Wildstyle – Natural adventures

4689. Dean Lane skate park (523)

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2022

This piece is a classic, classy and colourful piece of wildstyle graffiti writing from Dibz, on the end wall, home to countless brilliant pieces in the past. In my mind’s eye, this piece feels a bit like an ‘audition’ piece, technically brilliant and beautifully designed, but without a theme or backstory.

Dibz has set the bar so high for writers in Bristol, and would suggest that it has had a knock-on effect, where it seems that the vast majority of writers strive to improve and perfect their letters and styles. With inspiration like this to draw on, who wouldn’t want to aspire to it?

4581. Dean Lane skate park (511)

It doesn’t seem to matter what Kosc does, he always does it with class. This superb piece of writing, part of an NTS collaborative wall, spells out Kosc, and is really top notch stuff.

This is classic wildstyle writing with a contemporary feel to it. The design is reasonably complex, but the elements perfectly clean and tidy. The horizontal colour transitions through the letters are expertly done, and the whole thing benefits from being painted on a well prepped wall. More great work from Kosc.

4246. Dean Lane skate park (463)

I don’t need to say too much about how good this piece is. The quality, confidence, detail and finishing of this wildstyle graffiti writing by Dibz is of the highest order and the artist just keeps setting the bar higher and higher. This one was painted while I was out of the country, but thankfully it was respected and left un-tagged and I was able to photograph it.

In common with many of the artists I have met, Dibz is so modest about his work, and just gets on with it in a very matter of fact kind of way. If I could produce something like this, I’d be leaping about like a mad man telling everyone about it. The letters are bisected with two perfect straight lines that divide the whole piece cleverly into three totally different colour schemes. I can’t imagine how hard this is to do, and would have loved to witness Dibz at work on this one. Another stunner from the man.

3697. M32 Cycle path (126)

Here is another fine piece from the slightly unloveable Turoe. This wall is in my view one of the best in Bristol, but it rarely fulfils its potential. I would love to see it fully buffed and some large-scale collaborations painted on it because these days it tends to look a bit messy.

Turoe, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2021

This ‘shyte’ piece was painted back in April and stands out in chrome on a hot yellow, orange and red background. This is a classic wildstyle burner and another in the vast collection of pieces from Turoe.

3304. Dean Lane skate park (364)

Always tight, always pretty near perfect. I can’t think of a Dibz piece that hasn’t been meticulous in both design and execution, and if there are any I’ve yet to see them. This is yet another superb piece from Dibz in Dean Lane (his favourite spot) from a week or two back.

In most cases, Dibz buffs the wall first to ensure there is a focus on his wildstyle writing. The day glow green and pink colours stand out on the blue wall, and the design is simply outstanding. Dibz is an artist with a plan and he paints his plan and he does it well. A fine work.

3081. M32 roundabout J3 (238)

This piece was photographed during a crazy purple patch of brilliant artists hitting the M32 walls a couple of weeks back and I just so happened to be fortunate enough to see them at work two days running. On the second day, when I took these pictures, I had returned to the roundabout to photograph the finished pieces from the day before and was treated with finding a whole ton more artists at work. It doesn’t happen often but when it does it is so rewarding.

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

I managed to introduce myself to Hemper for the first time and although I have seen him painting before, I’ve not really had the opportunity to say hello. When I arrived Hemper was about half way through this freestyle piece. It is something rather different and resembles slightly a stained glass window.

Hemper was using up dregs from cans hence the explosion of colour, and sprayed the colours first, before carefully going over each colour with the black outline to create this wonderful effect. A great piece on a great day.

3080. Brunel Way bridge (50)

Ments has been taking an experimental new direction over the last six months or so with a new kind of organic wildstyle writing. A blending of curved shapes and shades loosely coming together to form cryptic letters.

I would have to say that this piece has utterly won me over and I think it is one of the best pieces I have seen from Ments in a while. If these shapes and shades were worked in chromes, greys and whites, there would be a liquid metal feel to it, but no, he has gone for a full colour version of molten metal and it is fantastic. It has been worth the wait to see this new direction for Ments, and I have another new one to share with you soon.

3033. Dean Lane skate park (329)

So many artists have has a creative rush since the easing of lock down and one of them is Dibz. Ordinarily you’d be lucky to see a new Dibz piece once every two months or so, but I have seen three in the last month of which this is one.

Dibz is a precision graffiti writer. I have never seen anything by him that isn’t really tight, clean and crisp and I have never to my knowledge seen a throw up from him. This is a very classy piece of writing with a beautifully graded fill from dark red through to orange and yellow. The slim yellow edging on the upper sides of the letters creates a lifting effect. This is a piece for connoisseurs.

2885. Raleigh Road vector (29)

What I am rather shocked by is the sheer number of outstanding pieces I have in my archive, and I guess it just goes to show that the high productivity of great street art in Bristol is pretty much relentless, and people like me struggle to keep on top of it. At least this pause caused by the coronavirus lock down provides me with an opportunity to share pieces like this amazing Deamze one that I had left on the shelf.

Deamze, Raleigh Road, Bristol, November 2016

Although he is now in Hobard, Tasmania, Deamze will be forever a legend in Bristol and is sorely missed. His combination pieces incorpoorating wildstyle writing and a character are out of the top drawer and these technical masterpieces are something we can only reflect on these days.

One of the great things about Bristol is that the reputation for street art draws artists to come and stay or live in the city, so that for every great artist that leaves, at least two arrive, so the future is bright. The king is dead… long live the king.

2884. M32 roundabout J3 (205)

Back to more familiar territory with this absolute stunner from Hemper at the M32 from March 2016. Although it is obvious now to see the letters HEMS, at the time I took these pictures I was less familiar with Bristol artists and in particular the wildstyle writers, so I probably didn’t post this beauty because I didn’t know the artist,

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2016

I cannot begin to articulate just how good this piece is. The letter style is outstanding, but it is the horizontally graded fills with drips and dots that makes this piece special for me. A very classy piece from a top Bristol artist.

	paulh121 on 5000. Greenbank (69)
	scooj on 5001. Cumberland Basin
	scooj on 5000. Greenbank (69)
	scooj on 5000. Greenbank (69)
	slideyfoot on 5000. Greenbank (69)

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