I have been going back into my archives a little bit lately, usually to dig something out that is relevant to a post I am writing, but when I do so, I realise just how many great pieces have been left behind, and this beauty by Kopsky is one of them. Painted back in May, alongside Bristol artist Soker, this piece is an absolute beauty.
Kopsky, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2022
I don’t know much about the artist, other than he is French. My searches on the Interweb have not revealed very much at all, so perhaps I’ll focus on his artwork instead. I don’t know what the letters spell, if indeed they are letters, but Kopsky has created a kind of fluid, elastic and dynamic piece where each discrete element seems to flow seamlessly into the next. Colourful and vibrant and so full of movement, this is a very classy piece indeed.
Well, I rather set this piece up yesterday, when I said that I would be posting another piece by Marckinetic today, and here it is, a magnificent and unusual looking piece from the Bristol to Bath cycle path at Greenbank.
Marckinetic, Greenbank, Bristol, May 2022
As with yesterday’s piece, I struggle to find any recognisable letters, although I can kind of see MORFO, which I am sure is wrong, maybe it is MARC. Perhaps the most eye-catching element to this abstract piece is the fill on the lower half of the ‘letters’. The cosmic scene, complete with clouds and stars, is quite magnificent and leaves a strong impression. The nicely buffed wall and blue cloudy, spotty background contrasts well with the main piece. More in the can from Marckinetic.
I have only recently become aware of Marckinetic and his unique pieces, but now I seem to be seeing them everywhere. I am having to conclude that he is an established artist who has only recently moved to Bristol. How else could I have not had his work on my radar?
Marckinetic, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, July 2022
I haven’t seen enough of his work to know whether his pieces are some kind of cryptic writing or simply interesting abstract studies in landscape format. Give me a little time and I will find out. This piece is made up of two colour elements: some yellow/orange and pink/purple blocks, and a network of thinner blue arrows running through them. The whole object is given a solid black 3D shadow that very effectively lifts the piece from the wall. Black and blue dots fill the available background space. This is a really nicely constructed piece from Marckinetic that has been expertly finished. Watch this space for more from the artists… maybe tomorrow.
This piece by Serm, tells a story not only about his work, but also about the street art scene in Bristol, or any other place with a graffiti culture. As a photographer and chronicler of street art and graffiti in our city, I and others like me, have a pretty good grasp of what is going on, of who painted what and when. It is an earned privilege to have this overview, but it is also a rare one. Most artists, quite rightly, are interested in finding a spot where they can paint their new idea, without much consideration for what was there before.
I came to photograph a new piece by Petro, but instead found this lovely piece by Serm. It is obvious that Serm didn’t know that the Petro piece was so new, otherwise he would have perhaps found another space. Serm has, however, broken a convention by painting over half a piece, which is considered to be a bit rude. A collaboration might have been a better option to paint over Petro’s piece. Enough background.
Serm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022
I have only seen a handful of Serm pieces and none of them with a character, so this was rather special. The writing is skilfully done in white with some shades of grey fills, but overall rather minimalist. The colour comes in the shape of the Yosemite Sam character on the right-hand side.
Serm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022
I am minded to do a gallery of cartoon characters, just for fun, because there have been so many painted by artists over the years, and all of them worth celebrating (of course time will be the limiting factor). The last time I saw a Yosemite Sam was in New York in October 2017, by Crash. This one by Serm compares very well to that one.
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.
Kosc, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
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.
From time to time you find a wall that an artist ‘owns’ and I guess the maxim ‘possession is nine tenths of the law’ kicks in. This wall seems to belong to Claro_que_sssnoh, and in the main other artists leave him to it. When it does get painted by someone else, he eventually reclaims the spot.
Claro_que_sssnoh, M32 cycle path, Bristol, July 2022
Claro_que_sssnoh has such a distinctive and attractive style, and with this piece, he has absolutely smashed it in terms of colour palette. His slim joined-up letters, spelling HONS, are filled with some outstanding patterns and designs and the whole piece stands out from the red background. This is a very nice piece from the Spanish artist.
Even though the turnover of street/graffiti art in Moon Street is nothing like it used to be, it is still worth wandering down there from time to time, to pick up beauties like this one from Sled One. I think that the whole Stokes Croft area has become a bit of a graffiti wilderness, while it decides what impact the local gentrification has had on the sub-culture. Of course, many of the artists simply paint elsewhere, and there are many more of them in Bristol than there were only two or three years ago.
Sled One, Moon Street, Bristol, July 2022
Sled One, however, has returned to Moon Street and painted a classic piece of writing, so typical of this talented artist. The letters spell out SLED, and the numeral ‘1’ completes his name. the design is balanced and well-proportioned and the fill colours contrast neatly with the black and gold patterned background. I imagine that Sled One probably knocked this one off in an hour or two, but he has managed to keep it utterly onm-point. Great work.
About eighteen months ago there was absolutely no stopping Lee Roy, and it was easy to find new pieces by him on a regular basis, then out of the blue nothing for quite a long while. Lee Roy,I am pleased to report, has resumed his prolific form in recent weeks and this is one of several new pieces by the artist.
Lee Roy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022
His familiar letters are given some extra special treatment in this piece, with a rather snazzy background of pink and purple bricks on a blue background. The letters too have some reference to brickwork as well as some other fine drippy and dotty fills. This is a lovely piece from Lee Roy, and I will try to dig out some more recent ones from the artist.
In my view, street art and graffiti writing always look nicer on a buffed wall, although I’m sure that some purists would probably disagree with that. In this instance I think it holds true, and Mudra’s graffiti writing is presented beautifully.
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Mudra has found a new level recently, and is constantly developing his letters, incorporating characters and looking at new shapes and designs. His work is along the lines of other artists whose letters each have a separate look and feel, the master of which is SkyHigh. I am definitely enjoying observing Mudra’s work develop.
This is the second piece of ‘alien’ writing that I am aware of by Nugmoose, both of which have been painted in the tunnel. Normally, we associate the artist with painting extraordinary and imaginative alien characters, but it is great to see him transpose his skill into writing.
Nugmoose, St Werburghs, Bristol June 2022
The interesting part about any writing from Nugmoose is that it is written in alien letters, so we can never know what it might say. It is quite a skill to be able to create imaginary letters and then use them to make graffiti writing, because there are no recognisable reference points. I’m not sure if it makes things easier or more difficult, because nobody is going to know if you have made a mistake. Gorgeous glowing bright green with a ‘plasma’ streak dancing around the piece.
Natural adventures 