5662. Dean Lane skate park (661)

Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023

Ha ha, this is a fabulous and tight piece by Biers (WD40) in the skate park. Adopting his customary writing and character combination, Biers has introduced the TV cartoon character Dexter, from the Cartoon Network series Dexter’s Laboratory. I fear I missed out on this animation extravaganza, but I seem to recall my children watching it.

Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023

The writing, spelling WD40, is really nicely painted with nice crisp and sharp lines nd outlines. The bubble fill works well with the bubbles flowing from the test tube being held by Dexter, providing read-across between the character and letters. Biers is turning out some great work lately which is great to see.

5661. M32 roundabout J3 (527)

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023

I met Hypo for the very first time when he was painting a piece adjacent to this one, which I sadly never got to photograph, because it had been painted over by the time I returned. What a lovely and interesting person Hypo is. I mentioned to him that he has been smashing it lately not only in quality of his pieces but in the quantity of them that he was turning out. He explained that he had been seriously ill a little while back and that while he was unable to work he was painting as part of his rehabilitation. It was good to see him looking well. It is amazing how our health completely shapes out lives, our losses and our opportunities.

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023

I would not describe this as a typical Hypo piece, being a little more cryptic and busy than his more typical work. The black and white letters have plenty of extra details and lines and have been filled sparingly with coloured spots and stars. There are some nice shout outs to Hemper, Ulow, Soker and Minto, which puts his peers into clear context. Hypo painted this piece alongside his LDub mates Dun Sum and Zeks. Nice transformative work.

5660.M32 Cycle path (236)

Rusk and Theartofsok, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, October 2023
Rusk and Theartofsok, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, October 2023

There are times when you need to keep your eyes open and think rather than make assumptions. When I first saw this modest Rusk piece I raised an eyebrow, because it was obviously a ‘quick one’ but that the incorporation of a face was something a little different from rusk. My assumption was that this was a solo rusk piece but deeper thought brought me to the conclusion that it was a collaboration, and then the penny dropped that Theartofsok had painted a piece only a stone’s throw away at the same time and the face was in his style. This was a collaboration.

Rusk and Theartofsok, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, October 2023
Rusk and Theartofsok, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, October 2023

Rusk has been quite busy painting in Bristol lately, which is great to see, because he does tend to go through quiet periods, or paints in unusual and faraway spots. The writing here is classy as ever, beautifully filled and bordered. The profile face to the right-hand side by Theartofsok is outstanding, and its beauty is in its simplicity. A very fine and unexpected little collaboration, which I can’t imagine anyone saw coming.

5658. Nottingham

Boaster, Nottingham, November 2023
Boaster, Nottingham, November 2023

I find myself writing (last night) about this wonderful piece by Boaster in Nottingham from a hotel room in Sheffield having spent the day in Manchester. I seem to be ‘on tour’ quite a lot these days, although this trip isn’t with work, but with my daughter who is checking out some university options.

Boaster, Nottingham, November 2023
Boaster, Nottingham, November 2023

I have come across Boaster twice before at Upfest, and remember really liking his surreal work. This piece is a belter, spelling out BOASTER with individual mini-pieces for each letter. The B and the O are both outstanding in their own right, let alone the rest of the letters. It is such a pleasure and a privilege to be able to visit other towns and cities in England and to enjoy their culture, architecture and of course street art. The best bit is that I hadn’t studied the street art scene in Nottingham, and that each piece I found was a super unexpected bonus. Bravo Booster!

Boaster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Boaster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Boaster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Boaster, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

5657. DeannLane skate park (660)

Klashwhensober, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Klashwhensober, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023

I will never be able to keep up with Klashwhensober’s prolific presence around Bristol. Not only does he paint whenever he gets the opportunity, he also paints at all the regular spots and some of the out-of-the-way places too. I’m not sure I have seen him occupy this particular wall in Dean Lane before and it didn’t last for very long, so I am pleased I captured it when I did.

Klashwhensober, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Klashwhensober, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023

Without a doubt, this is one of Klashwhensober’s better pieces and he has smashed it on a premium wall and it doesn’t look in the slightest bit out of place. The bright yellow and grey letters stand out beautifully on the contrasting orange/red background. Great fill patterns and drop patterns too and the finishing is pretty much on point too. A great piece from Klashwhensober.

