took the edge off the whole experience.
Silent Hobo, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, November 2017
This section is by Silent Hobo whose contemporary figures I never tire of. There is a whole big story going on here – a dystopian future scene? The girl is not only plugged in to her headset, but also into the ground. She is lying on top of an urban sprawl while a couple of falorn skeleton/robots can be seen in the distance. Then there are the goldfish…
Silent Hobo, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, November 2017
The other character seems to be having some kind of meltdown. His skin is starting to resemble a circuit board, and he is being swallowed up by his urban environment. Perhaps he is transitioning into a soulless robot. Maybe I should ask the artist what this is all about the next time I see him.
Jee See produces work that is very different from much of what I see in Bristol. His (non-seismic) pieces seem to tell stories or are representative of the workings of his mind. Could this be a suggestion that radio signals and maybe other waves are penetrating our heads in a sinister way? His work is quite organic and doesn’t appear to follow any kind of style convention. A little bit like the work of Object… .
Jee See, The Bearpit, Bristol, November 2017
It is interesting that this piece has been up in one of the tunnels of The Bearpit since November and hasn’t been tagged (in a very taggy area). I walk past it most days on my way to work…it is comforting to see it there each time.
3Dom is really such a classy artist, and has been creating surreal pieces in Bristol for many years. He carries some themes from piece to piece and I have seen this psychedelic hut in several of his recent works.
3Dom, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017
His characters are often compiled from objects to create the whole, so here we have the hut for a head and a candle for a cigarette. There maybe a lot of symbolism involved, but what is certain is that his work is unique and special.
3Dom, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017
I love coming across his work, and this beautiful piece was part of the larger ASK paint jam back in November 2017. This whole wall was a real treat and a highlight from last year.
I don’t think I will ever tire of the work of Mr Draws. I love the variety of ways that he can conjure up the word DRAW. Some are very quick pieces, some influenced by alcohol, some working on clever creative ideas and some containing more complexity that first meets the eye.
Mr Draws, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017
This is a particularly pleasing piece by Mr Draws, and his colour selections and patterns are exquisite. A real ray of sunshine on this wall. I like to think of his work as a diamond in the rough, but that would ignore the sophistication of some of his work. Always a favourite.
I love seeing the work of Alex Lucas wherever it crops up, but it is especially nice to see her work at Upfest, when it isn’t tied to a commission. Alex Lucas has made a huge impression on the city of Bristol and her work is dotted all around the city – I have featured much of it on this blog.
Alex Lucas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
This piece was a bit tucked away, and incredibly difficult to photograph with the crowds and the lighting. Even so, it is possible to see that this is a classy illustration of a cat who is thinking about a mouse. Yum.
At the Ashton Gate Upfest site, which was opened up for the first time in 2017, there was a very long wall running down the entire side of the stadium. Certain sections of this wall were allocated to crews, who sprayed together to create their pieces. This one is by Kid Crayon who was joining up with the Lost Souls crew and Eat.
Kid Crayon, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I am a big fan of Kid Crayon’s work, and it was his wheatpastes that originally stoked my interest in Bristol street art in the first place, so I have a lot to thank him for. This is a wonderful and colourful piece of a big fish in a sardine can. I don’t know the meaning of the piece, but I know I like it a lot.
Kid Crayon, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Anything to do with fish tends to tick my box, so street art with a fish is a bit of a bonanza.
Upfest simply wouldn’t feel the same without all the ‘unofficial’ wheatpasters making their mark along North Street and other parts of town. One of the most notable wheatpasters over the last two years has been Losthills and his Jake the Dog pieces.
Losthills, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
This one is a little different from his usual cut outs, and is a full size poster of ‘Jake World’ a parody poster of the recent remake of ‘West World’. Jake plays the lead role (in the original film I think it was played by Yul Brynner), with his face mask revealing electronics behind and confirming his robot status. I love this paste up – once again confirming Losthills as a fun-loving witty artist.
Natural adventures 