831. M32 roundabout J3 (40)

It has been a little while since I have seen a Sled One piece, but this one has been worth waiting for. A crocodile, or is it an alligator? with SLED written into the main part of the body.

Sled One, M32 roundabout Bristol, June 2017
Sled One, M32 roundabout Bristol, June 2017

There is a lot to like about this piece; the colours, the backdrop design, the writing and of course the reptile with its stylish purple glasses. This was my second attempt at photographing the work. The first time was on a very bright day, and there was a shadow cast across half of the wall…sometimes overcast days can be a blessing.

Sled One, M32 roundabout Bristol, June 2017
Sled One, M32 roundabout Bristol, June 2017

830. M32 Roundabout j3 (39)

I was lucky enough to meet Ments at the Graffiti Nation exhibition opening evening at the Upfest shop in April. As with all other graffiti artists, he looked nothing like the image I had conjured up in my mind. It is interesting what assumptions we are capable of making before actually meeting a person.

Ments, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2017
Ments, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2017

Ments came to Bristol but is originally from East Anglia, and if street art is your thing, it is probably an obvious move to make. This piece is of such a high quality and showcases the organic feel he gives to his work.

Ments, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2017
Ments, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2017

This wildstyle writing is complex, but look carefully and you might be able to make out the letters MENTS. His work is so distinctive and seems to improve from piece to piece.

825. Raleigh Road, Vector (13)

The temporary hoardings in Raleigh Road are something of a honey pot for several members of the ASK crew. Given that there is little, if any, tagging on this space, I wonder if it is a curated legal wall. I guess I ought to know really.

Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, May 2017
Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, May 2017

This is an amazing wispy and colourful piece by Soker, and slightly different from the work we are used to seeing from him. It is interesting that the board had been blacked out before the piece was sprayed, suggesting that this was part of an organised event.

Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, May 2017
Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, May 2017

Soker, Keeping Things Fresh (KTF).

820. Dean Lane skate park (53)

I really like the work of Hire, especially as I now know what to look for in his work. His writing is really well disguised and has something medieval about it, swords clashing…or maybe that is just me. I suppose another interpretation would be Gothic.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017

I think it is the detail and jagged shapes that I like about his work, and although technically good, there is something rather raw about it. Really great graffiti writing.

802. M32 roundabout J3 (38)

I haven’t seen much of Epok’s work of late, so it was great to see this trademark piece on the M32 roundabout back in April. His wildstyle writing is always perfectly executed, and the precision and geometry betrays the large amount of care that goes into his works.

Epok, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2017
Epok, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2017

He has made great use of accent colours and patterns in green and white, to make the black and brown lettering stand out. Another high quality piece from one of the best writers in town.

Epok, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2017
Epok, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2017

794. Dean Lane skate park (48)

Now that I know what I am looking for, and recognise the signature I will be featuring more of Hire’s work as and when I come across it. He is the artist who sprays the large buck toothed bunnies, which appear from time to time.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017

This is a wildstyle piece which, if you look carefully spells out HIRE, although it takes some convincing to be sure. This is a nice quick piece which all forms part of the rich mix you can find down at Dean Lane.

 

775. Kings Square Avenue (4)

There are several street/graffiti artists in Bristol who never seem to stop, and ranking high amongst those is Deamze. This compressed piece is from a few weeks ago and takes the format of his wildstyle lettering and a character.

Deamze, Kings Square Avenue, Bristol, April 2017
Deamze, Kings Square Avenue, Bristol, April 2017

I am guessing that the character is some kind of hog or pig – probably from a cartoon series that I never watched on TV.

Deamze, Kings Square Avenue, Bristol, April 2017
Deamze, Kings Square Avenue, Bristol, April 2017

The colours in this work, especially the dayglow pink and green set on a purple background create an eye-catching piece for passers by. Deamze has occupied this spot for as long as I have been blogging, and probably sometime longer than that.