5656. Horfield skate park (14)

Mr Klue, Horfield skate park, Bristol, November 2023
Mr Klue, Horfield skate park, Bristol, November 2023

Having been so prolific earlier on in the year, Mr Klue is going through one of his lean periods, and it can be quite a struggle finding anything new by him. This has always been the way with Mr Klue who is a  ‘peaks and troughs’ kind of artist.

Mr Klue, Horfield skate park, Bristol, November 2023
Mr Klue, Horfield skate park, Bristol, November 2023

This piece adorns the end of a ramp wall at the skate park adjacent to Horfield Leisure Centre – a place I used to visit frequently when our daughter was learning to swim. Mr Klue has a great eye for his colour palettes and doesn’t disappoint with this KLUE piece. The letters feel a little squashed, and I think that the height of the wall has cramped his style quite literally. It is, however, always great to find anything from this unusual abstract graffiti writer.

5655. M32 roundabout J3 (526)

Gatoloco (Kasoe), M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
Gatoloco (Kasoe), M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023

What an absolute treat. Gatoloco, who is an occasional visitor to Bristol, has absolutely knocked it out of the park with this outstanding piece of writing. The letters spell KASO, he appears to have dropped the ‘E’, but maybe that was all he could fit into the space.

Gatoloco (Kasoe), M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
Gatoloco (Kasoe), M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023

I think that Gatoloco might be my favourite writer outside the city of Bristol. He brings so many design elements into his work, without it looking busy or fussy. I love the stripes on the letter ‘A’, a theme he has adopted in other recent pieces (a quick squint at his Instagram account revealed). The piece can be roughly dated, by the shout-out to Gaza. Fine work from the visitor.

5653. Peel Street Green (21)

Claro_que_sssnoh, Peel Street Green, Bristol, October 2023
Claro_que_sssnoh, Peel Street Green, Bristol, October 2023

It feels like quite a while since I last posted a piece by Claro_que_sssnoh, and even longer since I saw evidence of a paint jam by him and his Spanish compatriots in the Sunday Lovers crew/collective.

Claro_que_sssnoh, Peel Street Green, Bristol, October 2023
Claro_que_sssnoh, Peel Street Green, Bristol, October 2023

I like the wall at Peel Street Green, because its layout lends itself to a gallery appearance, with each section of wall occupied by a single piece. Also there is very little tagging that happens here, rather there is a rolling replacement of each piece with a new piece. Claro_que_sssnoh has written his usual HONS letters in his unique style and added in plenty of decorations to his light off-white fill. The numbers 23 tell you it was painted in 2023 and the letters SL refer to Sunday Lovers. It is always good to fine pieces by Claro_que_sssnoh.

5652. Dean Lane skate park (659)

Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2023
Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2023

Although Halloween was quite some time ago, I still have several ‘horror’ pieces in the pipeline, including this beauty by Biers. I met the artist about a week after he painted this one, and he said that he didn’t like it very much. I quite often find that artists can be their own most ferocious critics. From my perspective, I think this is a great piece, very much in the Halloween spirit of things.

Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2023
Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2023

The writing spells out WD40, which is difficult to pick out unless you know, and follows Biers’ usual format of writing his letters and incorporating a character in the ‘0’. The character in this instance is Chucky from the Child’s Play franchise – films I have never actually seen myself – horror is my least favourite genre of films… they scare me. Wonderful work from Biers. Boo!

5650. Hepburn Road (22)

Sorts, Hepburn Road, Bristol, November 2023
Sorts, Hepburn Road, Bristol, November 2023

In writing about this piece, I am beginning to have doubts that I have identified the artists correctly. Everything about the piece points towards Dott Rotten – the letter shapes, the fill patterns and the quality finish, but I might be wrong. The nagging doubt comes from the fact that Dott Rotten usually writes out SPOILT, but this says SORTS.

Sorts, Hepburn Road, Bristol, November 2023
Sorts, Hepburn Road, Bristol, November 2023

Chrome and black work well and the yellow border helps to lift the writing from the busy background, and happens to also match the double yellow lines in the road. If it is not by Dott Rotten, then I am struggling to work out who it is by – always go with your first impression!?

Update: Thank you, Paul – The piece is by Sorts and not Dott Rotten, but it is certainly a compliment to Sorts that I thought it might have been otherwise.