I don’t think I feature enough of Ryder’s work on Natural Adventures – there is no obvious reason for it, I guess the same could be said for any number of Bristol artists. I would think that for every piece that I post here there are probably two or three that never make it.
Ryder, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020
This particular offering is a simple chrome graffiti piece with trademark faces worked into the lettering. The chrome colour in the tunnel picks up all sorts of light bouncing around and it is difficult to believe the artist hasn’t used more than one colour. Altogether a nice one from one of Bristol’s best.
Well this is an absolutely cracking piece of writing from visiting Australian artist Lens. Spelling out LENS, I consider this to be pretty much perfect. The whole thing is so easy on the eye and it is hard to believe it has been created with spray paints.
Lens, M32 roundaboout, Bristol, January 2020
The design of the letters is outstanding and the circle around the ‘e’ is very clever indeed in that it draws the eye to that part of the piece. There are lines that break up the letters which also delineate different colour regimes. The fills are awesome and the spots both inside and outside the letters add interest and fun. This is what great graffiti writing looks like – you can come back anytime Lens and will always be welcome in Bristol.
I really don’t think I need to say too much about this one from Smak. It is brilliant. Strong clean lines, a sensational letter style, outstanding colours that slap you in the face and the graded fills are first class. I’ve said enough.
Smak, Brunel Way bridge, Bristol, January 2020
2020 has started off with a bang in the Bristol street art scene. Even though the weather hasn’t improved much, there have been a few dry days and artists have been out in force. So much for being able to catch up with lost treasures in my archive. I am going to struggle to keep up this year. I can feel it in my bones. Still, I’ll have plenty of material to blog about into my retirement.
I have mentioned before that until relatively recently Turoe One has been a little off my radar, but that situation is being rectified. I am puzzled though, has my blind spot been because I simply didn’t see his work, or has he been much more active on the streets over the last six months or so? Either way, I am enjoying his work.
Turoe One, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020
This recent piece in the tunnel carries all the hallmarks of a confident and experienced artist at ease with his skills. Great letter shapes, colour selections and fills, and although not my favourite piece by Turoe One, it is an accomplished work.
Another rather lovely piece from Decay. It is funny how you can look at things and yet not see them. It wasn’t until I was preparing this post that I noticed the big DECAY in black on red in the background of this piece. I saw what I wanted to see, but not what was actually in front of me.
Decay, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2020
I do like the ephemeral nature of this piece of writing, almost as though it is made out of a mist or fog, with a very bright yellow ‘Chuck’ character the ‘e’ of Decay. Another nice one chalked up for 2020.
Pre postscript- sometimes you can get things so wrong, and try to read more into a piece than is going on. Everything below is my own speculation and assumptions going into overdrive. The word is XODUS and not FOIS. It was painted opposite Kleiner Shames and Subtle hence the recognition. I’m not sure who XODUS is, but I feel a bit stoopid. Never mind, I don’t expect anyone will read this nonsense anyway…
Aah, the genius of two brilliant artists conjuring up this amazing and highly unusual piece. It would seem that a Kleiner Shames visited Bristol over the Christmas period and hooked up with his old mate Subtle. The pair both produced pieces in the St Werburghs tunnel, and obviously had a bit of time left over to turn out this stunner.
Kleiner Shames and Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020
Signed FoiSubtle, the collaboration presents with two distinct styles. My guess is that the letters FOIS are by Kleiner Shames, he always writes these letters but never quite like this, and the characters, a wolf holding a rabbit by the ears are by Subtle, in a bit of a departure from his writing. There is a message on the piece written backwards that says ‘one tin wonders’. I would think this refers to the two colours (plus black) that were used for the piece.
I cannot tell you how much I love this. It is quirky and retro, the characters look like early Disney creations. As I always say when Kleiner Shames comes to town, come back soon.
Bnie is a reasonably regular visitor to Bristol who I think comes from Wales, possibly Swansea, I think that because she often paints with Smak, although not on this occasion. I do like it that graffiti/street artists make the trip to Bristol to paint because it all adds to the amazing diversity of work we see here. Bristol is one of a handful of cities that has the full spectrum of street art from tagging right through to high-end commissions. Some towns and cities don’t have the street art culture, but hold a festival to draw in great artists and of course the tourists. Places like Chichester for example, but it is all a little bit too sanitised for my taste. The art is invariably great, but the culture is missing.
Bnie, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2020
Anyhow, this is a lovely piece by Bnie and deploys several of her trademarks, most notably the decorative patterning she uses in her fills and 3D work. There really is an awful lot to like about this modest piece tucked away on the M32 cycle path. I seem to have quite a few of her pieces in my archive, I’ll try and dig some out.
I have been posting pieces by Ments for a few years now, and I consider him to be one of the most creative writers in Bristol. I say this because most of his work has an organic feel to it, but seldom are his pieces even remotely similar.
Ments, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020
In this one, which was part of a collaborative paint with Sled One, Ments has gone with a mash up of angular spikey green shapes and metallic spheres. The overall effect is a bit peculiar and If I am honest this fusion needs a little bit more work. I can’t for the life of me see any writing resembling MENTS, but it is probably there somewhere. Great to see some early new year work from this fabulous artist.
Already Kool Hand has appeared in Natural Adventures twice in 2020. Perhaps he has had some time off, and what better way to fill time than with a bit of spray art? This was the left hand side of a collaborative paint with Daz Cat (already posted), but merits an entry of its own.
Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020
The piece brings together the two elements we often see from Kool Hand, some writing and a character. It is less often that we see both together. The cartoon style character is nicely drafted and simply filled. I’m not too sure what the Adidas bag is, but I think it might be a weed pouch that every young man in Bristol seems to carry over their shoulder these days.
It seems like my eyes have been opened. Either Turoe One has been painting a lot more in recent months than over the last five years or so, or I have got my eye in and am spotting his work where before it passed me by. Either way, it is great to find lots of his work and in so many styles too.
Turoe One, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
Turoe One is very versatile and changes his style a lot, unlike some other artists who have a very distinct style that they repeat with variations. This piece resembles a kind of blend between Soker and Dibz (or maybe that’s just me). Anyhow it is a very neat and tidy work with clean lines and for interest there is a fine pink decoration running through the piece. More Turoe One stuff in the pipeline.
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