Nothing lasts long in Bristol these days, and even ‘high end’ pieces can have shorter lifespans than they deserve. A case in point is this wonderful collaborative wall under Brunel Way from Dibz and Acer. Rather more tragically, these two painted together again in the same spot last Friday/Saturday, and by Saturday afternoon it had been overpainted.
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2022
To the left is the Dibz contribution, but to add a little fun, each of the artists wrote the other’s name. So in this outstanding piece of wildstyle writing, Dibz has written ACER. I cannot put into words how good this writing is, so you can just judge for yourselves.
Acer One, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2022
To the right, it is Acer One’s turn to play the game and adopting his favoured style of writing (at least recently) he has written DIBZ with care and precision, adding a little bit of interest behind the letters. The whole thing is a beautifully executed bit of fun from Dibz v Acer One.
One of the most recognisable styles in Bristol is from Taboo, and the interesting thing about that is that although he usually writes ‘Taboo’, no two pieces look the same, unlike some writers who like to recreate their letters in a similar format from piece to piece.
Taboo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
In this one, Taboo’s unruly letters, once again seem to defy convention, for example, he uses two different border colours halfway through the word. The letters are imaginative and creative, and don’t really follow a font style, although one can tell that they are all by the same artist. No character in this piece, which is a bit of a pity, because they add a further dimension to the overall work. This is yet another wonderful piece of writing from an artist who likes to plough his own furrow.
Oof! Mest can really dial it up when he feels like it, and with this birthday celebration piece for Stivs, he has absolutely smashed it. I am guessing that during this birthday paint jam, Mest took his time to create this really tight piece.
Mest, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2022
The first thing to note is the unusual colour combination of cream pink and blue, which might not be an obvious alliance, but somehow he has carried it off. His letter shapes are a little more dynamic than usual and all the additional little details pick our different aspects of the writing. A very nice piece indeed, lifting Mest up into the next level. Also a fabulous tribute to Stivs on his birthday.
I would say that Emily Joy Rich is a fabulous designer and sign writing artist, and although she isn’t a regular painter of ‘non-legal’ walls, she does create som wonderful works on legal walls, blending ‘corporate’ art with street art.
Emily Joy Rich, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2022
In this piece in the Elton Street gallery, Emily Joy Rich has created some gorgeous script writing, so clean and crisp, on a moody cloud background. As is often the case with wordy street art, I am left with an ear worm that I simply can’t shake off and will be with me for the rest of the day. Rhythm is a Dancer by Snap! Is one of those tunes with a strong beat that stays with you. This is a fine piece from Emily Joy Rich.
What a lovely thing to find on the long wall in Dean Lane skate park. Fresh, clean and definitely a collaboration to bring a smile to your face. The RBF crew have been particularly busy of late in various spots around the city, but you don’t often see their work in Dean Lane.
Evey, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
It looks to me like Evey has been having some coaching from Bnie with her 3D shadow, as I’ve never seen her paint these patterns before. This is what I love about street art; all the artists seem to be continuously developing and improving their work, moving from idea to idea and pushing themselves. The fills in her letters are rather fun too, and the colours definitely complement each other.
Bnie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
The other half of the collaborative wall is by Bnie in which she has absolutely smashed it in my opinion. The piece has everything you would expect from Bnie but elevated to the next level. This might even be her finest piece yet. The letter fills are beautifully blended and the white highlights lift them out a bit. The 3D fill is to die for, with a clever and rather unique patterning, which is a sure trademark of hers. The double border is nice and neat and provides the distinction between the letters and background. I love this piece, and I am enjoying these recent RBF collaborations.
At the edge of the tunnel at L Dub, we can see from this tidy piece, just what an accomplished artist DJ Perks is becoming. DJ Perks is never one to shy away from pushing the envelope and in this piece he has created a superb writing/character combination that is unlike other pieces he has created. He really is a talent.
DJ Perks, L Dub, Bristol, April 2022
I have a feeling that this piece was painted alongside artists from the LRS crew during a bit of a paint jam in April. The letters ‘L Dub’ are beautifully designed and have a strength about them, as well as being superbly filled. The character is something of a classic, but more than that it is painted with wonderful shades and shadows, offering some depth to the character. This is great work from an artist on the up.
This is a rather unexpected collaboration for a number of reasons, but is as welcome as it is unexpected. Chill and Smut combining to give us this beautiful piece of writing bookended with cartoon characters.
Smut, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this collaboration is the change in style from Smut. His customary script writing has given way to something entirely different. The anamorphic letters are beautifully crafted and as you would expect from Smut painted with precision and a near-perfect orange border, which bleeds across into the two Chill characters.
Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
To the left, the cartoon character is wearing a floppy hat and looking and pointing towards Smut’s letters. The black and white figure contrasting perfectly with the orange border.
Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
To the right-hand side, and concluding the collaborative wall, is an almost mirror image of the opposite character, although this one is wearing a hoodie and baseball cap. The whole thing is a rather unlikely collaboration that comes together really nicely. Watch this space for some more experimental styles from Smut.
Until a couple of days ago when I posted a piece by Phour, there had been a long gap since the last one, and now today we have another one. Throughout the drought period, Phour has been painting, but I simply haven’t been able to find space to include any posts by him. My job of recording street art and graffiti in Bristol gets more difficult by the day because of the sheer amount of work that is appearing. You might have noticed that I am starting to drop three posts a day when I can, just to share as much as possible.
Phour, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2022
This one from Phour is a particularly good example of his work, with some stunning fades in his letter fills and a clean, crisp yellow border. The whole thing is set on a cosmic cloudy backdrop, which keeps it all tidy. More great work from Phour.
It has been a very long time indeed since I last saw a new piece from Jee See, and although this ‘seismic’ piece was short lived, it was a very welcome sight. My hope is that Jee See will take something positive from the experience and start painting more regularly again.
Jee See, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
It is interesting how artists will focus on a word or a theme, and then develop it over time. Jee See’s work is synonymous with the word ‘seismic’ almost obsessively so, but it has become iconic and a part of what he does. It was such a pleasure to find this one.
Natural adventures 