Tag: Writer

1769. Brunel Way bridge (10)

Alongside a rather magnificent Sled One piece i posted a little while back is this really unusual work from Ments. I haven’t seen much of his work for a while, so it was great to find this. In the past I have described his work as ‘organic’ in its form, but this piece represents quite a departure from his previous work.

Ments, Brunel Way Bridge, Bristol, September 2018
Ments, Brunel Way Bridge, Bristol, September 2018

There is a modernist feel to this piece, abstract surrealism almost and I rather like it. The writing spells out MENTS as it does in most of his work, but this time it is a little more legible. The colour selections are quite unusual but seem to work pretty well on this bright red background. More to come soon from Ments.

1767. M32 roundabout J3 (97)

It seems to me that most street artists have peaks and troughs in the frequency of street work they do. Life, as for each and every one of us, gets in the way. It might be work, family, illness, lack of inspiration or other external forces that put a slow down on wall work.

Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2018
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2018

On the flip side though there will be times when the green light is on and artists hit the street with sometimes alarming regularity. It feels to me that Smak at the moment is going through one of those phases where I am seeing a lot of his work, and this one at the M32 is a real beauty.

I find I encounter the same peaks and troughs, and at the moment I am really struggling to photograph as much as I like. Frail in-laws and very busy times at work are conspiring to hold me back from what I most enjoy. I know however that things in time will improve and I have so much to look forward to. Somehow I also have to factor in learning how to spray.

1756. Dean Lane skate park (172)

I just love it when these two get together, which fortunately they seem to manage rather regularly. These Laic217 bookended Cort pieces do tend to follow a formula in terms of presentation, but the characters and writing always offer something visually stimulating.

Cort, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018
Cort, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018

Cort’s writing style seems to be quite versatile and he has produces a real gem here, incorporating soft curves and angular shapes all into the same piece. It is an unusual and slightly unconventional style, but that is what makes it stand apart from other writing.

Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018
Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018

Then on to the Laic217 characters. His skeletons have become such a prominent feature of walls around Bristol that they must have entered the sub-conscious of a great many Bristolians on exposure alone.

Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018
Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018

Rarely disappointing these figures include many of the things we expect from Laic217 – great clothing, skulls, smiley’s brick walls, bucket hats. I love the bit of fun too with the left hand side character using a roller to spell out the two artist’s names at the top of the piece. Another classic wall.

Laic 217 and Cort, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018
Laic 217 and Cort, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018

 

 

1753. Dean Lane skate park (171)

This collaboration is a real treat and raises the bar by quite some margin. It is by Subtle and Rezwonk and is quite the best collaboration I have seen on this wall this year, in fact possible anywhere in Bristol.

Rezwonk and Subtle, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018
Rezwonk and Subtle, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018

Rezwonk has provided an incredible background of little white symbols – actually I think they are made up of the letters R E Z W O N K, and in amongst them are some bright green ones randomly spaced. Each of the symbols has been dabbed, probably with a cloth, to give them some texture. This really does provide a perfect backdrop.

Rezwonk and Subtle, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018
Rezwonk and Subtle, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2018

The writing from Subtle is nothing short of sublime, every single part of it touching on perfect, right down to the hex shading on the S and the T providing texture and interest, but it is the 3D effect that really sets this piece apart. It is hard to look at it and not be fooled into thinking it has been written on a board that stands proud of the wall by a couple of inches. Also some of the accents have picked up the same bright green used by Rezwonk, to provide some read-across between the two.

An utterly outstanding collaboration that takes collaborations to a new level.

1751. Tower Hill (1)

A colleague alerted me to this hoarding, which is within lunchtime walking distance from my work, so I felt obliged to go and take a look. Sometimes such tip-offs can be a bit of a disappointment, because not all ‘street art’ is worth the trip. This wonderful piece by Smak however was absolutely worth it.

Smak, Tower Hill, Bristol, August 2018
Smak, Tower Hill, Bristol, August 2018

I had kind of been aware of these hoardings but didn’t know that there was anything decent there. In fact there were three notable pieces of which this is the first. Smak is an interesting artist in that he has two personas. This is his ‘graff’ persona, but he also does high-end pieces and commissions under another name – he even painted a large wall at Upfest this year (to follow).

