Like so many graffiti writers in Bristol I just don’t seem to post nearly as much from Alos as I could or should. I have a lot of pieces in the archive, and perhaps I’ll have to dig them out sometime. Thanks to Paul H, I know that the pronunciation of Alos name is like aloes, as in hellos, which is all rather nice.
Alos, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2021
Alos is another artist whose letters are irregular and unconventional and more often than not written in monochrome, with some nice little details running through the letters. The style is similar to Whos and their work can often be found side by side.
Another new artist, who is without doubt causing a stir at the moment in Bristol, is Petro, whose Instagram handle is delightfully @intheallotment. I’m not sure where Petro has come from, but there is a lot of experience in this work, and while new to Bristol, Petro is no stranger to throwing paint at walls.
Petro, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2021
Petro likes to go big and all the work I have seen so far is large. Big letters and earthy colours characterise Petro’s work. There is also something about the unruly nature of the letters that reminds me a little of Taboo, Alos and Whos, all of whom seem to break conventional rules of letter shapes and designs. This is a lovely organic piece, and I have several more beauties to share with you.
There are a handful of graffiti writers in Bristol that I would group together in terms of what they paint and how they go about it. They would include TES (Slim Pickings), Phour, Pl8o, Bnie, Mena and in this example Mest, to name but a few. What these artists tend to do is write the same set of letters, usually in a similar font or style, but play with the fills and decorations. This is graffiti writing, but not wildstyle graffiti writing which tends to be much more elaborate and unique each time.
Mest, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2021
I think that this piece from Mest is very nicely finished and has some unusual but rather nice fills. I particularly like the pink dots that offset the rest of it. The green border helps to lift the letters a little. Overall a pleasing piece.
This is another piece from a paint jam in April this year on the long wall at Cumberland Basin. I have posted a couple of pieces from the collaborative wall already, but this one from Bnie is a little gem that I left behind.
Bnie, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2021
I don’t know an awful lot about Bnie and have never had the pleasure of meeting her, but the more of her work I see, the more I like it. The element that she absolutely excels at is the 3D shadow fills, which are usually patterned in a way that few other artists do. It is the part that gives her away, no signature needed. The colour scheme was replicated along the whole length of the wall by all the artists but worked particularly well for Bnie. Always good to see.
This gorgeous piece of graffiti writing from Ryder very nearly got left behind in the archives, however I am trying to go back and dig out such lost treasures which is a real challenge due to the sheer volume of street art being painted at the moment.
Ryder, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021
I haven’t seen too many Ryder pieces lately (until the day before yesterday, that is) but what he lacks in quantity he has more than made up for with quality. Spelling out RYDER, this is a classic piece of writing from the RAW man with five horizontal fills running through the letters and some rather nice black spot decorations. This is a really classy piece, and there is a little shout out to King Robbo which is rather nice.
This beautiful piece of calligraphic writing is from Todoaciem and a part of a large collaborative wall from an HMR crew paint jam a few weeks back. I have already posted the Dabuten Tronko piece from the same wall, and now it is the turn of Todoaciem.
Todoaciem, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, May 2021
The wall itself can be problematic to photograph, because the sun shines through large trees, creating a dappled effect. The only solution is to come early in the morning or on an overcast day, but beggars can’t be choosers, so dappled pictures is what I have.
Set on a green smokey background, which is amplified by the light quality, Todoaciem has written the letters CIEM in the most beautiful font and with a heraldic colour palette. If medieval knights did graffiti, perhaps this is what it would look like. A hugely accomplished and brilliant piece of writing.
Although we don’t see too much of Hire these days, what we do see is of the highest quality. I am really enjoying Hire’s relatively recent reinvention pieces like this one in which he writes the word ODIAH
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021
This beautifully presented piece incorporates some of the jagged elements of Hire’s customary style but softens them into a rather more conventional writing style. The colours are nicely selected and the grading of fill from light to dark is masterful. A really nice piece.
What a delightful surprise it was to come across this unheralded piece from Haka on the M32 roundabout. Haka is one of those artists who very much does his own thing in his own way, and pretty much every piece is a tribute to his friend CK One, which is really touching.
Haka, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2021
This particular vibrant and wild portrait is, according to Haka’s own Instagram feed, a self-portrait. Having never met the artist, I can’t vouch for its accuracy, but I haven’t seen anyone looking like this in the Bristol area before. Great fun piece.
An outstanding calligrapher who is possibly a little underrepresented in Natural Adventures is Stivs. This beautiful piece of calligraphic writing from not too long ago so perfectly demonstrates his extraordinary ability to paint such beautifully formed letters.
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2021
The whole shape and size of this piece is really most aesthetically pleasing and easy on the eye. The writing which spells STIVS is elaborate and complex, but in the hands of the artist is expertly executed. Note to self – time for a Stivs gallery?
