Tag: Wheatpaste

1538. Upfest 2017 (171)

Wheatpasting is not as popular in Bristol as it is in other parts of the country, so it is a real treat at Upfest, when a (whatever the collective noun for wheatpasters is) descend on the city and cover just about every utility box with paste ups. Foremost among them is Face the Strange.

Face the Strange, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Face the Strange, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Most of his work has reasonably everyday scenes of people looking like models from a catalogue but with something weird obscuring their face. Face the Strange was going through a fruit phase during Upfest 2018.

Face the Strange, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Face the Strange, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

However he is not a ‘one trick pony’ and this fun piece has a hamburger for a head. I love the Burger King packaging rip-off with his name in the ‘sandwich’. Things are good when FtS is in town.

1531. Stokes Croft

I have said many times before that I like artists from out of town coming to visit and leaving behind little gifts. I haven’t seen any new work from qWeRT in quite a while in Bristol, so it was great to stumble upon this one in Stokes croft last week.

qWeRT, Stokes Croft, Bristol, June 2018
qWeRT, Stokes Croft, Bristol, June 2018

These cute wheatpastes feature a goggle-eyed character, in this instance assuming the shape of a broom with its fingers creating a heart shape. It is difficult not to like these paste ups. I only wish qWeRT would make the trip from London more often.

1495. The Bearpit (146)

Another intriguing wheatpaste from the fantastic Object…, in one of the tunnels of The Bearpit. In this piece, Object… has written a lengthy statement which is wrapped around what looks like a sumo wrestler with a pi symbol tattooed on his chest.

Object..., The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2018
Object…, The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2018

Now I haven’t been able to read the text…that might take a bit of time…and so I’m not too sure what the piece is about, but knowing the artist, I expect politics is involved somewhere along the line. I actually am rather fond of this piece, and am really enjoying Object…’s current penchant for paste ups.

1477. The Bearpit (143)

Well this pasteup is a little out of the ordinary, and not something I would immediately associate with Object…, but it is a reasonably recent piece from this Bristol (Stokes Croft) based artist which appeared with one or two others in The Bearpit.

Object..., The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2018
Object…, The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2018

I would probably not like to delve too deeply into what is going on here, frankly it all looks a little bit scary. Regulars will know that I love a good wheatpaste, and this one certainly stands out with its arresting subject and exaggerated features. And what large teeth you have grandma…

1466. Upfest 2017 (165)

This is the last set of Losthills’ Jake the Dog pasteups from Upfest 2017 and what fun they are. Part of the joy of Upfest is finding these little gems attached to urban infrastructure in the Bedminster area, and if you are lucky, other pieces are left in other parts of town too. This was certainly the case with Losthills, and I still have a couple of those to share.

Losthills, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Losthills, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The Featured image at the top of this post sees Jake holding a ghost from the computer game Pacman. The Jake immediately above is dressed for the Daft Punk single Doin it Right.

Losthills, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Losthills, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I have no idea at all what cultural reference is being made in the wheatpaste above, but Jake appears to be wearing a basket hat and conducting electricity from his hands…if you know more feel free to let me know.

Losthills, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Losthills, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Finally, in the pasteup above, Jake is holdig a heart with the word Hex and is standing in a rather creepy horror-style environment. I am guessing this is a reference to the film Hex, which I will not have seens because horror movies frighten me and I won’t watch them.

1368. Upfest 2017 (147)

I am not sure that Annatomix sprayed a wall  or board at last year’s festival, and if she did, I didn’t see it. However, she did leave a couple of nice paste ups for us to enjoy.

Annatomix, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Annatomix, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This super wheatpaste features a fox and rabbit created in the unique ‘paper-fold’ style that Annatomix likes to use in her painting too.

Annatomix, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Annatomix, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This is one of the things I love about Upfest…all the ‘unofficial’ offerings from great artists.

1365. Upfest 2017 (144)

What a treat. Longstanding readers will know that I am fond of wheatpastes and this little bricked up window at the end of North Street was an absolute treasure trove.

D7606, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
D7606, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

At the top is a D7606 telephone box with David Bowie strutting his stuff. I have written about a larger version of this in Stokes Croft in a previous post. All around this vibrant paste up is a collage of black and white pieces by D7606 and C3.

Losthills and C3, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Losthills and C3, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Underneath the telephone box sitting snugly side by side is another playful Jake the dog by Losthills, this time dressed up as a wonderful hippie. On Jake’s right is a subtle but lovely paste up by C3…but there is more…

Losthills, C3 and Jimzina, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Losthills, C3 and Jimzina, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

…pan back slightly and to the right of the C3 is another Jimzina menu-woman to add to the several I have already posted, and let’s not ignore the Goopmasta sticker (more from him in a couple of posts). All in all a lovely wall.

1286. East Village, New York (2)

A second pair of magnificent Phoebe New York wheatpastes from my (not so) recent trip to the Big Apple last November. I have always loved her work ever since I first saw some paste ups in Bristol at Upfest 2016. Seeing them in her native New York is just that bit more thrilling.

Phoebe New York, East Village, New York, January 2017
Phoebe New York, East Village, New York, January 2017

The first of these is the largest wheatpaste of Phoebe’s that I have seen to date…pretty much life size and stands in a doorway on a side street. A glamorous look for our Phoebe, with the word ART pasted on in individual letters.

Phoebe New York, East Village, New York, January 2017
Phoebe New York, East Village, New York, January 2017

The second piece is one of Phoebe’s more normal miniature-sized pieces, with a vibrant yellow costume and striking hat; so very fashionable. This piece has the words ‘be confident’ emblazoned across it.

Phoebe New York, East Village, New York, January 2017
Phoebe New York, East Village, New York, January 2017

It would be fun to know whether Phoebe New York comes up with the phrase first and then creates the piece to reflect it, ot adds the phrase once the artwork is completed. Maybe it is a combination of the two. I enjoyed pointing out these wheatpastes when we were in New York to my daughter who shares the artist’s name.

1234. Upfest 2017 (118)

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
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.

1219. Stucley Place, London (3)

Immediately adjacent to Gnasher’s chimpanzee in Stucley Place there is a door with a couple of wheatpastes on it. The higher of the two is by Face the Strange and features four brightly coloured suited gentlemen with half fruits or vegetables for faces. I am guessing that this has been around for a while. The piece is actually made up of four individual strips.

Face the Strange, Stucley Place, London, November 2017
Face the Strange, Stucley Place, London, November 2017

The lower pasteup is by Codefc featuring one of his characters with a camera head. Both pieces have similar themes and yet the individual style of the artists shines through.

Face the Strange and Codefc, Stucley Place, London, November 2017ERA PICTURES
Face the Strange and Codefc, Stucley Place, London, November 2017ERA PICTURES

I posted a piece by Codefc from Upfest 2016, but it seems that more recently he has favoured freestyle spraying, judging by his Instagram feed. I enjoy seeing artists moving through different techniques and expressing their work in different ways. This is a nice door.