I said that there would be more from Decay, and by gum I am a man of my word. It feels like he is enjoying a new lease of life, and not only with writing letters, but also with his colour selections – less so perhaps in this piece but generally he appears to be using more colours in his work.
Decay, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2019
I think I might have to approach him and ask if he would be prepared to do an interview, because I think his story is likely a very interesting one. Note to self – get of arse and message Decay. More still to come from Decay.
There was a time, and it wasn’t too long ago, when I thought that Soap only ever produced his mushroom-shaped mouths, in a variety of different styles and colours. However, over the last year or so, he has really branched out a whole lot and is doing a lot of writing – it seems many bristol artists are currently doing the same (Decay, Kid Crayon and Tasha Bee has just started too)
In this piece Soap has incorporated his mouths into a rather clever and intricate word SOAP. I love the two triangles that kind of hold the whole thing together and add interest. It reminds me a little of a mint choc-chip…it’s a colour thing.
Although I haven’t posted much from Oner for a while, it doesn’t in any mean he hasn’t been productive. On the contrary his work seems to be ubiquitous, and a day barely passes by without seeing something by him.
Oner, Lawrence Hill, Bristol, February 2019
This is a rather good piece in one of the tunnels of Lawrence Hill roundabout. Real care has been taken with this to create nice clean lines, excellent shadows and clever accents that give the letters a rounded 3D appearance. Oner is an interesting artist who seems to enjoy bombing and quick throw-ups, but when he takes his time he can create works of high class, like this one. Very nice.
Yet another remarkable Sled One piece that almost got away. This end of the M32 wall is near a tree, and for most of the day, on sunny days, the wall is dappled with sunlight and Shad, which renders it almost impossible to photograph successfully. I had to return a couple of times to catch it on a rather more overcast day to capture it in all its glory.
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2018
Sled One appears to churn out these extraordinary pieces with such ease, although I expect that is not the case at all… perhaps the mark of an artist at the top of his game. In Bristol right now, Sled One is probably the greatest story teller through his art, every piece containing a strong visual narrative (is that a thing?). I’m not too sure what the story is here, but the man in the ‘D’ of SLED appears to be running away from something. Always great to find pieces by this gifted artist.
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.
Natural adventures 