900. The Bearpit (79)

This is described by Smak as a ‘quick after school dub down the bearpit’, which was sprayed round about mid June 2017. I believe the piece is still there. Smak belongs to the Read and Weep (RAW) crew which includes Rusk, Ryder and T Rex amongst others. This is the first of his pieces that I have posted  and other than this Bombing Science blog post, I don’t know much about him.

Smak, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2017
Smak, The Bearpit, Bristol, June 2017

Of course with all things like this, having seen one of his works, I have started seeing them around the place and in my archives. Expect more from Smak on this blog. He is clearly an accomplished writer and has a nice style with his letters. I particularly like the way he has filled the letters here, with an almost cosmic feel. Great stuff.

889. Lower Approach Road (4)

This is a magnificent piece down on the black hoardings beside Temple Meads station by Lokey. His work is really beautiful and the 3D writing that he creates is so very easy on the eye.

Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017
Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017

A different take on wildstyle writing, Lokey never fails to impress. In this particular piece his colour selections work really well with the black background, and the way he has shaded the letters with graded greens adds another level of texture to the piece.

Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017
Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017

As with so many writers, he has included a little character to the right of the writing. The character is a beautifully sprayed robot whose edges are highlighted by the ‘glow’ coming from the letters. Masterful work.

Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017
Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017

Taking a close up look at his lettering gives a real appreciation of the technical skills needed to create the 3D effect. A lovely piece.

871. Upper York Street (6)

This is an old one going back a year, but what a great piece to be able to pull out of the archives. It s a stunning piece of writing from Epok, with all the things we expect from him, strong lines and sharp angles merging with round edges and curves. A geometric style that is pretty unique to Epok.

Epok, Upper York Street, Bristol June 2016
Epok, Upper York Street, Bristol June 2016

I dug this out, because I am trying to finish the Upfest 2016 posts before Upfest 2017 at the end of this month. This particular work was sitting in my folders from 2016 which I have been trawling through and screamed out at me…’publish me’.

Epok, Upper York Street, Bristol June 2016
Epok, Upper York Street, Bristol June 2016

There are other oldies to follow. I can only guess that I didn’t publish this before, because I always have way more material than I can possibly post about on two posts a day.

860. Dean Lane skate park (60)

Sometimes you get lucky and see pieces by great artists that come and go in the twinkling of an eye. This was a quick one sprayed by Inkie to celebrate the opening of the ‘Graffiti Nation’ exhibition at Upfest back on 28 April 2017.

Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017
Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017

Inkie told me that he had sprayed it quickly that day and had also worked on his contribution for the exhibition an the day as well. A busy man. This is a wonderful work, simple in its colour selection but with such beautiful writing and lines.

Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017
Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2017

When I look at something like this, it appears to have an effortlessness about it, the work of someone completely in command of his craft. It was painted over fairly swiftly.

857. St Werburghs tunnel (13)

It seems that street/graffiti artists tend to have peaks and troughs in their activity. I suppose that, like the rest of us, life, jobs, family and so on just get in the way a bit. I introduce this piece with this observation because Sled One, who was extremely productive last year, seems to be a little quieter. This may just be a false perception, and I am not seeing his stuff as much as I used to – I might be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sled One, St Werburghs Tunnel, Bristol, June 2017
Sled One, St Werburghs Tunnel, Bristol, June 2017

This is of the usual high standard that Sled One attains, it appears, with such ease. This wildstyle writing is so very easy on the eye, like much of his work. I particularly like the ‘accent’ lines he uses to emphasise the letters or that wisp around the piece giving it a sense of animation. I will not tire of his outstanding work.

Sled One, St Werburghs Tunnel, Bristol, June 2017
Sled One, St Werburghs Tunnel, Bristol, June 2017

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