Decay has become a very, very busy man recently and this is just one of several pieces I will be sharing with you over the coming days/weeks. His transition from abstract works to writing has been seamless and aided by the carry-through of his little ‘Chuck’ character as the ‘E’ in his name.
Decay, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2019
The colours of this piece in Dean Lane work really well, and it is surprising what a big difference just the tiniest subtle dash of blue tint can do to lift a piece. I am really enjoying his work at the moment and hope you are too.
Last night I missed meeting Subtle by a whisker. I was at the opening night of the Cannon Fodder art show at the Loose Cannon cocktail bar just off Millennium Square in Bristol organised by Jimmer Wilmott and Paul Monsters. I saw Kid Crayon and during a break in conversation went to have a chat with him. He was just saying goodbye to an artist that was leaving. I asked him who it was and he told me it was Subtle… well at least I now know what he looks like.
The art show launch was really well attended and the venue is a good one for this kind of show. There were pieces by several Bristol (and beyond) artists including: Kid Crayon, Decay, Chiba, Silent Hobo, Jimmer, Nol, Guts and Paul Monsters. The artwork was a little beyond my price bracket but actually great value. If you are in the area it is well worth popping in although I’m not too sure how long it runs for.
Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2019
Anyhow, this fine piece by Subtle is a reasonably recent one from St Werburghs tunnel and although quite simple carries all the hallmarks of his fine work. The first picture is a little blurred, thanks to my dog pulling his lead at just the wrong time… it was the only front-on picture I have of this piece.
There has been a recent spate of graffiti writing from Corupt in recent weeks and this is a piece from the M32 roundabout is probably the pick of the bunch. His work is interesting in that it tends to have quite a wide span from quick and dirty throw-ups to rather more considered and well executed pieces like this one.
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2019
Corupt is one of those artists who just likes to get out and paint (I guess that is actually a condition of most street artists). One of the things I have noticed about his work is that he often paints high up, which generally means his work hangs around much longer because most overwriting happens lower down the wall. This is a cheerful and sunny piece looking good in the late winter sunshine.
There is no getting away from the fact that Smak is a brilliant graffiti artist and character street artist. He is also going through what I would call a productive and creative phase. This lovely piece of graff writing is on one of the walls at the M32 roundabout which seems to have quite a high turnover at the moment.
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2019
The colour selection set on a black background is superb, and the little yellow flashes make the piece stand out just that little bit more. It’s amazing what these guys can do with a spray can.
I was alerted to this wonderful piece by Kid Crayon through Instagram and naturally tried to get to see it as quickly as I could. The piece was part of a collaboration with Subtle but alas, Subtle’s half had been painted over by the time I got down to Cumberland Basin.
Kid Crayon, Brunel Way Bridge, Bristol, March 2019
I am guessing that Kid Crayon rather likes this tone of pink, because it features a lot in his work. Either that or he ordered way too much pink and is wading his way through it.
Kid Crayon, Brunel Way Bridge, Bristol, March 2019
Once again, Kid Crayon has turned out yet another impressive piece and rather wonderfully incorporated one of his characters into the ‘O’ of Crayon, and it is great to see his trademark floating Crayon making a comeback. So very good.
I’m not sure that I’ve posted anything from Ryder for a little while, but that ends here with this recent piece on the M32 roundabout which appears to have been sprayed during something of a paint jam at the end of February.
Ryder, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2019
High quality letters as always which I’ll have to leave you to feast your eyes on because I have to get togged up for skiing… sorry about that.
Back now to some Bristol street art after my brief excursion to Shoreditch in London with this fine writing by Ugar. I haven’t seen too much of his work of late, but this is a wonderful piece painted alongside a Laic217 piece back in November 2018.
Ugar, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2018
His style is highly distinctive with asymmetric lettering and wonderfully creative fills and decorations, the letters spelling out UGAR. I like his rather organic and unconventional approach to writing.
Back to some more incredible work from Shoreditch. I am still only a fraction of the way through posting some great pieces from my November trip to the ‘Big Smoke’ – I love the Bristol scene, but it is great to get out and see what else is out there. This is a beautiful character and writing combo from the highly respected and accomplished artist Tizer. Although I have heard of him and seen a few of his pieces, I know little about him, until I read this spectacular interview on the Bombing Science website. If you do nothing else today, you really ought to dig this out and give it a quick read, he is an amazing guy.
Tizer, Shoreditch, London, November 2018
This vibrant piece is so full of class and is clearly the work of a highly experienced writer. The lettering is quite organic but beautifully proportioned and the character looks like a throwback to the ’70s or ’80s. A tidy piece. Now go and read that interview.
A few weeks ago Fiva painted a fabulous piece in St Werburghs tunnel, and you know what? he’s only gone and done it again pretty much directly opposite the first. The piece is similar in that it uses the clever layering of two different scripts, saying FIVA/Fiver, superimposed on one another. The lettering has a rather crafty 3D thing going on too.
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2019
It is always a great pleasure seeing work by this occasional (compared to some of the others) street artist, especially as his work is so clean and tidy. I’m not too sure who the character on the left is, but the grayscale tones contrast really well with the blue and purple writing. Another great work from Fiva.
There is something about Cheo’s work that oozes class. I think it stems from his great compositions and characters, but most of all his incredibly clean lines. The whole thing looks like it has been painted with fat felt tips rather than spray cans.
Cheo, Norfolk Place, Bristol, April 2017
I love the smoking cat character with his gold chain in the centre of the piece, and I’m not too sure what the white creature on the left is, but he is clearly animated about something.
Cheo, Norfolk Place, Bristol, April 2017
I struggle to read Cheo’s writing, mainly because he doesn’t simply write ‘CHEO’ which would of course make things much easier. Crazy that I’ve only just posted this one.
Natural adventures 