Tag: Writer

3046. M32 roundabout J3 (227)

I believe that this is the penultimate piece from the magnificent Poland v Spain paint jam from back in May and it is by Spanish artist @clara_que_sssnoh. Blimey, that’s a mouthful and is the artist’s Instagram handle… I am not sure what other name he goes by, but that is most certainly unwieldy.

Clara_que_sssnoh, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020
Clara_que_sssnoh, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020

The piece itself is yet another outstanding work of writing, and I think that this whole wall was possibly the best show of graffiti writing here in one go for a considerable time. The letters are nice and regular with some great features in the fills. I hope to see more from the artist, but only when I know his name.

Poland 5 Spain 4

3043. Brunel Way bridge (42)

I am still puzzled about how I have only recently (over the last year or so) noticed work by Turoe One. I know he has been around for a long while, but It is only in recent months that I can recall seeing his work just about every time I look up. I guess it is a bit like when you hear a new word that you have never heard before, and then, would you believe it, you hear it again and again and think how did I miss that?

Turoe One, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
Turoe One, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020

A digression I know, but I wonder how many Turoe pieces I missed before he came onto my radar. This is a fine specimen and perfectly turned out. It would appear from the last few pieces that Turoe is going through a bit of a ‘green’ period at the moment, or maybe he simply over ordered on the green paints. I happen to rather like green pieces, so that is good.

3041. Dean Lane skate park (330)

In this recent piece by Soge on a ramp in Dean Lane skate park, the artist is showing off his versatility with a rather different style than the one we are more accustomed to seeing. I don’t know the origins of why street artists use this ‘Hello my name is’ card, but I have seen it several times over the years and rather like it. (Note to self, do a special post on these?)

Soge, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020
Soge, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020

I think that I have seen more pieces by Soge since lock down eased than any other artist and have been enjoying his resurgence greatly. This piece is very easy on the eye and the greens of the lettering contrast well with the red and white base. More quality work from Soge.

3040. St Werburghs tunnel (174)

Since I started writing about street art some five years ago or so I have seen many established artists, but I have also seen the emergence of a great many artists new to Bristol. Of course some artists have jumped off the conveyor belt or moved out of the city, but I would say that there are more street/graffiti artists in Bristol now than there have been at any time in history.

Pl8o, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2020
Pl8o, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2020

An artist I am starting to notice more around the place is Pl8o (Plato-geddit?). I imagine that Pl8o is new to the city rather than new to street art, because the work I have seen is all really good and not the work of a novice (I should know). There is a lot to like about this piece – the shape of the letters, the fill designs such as bricks, stars and drips and the overall clean and tidy lines. More to come from Pl8o soon.

3038. M32 roundabout J3 (226)

One thing you know for sure is that when you find a piece by Subtle, you know it is going to be an absolute cracker, and this one is a cracker with a cherry on the top. It was painted during a paint jam a week or so back alongside so many other great Bristol artists, and is the first piece I have seen from him since the start of lock down.

Subtle, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020
Subtle, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020

The colours, fill, decorations and 3D shading contrast really well and contribute to this vibrant and feisty work. I’m not sure what ‘outsiders gents club’ refers to, but it is probably a reference to the fellow paint jammers on the day. Like the rest of us, Subtle has been impacted by coronavirus and has mentioned it on his last couple of pieces.

3036. M32 Cycle path (64)

Another artist who has been pretty busy since the end of May is Taboo, and his ‘new school’ work is really rather quirky and organic. The central part of this piece looks like a standard throw up, and then it has a dynamic and beautifully painted character incorporated into the work, almost as it it were by two artists – something Taboo does very well.

Taboo, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2020
Taboo, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2020

I really don’t like this hoarding at all though. It is at the start of the M32 cycle path, and the large sky above it makes photography, without flaring, almost impossible. Dull days or dusk are probably the best times to come down to this spot.

Taboo, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2020
Taboo, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2020

Back to the piece ‘landed in the wrong dimension’, Taboo has painted an incredible Mickey Mouse figure with a surreal distortion to the top of his head that circles round into the A of TABOO. There is something edgy and unsettling about the whole thing, challenging the familiar. Great work.

3033. Dean Lane skate park (329)

So many artists have has a creative rush since the easing of lock down and one of them is Dibz. Ordinarily you’d be lucky to see a new Dibz piece once every two months or so, but I have seen three in the last month of which this is one.

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020

Dibz is a precision graffiti writer. I have never seen anything by him that isn’t really tight, clean and crisp and I have never to my knowledge seen a throw up from him. This is a very classy piece of writing with a beautifully graded fill from dark red through to orange and yellow. The slim yellow edging on the upper sides of the letters creates a lifting effect. This is a piece for connoisseurs.

3031. M32 roundabout J3 (225)

I can’t remember when I last saw a new piece from Ments, but it is quite some time ago. The word I always use to describe his work is ‘organic’ and it most definitely applies to this recent piece on the M32 roundabout.

Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020
Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020

This is a delicate piece that feels rather ephemeral, and is so unlike the work of more conventional graffiti writers. It is quite hard to make out the letters MENTS, but I assure you they are there. This is an accomplished piece painted with great skill, however it isn’t my favourite work by the artist, something feels a little unbalanced about it… I am though, being hyper-critical because it is actually very, very good.

3030. Frome side (3)

I had an interesting virtual discussion recently with Paul H about what to call graffiti writers when you write about them or post on Instagram/Facebook. I tend to call them by the name that they write, so SOKER is Soker, RUSK is Rusk and so on. However every now and again, especially when writing for the first time I might use their Intstagram handle, which Paul tends to use more.

The problem with both is that some artists have a habit of either changing the letters they write (Dasco is doing this at the moment, although he is in Spain) or changing their Instagram accounts. The point is that intuitively I would have called this artist NESK, but because I was with Paul when I saw this beautiful piece I am calling him by his Twitter name – Bazmataz.

Bazmataz, Frome side, Bristol, June 2020
Bazmataz, Frome side, Bristol, June 2020

This is an absolute beauty, whatever one calls the artist. The metallic effect, the stars, the 3D fill and the colours are all made to work hard to produce an outstanding piece. I will definitely be looking out for Bazmataz (Nesk) in future.

3029. L Dub (19)

There are certain artists whose work you expect to see at L Dub, but Conrico is not one of them, so it was a double pleasure to find this piece on my last visit. Conrico has a fabulously imaginative and creative mind, and his pieces are always exploring new ideas and styles.

Conrico, L Dub, Bristol, June 2020
Conrico, L Dub, Bristol, June 2020

This is a clever piece of writing that appears to have been sliced apart horizontally almost as if it had been written in the sky or on the surface of water and then disrupted in some way. Conrico has a ‘brush stroke’ touch that is quite unique and that makes it quite easy to spot his work… oh and the big letters are a bit of a give away too.