 

 

774. Dean Lane skate park (46)

As Whysayit pieces go, this really is a first class one. Sprayed on what is probably the premium wall at Deaners,  it oozes with confidence and colour. I think what really marks this out from his other work, is that he has taken a bit of time to prepare a backwash, and it definitely helps the writing to stand out.

Whysayit, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017
Whysayit, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017

I liked this piece from the moment I saw it, and although it didn’t last long (nothing much does here) I’m glad I got to see it.

Whysayit, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017
Whysayit, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017

768. Waterloo Place (1)

There are two artists in Bristol who are performing at the top of their game at the moment, Deamze and Voyder. Deamze consistantly turns out superb wildstyle pieces and absorbs styles and characters into his pieces with ease, but it is Voyder who, in my opinion, is hitting a new level with his work.

Deamze, Waterloo Place, Bristol, April 2017
Deamze, Waterloo Place, Bristol, April 2017

This bright collaboration can be found on the wall at the back of the Sofa Project in Old Market. It is so, so good that it really does have to be seen in the flesh. There is a consistent thread of the colour scheme and a diagonal line through both pieces that cuts through the writing, and with which both artists have treated the line as a breaking point in the work – so thought out and skilful.

Deamze, Waterloo Place, Bristol, April 2017
Deamze, Waterloo Place, Bristol, April 2017

I would like to focus a little – which is hard to do with two such immense pieces – on Voyder’s half of the collaboration, because I think this is the best piece I have seen from him, ever. The neon line zig-zagging through the Lichtenstein influenced brush strokes is masterful. Look at the shadows and the light that radiates from the neon. Just amazing.

Voyder, Waterloo Place, Bristol, April 2017
Voyder, Waterloo Place, Bristol, April 2017

Voyder has mastered his technique, and I don’t quite know where he goes from here. He has just been getting better and better with every piece and I consider him to be the king of writing in Bristol right now. If you don’t agree, just get down and take a close look at this piece. The best collaborative piece of the year so far as far as I am concerned. Love it (just in case you hadn’t figured that yet).

Voyder, Waterloo Place, Bristol, April 2017
Voyder, Waterloo Place, Bristol, April 2017

767. Ashley Road (13)

Some real luck with this one. I was returning from dropping my niece off at Temple Meads station and deliberately drove home via a few graffiti spots, and whose work should I see on the hoardings at the top of Ashley Road…Silent Hobo.

Silent Hobo, Ashley Road, Bristol, April 2017
Silent Hobo, Ashley Road, Bristol, April 2017

I hadn’t seen or met him before so I wasn’t going to miss this chance and found a place to park and went to introduce myself. He was spraying with another artist who was working on the wildstyle writing in the middle of the piece. This was Logoe, who I was told by Silent Hobo is a celebrated Bristol graffiti artist from years gone by, and has just returned to the city – this is his first back since his homecoming.

Silent Hobo and Logoe, Ashley Road, Bristol, April 2017
Silent Hobo and Logoe, Ashley Road, Bristol, April 2017

Both were absolute gents and didn’t appear to mind me stopping to watch a while and chat a bit. I asked why Silent Hobo had appeared to have a break and was now, over recent weeks, churning out pieces very regularly…well it was all down to childcare…ah the freedom that childcare affords us parents.

Logoe, Ashley Road, Bristol, April 2017
Logoe, Ashley Road, Bristol, April 2017

The whole piece works well, I have always liked Silent Hobo’s anime influenced characters, and Logoe’s writing is a real treat.

Silent Hobo and Logoe, Ashley Road, Bristol, April 2017
Silent Hobo and Logoe, Ashley Road, Bristol, April 2017

The piece is in an area that tends to get very badly tagged very quickly – it will be interesting to see how long this lasts. So far it has survived two weeks unscathed – recognition of the status and quality of the work.

Silent Hobo and Logoe, Ashley Road, Bristol, April 2017
Silent Hobo and Logoe, Ashley Road, Bristol, April 2017
Silent Hobo and Logoe, Ashley Road, Bristol, April 2017
Silent Hobo and Logoe, Ashley Road, Bristol, April 2017