Smak, Tower Hill, Bristol, August 2018
Smak, Tower Hill, Bristol, August 2018

This wildstyle writing is really skilfully done and spells out SMAK. In the middle of the work he had woven in the head of a bird, and there are some feathers in there too. A classy piece.

1747. Dean Lane skate park (169)

Ok, so I have been doing a little bit of a trawl through my archives to let a few overlooked pieces see the light of day. This one by Hire I managed to photograph moments before it was buffed over, I forget who by (I think it was Dibz), but you can see the paint can at the ready in the bottom left of the picture.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018

Hire is one of several Polish artists in Bristol, adding an international feel to the work we see here. His writing tends to be very cryptic and his lettering angular and sharp, looking like shards of metal. Normally his writing spells out his name, but I’m not so sure that it does in this piece. It is quite a ‘dark’ piece, which is often the case with his work, even his bunnies are touched with menace or melancholy.

1744. M32 roundabout J3 (96)

This piece has been around for a little while on the M32 roundabout, tucked in between a couple of bushes. I don’t know the artist – presumably Skot, and my efforts to try and track him/her down have led me to several Skots, the most likely being Skot One who I think is from London.

Skot One, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, September 2018
Skot One, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, September 2018

I rather like this piece, both the writing which is beautifully executed and the character. It is a long time since I last saw Andy Capp, but it seems the cartoon strip is still running. A nice touch and nostalgic reference.

1742. M32 roundabout J3 (95)

From just a little while back, this is a wonderful example of wildstyle writing from the Bristol-based graffiti writer Soge. Like his Polish counterparts, his writing has a hint of the Gothic about it, although not quite as much as Hire. In my view there is certainly a difference in influence and derivation between the Polish and British writers – but you would expect that.

Soge, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2018
Soge, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2018

Soge’s colour palette in this piece is very easy on the eye and there is something about the overall shape and design that reminds me a little of Inkie’s work. The letters quite clearly spell out SOGE. Great work.

1728. M32 roundabout J3 (94)

There is one circumstance in which is is absolutely ok to buff over someone’s work, and that is when it is your own.Here is an example of just that where Soker has painted over one of his own pieces, and if you look closely, you can see the similar shape of the letter ‘R’ in both.

Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2018
Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2018

Wildstyle writing (graffiti writing) is an incredible artform in its own right, and I am a big fan of it. That has not always been the case. In the early days of photographing street art, I simply didn’t get it and considered it inferior and messy. Having studied it for close on four years now, I am able to enjoy it just as much as conventional street art. Soker of course is the master of this form.

1723. Raleigh Road vector (25)

Yet another fine collaboration between Cheo and Soker – these two seem to be on something of a roll at the moment, producing countless pieces all over the city of Bristol. This one perfectly fills the space on the hoardings in front of a new development.

Cheo, Raleigh Road, Bristol, September 2018
Cheo, Raleigh Road, Bristol, September 2018

The piece is bookended by a pair of mischievous spray can characters painted by Cheo, and in the middle of all of this is a dazzling piece of writing by Soker which spells out SUMOE. I guess I should know what sumoe is all about, but alas I have no idea. There is a whole bunch of #sumoe graffiti Instagram, most of it in the USA.

Cheo, Raleigh Road, Bristol, September 2018
Cheo, Raleigh Road, Bristol, September 2018

Cheo has pretty much nailed it with his bookends as he seems to with pretty much everything he does. With their dark furry eyebrows, there is something of the Muppets in his characters. Of course we are also graced with the presence of one of his signature bees.

Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, September 2018
Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, September 2018

Soker’s writing is composed primarily of four horizontal layers ranging from light blue at the top through to light purple at the bottom, each layer smattered with accents or decoration. He has also worked quite an unusual double 3D shadow cast by the letters. This is a great collaboration from this ASK duo, and well worth the trip to Raleigh Road.