Tag: Weston-super-Mare

2439. Rear Oxford Street, Weston-super-Mare

I recently took a trip (mainly to give the dog somewhere different to experience) to Weston-super-Mare, and it hadn’t changed much from the last time I visited a couple of years back. What I was able to do however was explore the town for JPS street art, and naturally this is the place to do it.

JPS, Rear Oxford Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2019
JPS, Rear Oxford Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2019

In my view, JPS doesn’t come to Bristol nearly enough, but WSM is his manor and that is where so much of his work is. I think this piece of a youing skateboarder is reasonably recent, but I have no real way of knowing. I understand that JPS now lives in Bavaria, but I am sure that he returns now and again to his old stomping ground.

JPS, Rear Oxford Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2019
JPS, Rear Oxford Street, Weston-super-Mare, August 2019

This piece, like all of his stencils is beautifully intricate and has been specifically placed to give the impression that the child is skating over the street sign. This is just the first of many posts I will be bringing to Natural Adventures over the coming days/months from WSM featuring JPS, Fawn and PZY.

Weston-super-mud

.

Each of his four legs

caked in a sock of thick mud

walking in Weston.

.

by Scooj

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.

1435. Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare (7)

Going back a little while to the summer of 2016, I managed to find a few moments to hunt down some street art while on a day trip to Weston-super-Mare with the family. I spent a little time in the Tropicana and snapped this nice work by Nol and Edo Rath who paint together as Noodle inc.

Nol and Edo Rath, the Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
Nol and Edo Rath, the Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016

The bold colours, clean lines and humorous monsters are typical of their work, which shares some similarities with Buff Monster. After taking this picture, I have since become more familiar with their work and with Nol in particular through Upfest. Always a pleasure to see their creations.

784. Gloucester Street, Weston-super-Mare

Last Summer, on a day trip with my family to Weston-super-Mare, I managed to wander off and grab a few moments to get some street art ‘therapy’. I got to see several pieces by JPS, My Dog Sighs and Dan Kitchener amongst others, but this image of a child on the back of a tortoise holding a stick with a slice of pizza stayed with me.

 

Fawn Artist, Gloucester Street, Weston super Mare, August 2016
Fawn Artist, Gloucester Street, Weston super Mare, August 2016

I didn’t know the artist, and I think I have said many times on this blog that I don’t like posting images unless I know who the artist is, although sometimes I break my own rule. In this instance it was the artist herself who broke cover via her Instagram account. It is by Fawn, a local artist and friend of JPS, who helped her with the piece. It is a lovely, playful stencil and just perfect for the location.

617. Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare (6)

My trip to Weston-super-Mare last summer was a bit of a treat for me. I managed to grab 20 minutes away from the family who wanted to sit on the beach and eat ice creams, and decided to take a little peek in the Tropicana. The small anteroom, it turns out, is something of a museum honouring JPS and PZY. I’m not so sure how this came about, but there is a lot of their work there.

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

This is one of the smaller stencils, highlighting the lateral thinking that JPS often applies to his smaller pieces. A small hole in the wall becomes an object for lifting by two fork lift trucks. It is a witty and fun piece, which offsets some of his darker themes. More to come from this treasure trove.

616. Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare (5)

Weston-super-Mare is the home of the great stencil artist JPS, and the Tropicana is home to many of his pieces. This one is in the lobby area between the street and the open area inside the Tropicana, where Dismaland was hosted.

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

This fine piece is of Peter Weller’s Robocop holding a spray can, I mean, why wouldn’t he? The detail in the stencil is incredible, and all the more remarkable when you take a close look at the texture of the wall.

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

There were some tourists standing in front of the piece when I was trying to take these pictures, and only reluctantly would they sidle out of the way. their bags however remained. Another classic from the main man.

452. Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare (5)

Even if you haven’t seen the film series – ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street‘ you will almost certainly have seen representations or images of Freddy Krueger, the villain of the piece. If you haven’t, then here he is in all his nightmarish glory. This is a magnificent stencil piece by JPS (who else), that faithfully conveys the Krueger character.

JPS, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
JPS, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
I have written a lot about JPS and how much I admire his work, and it is when you get up close to pieces like this that you really appreciate his incredible skill. His love for the entertainment industry and the characters it creates provides him with plenty of material.

JPS, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
JPS, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
JPS seems to enjoy the horror, sci-fi and adventure genres as well as straying occasionally into cartoon characters. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…JPS is pretty much responsible for me writing about street art in the first place, so he is in my view, a bit of a hero, an inspiration. 

437. Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare (4)

Tucked away on the left hand side of the Tropicana as you enter, is this wonderful stencil of the Weird Girl (Cynthia) from the Tim Burton film Frankenweenie. It is a beautiful piece by the talented German artist PZY.

PZY, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
PZY, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016

Her work bears many similarities to the work of JPS, and perhaps it should come as no surprise that they are partners. Quite a lot of stencils by both of them are to be found at the Tropicana.

PZY, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016
PZY, Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, August 2016

I really love this piece. It has such character, weirdness and a tiny bit of menace. You can find more of her fabulous work on her Facebook page which is worth a look.

402. Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare (3)

A recent trip to W-s-M resulted in seeing much more street art than I had prepared myself for. I knew I would find a few stencils by local artist JPS, but wasn’t too sure what else I might find.

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

The Tropicana was the site of Banksy’s Dismaland last year, and this year the venue hosted the Hazy Days festival, which looks likely to be repeated and expanded for 2017. At the Hazy Days festival this year, several artists, including Dan Kitchener, My Dog Sighs and Osch gathered at the Tropicana and created some wonderful works. This is the piece by Osch, and shows a rather different style to the one in my previous post.

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

Osch is a highly accomplished artist with an incredibly distinct style. Plenty more of his works will feature in this blog before long.