There are some artists who never need introducing because their style is so unique, and without doubt Acer is one of those artists. Although he switches up his design concepts from time to time, they are still instantly recognisable as his work.
This playful rainbow lettering piece at Greenbank uses his current style and typeface to create the word ACER, with one small twist, literally, the piece is upside down. Clever work, once again perfectly executed.
I bring you a couple of nice pieces from Klashwhensober from underneath the M32, the bit that is over the Bristol Frome (hence Frome Side), and adjacent to the M32 Spot. As with several other prolific artists, I have started to post more than one piece at a time if they are from around the same time in the same location, simply because I have a backlog of unpublished pictures that is swelling immeasurably, thanks to Upfest 2022 and a short trip to Porto, with its emerging street art scene.
The first piece is a beautifully colourful and happy SOBA piece that is filled with a natural scene including clouds, some birds and a superb purple flower. There is more going on here, though, with a green line that looks liked barbed wire running across the piece. I’ll need to ask Klashwhensober what it is all about next time I see him. I like the KLASH block letters on the ‘H’ too.
His second piece, which might have been his first piece, is another set of SOBA letters, with an icy theme happening. The letters are filled with what looks like cracked ice, and the bottom of the letters are fragmenting in frozen blocks and falling to the ground. A fire in the centre of the piece provides an additional burst of colour. Both pieces are nicely done and very ‘Klashwhensober’ish’ in style.
One of the highlights of the last few weeks has been the appearance of a couple of Cheo pieces, something there has been a distinct lack of over the last two years. Here he has combined with Kopsky, an artist I am not familiar with.
The central character is classic Cheo. A caricature in a cartoon style with all the trappings of hip-hop culture. Beautifully painted and finished. It really has been way too long without his quality on the streets. I hope that this pieces is something of a renaissance.
The letters Arne by Kopsky and are obviously the work of a very accomplished writer. I’m not too sure what the letters spell out, but the greyscale tones are a perfect foil for Cheo’s colours. I love the tape and plasters ‘attaching’ the piece to the wall. Fine work indeed in this collaboration.
This is the first Petro piece I have seen for a little while, but like all his pieces it is most welcome. Spelling out the word PETRO, the letters have a rather organic feel to them not really conforming to any specific convention, but immediately identifiable as a Petro piece. I love the “age 49 3/4” which made me laugh. A fine piece.
Having returned from Porto in the small hours of this morning, I have had time to reflect on the comparative street art scenes in Porto and in Bristol. My conclusion is that the two cities have very different styles, Porto’s seemingly in its infancy and Bristol’s, a mature and extraordinarily diverse and accomplished scene. Both are exciting and vibrant but in different ways.
Consistency is the name of the game from Todoaciem, whose ‘CIEM’ calligraffiti writing rarely misses the mark. The colours of this piece are in line with the colours selected by his fellow artists at a paint jam in Sparke Evans Park earlier in May.
It is remarkable to think that all of this intricate and beautifully executed work is painted using a spray can. I just don’t know how these guys do it. They are magicians. I am having to rush my posts a little this morning as my daughter and I are jumping on a Porto tram shortly to get to the coast.
It is always most gratifying to watch an artist get into their stride and a rhythm. Ceus first announced his arrival in Bristol in October 2021 and since then has been getting into a reasonably regular rhythm, and his original writing style has been a breath of fresh air. Ceus doesn’t shy away from colour, and his pieces are full of vibrance and life.
Although a little awkward to photograph, the piece itself is well painted, and there is little doubt about who painted it.
That’s it for now, we have Porto to explore. Judging from our brief stroll last night it looks like a city steeped in culture, with plenty of street art and doors to keep me very happy for a long time.
You might have noticed that in recent weeks I have started to write three posts a day when I can, and have been posting collaborations and sometimes multiple pieces by the same artist. This is due to the very real situation that there is simply too much art being produced in Bristol at the moment, that I can’t get even close to keeping up with it all. This is a good problem to have, rather like a football manager with team selection dilemmas, but it also means that so much great art may sit in the archives, possibly forever.
Although this post features three artists, the paintwork suggests that one is a stand-alone piece and thee others two were painted as a collaboration. The stand-alone piece is by FTG (Full Time Ghoul) on the left, is one of many of these fantastic ‘knot’ heads that are scattered all over Bristol and horribly under-represented in Natural Adventures. I may sort out a collection of his work from multiple sites. On the right is the left-hand side of a collaborative paint by 3F fino, the other side being by Werm.
3F fino is an incredibly productive member of the LRS crew, many of whom, to be fair, seem to paint their socks off. I don’t know how they all afford the paint. In this piece, 3F fino continues the theme of a character with a head scarf, with some nice folds in the material.
To the right-hand side is some graffiti writing from Werm (formerly Eman for those who remember). Werm has been concentrating on his writing over the last few months and has been working on two or three concepts that he practices again and again, striving for perfection. If I am honest, I miss his characters, and hope he makes time to treat us to one or two before too long.
When it comes to precision, there are few artists better than Flava136. In recent months, he has reinvented his work with a new look, ditching the monster character, but still uses the same style of blended straight lines and curves, solid fills and geometry. I would liken his work to Epok, although each has their own distinctive look.
Flava136, now pushing the NTS label, teases us with these abstract shapes and designs, in a well thought out colour palette. I am not sure what the letters spell out, and I will need to get better at interpreting his cryptic work. Suffice it to say though, Flava136 is without doubt one of the tidiest artists painting in Bristol, and always produces spectacular work. This is a beauty.
It would appear that Logoe has had another blitz in Bristol recently, hitting several walls over a very short period of time. These two pieces are from the Frome Side spot underneath the M32 between the two roundabouts. This is a place I don’t often visit, because it is too dangerous to go there with the dog, and I rarely photograph street art without him.
Both pieces follow Logoe’s modus operandi, which is to paint his thin script lettering on a colourful background and to decorate the whole thing with a horizontal array of oval spots of varying sizes. This is his thing and this is what he does. This red piece looks wonderful and is accompanied by the words: ‘Attitude legit cos I’m tearing up shit’ – which is a lyric from NWA’s Straight Outta Compton – something I’d have never found out without Google.
The second piece following the same formula although with chunkier writing and a duller mustard background is a tribute to the late Meatloaf, which is a rather nice gesture. The two pieces are about 20 yards apart, and I am guessing were painted in the same session. More to come from this latest whistle-stop tour by Logoe.
Timing can be crucial when photographing street art, and shutters in particular need to be down to be photographed properly or indeed at all. Parking also presents a problem (if not on foot) with some specific spots, and this shutter piece by Taboo on North Street has evaded me for far too long, but a week or son ago the stars aligned, and I was able to grab a couple of snaps.
Taboo has such an interesting style, that I have a feeling might be called anti-graff, although it is only a term I have recently become aware of, and I might have got that wrong. However, using his writing and character combination, Taboo has smashed this shutter, with great design, colour and a spectacular Minnie Mouse.
There is a lot to like here, made all the more admirable for being on a shutter, which are notoriously difficult to paint. Captured and catalogued at last.
Natural adventures 