tl;dr

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Too long; didn’t read

a lesson for blog writers

short attention spans

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by Scooj

  • When I sat down to the computer early this morning, this abbreviation was open on the Google search page. Heaven only knows what my wife had been reading, but my guess is that other readers had left ‘tl;dr’ in the comments. Although I work in communications, this is the first time I have come across this expression and I love it.

3624. St Werburghs tunnel (226)

This is the first of two outstanding recent collaborations by Andy Council and Acer One. What a great combination these two make… their very different styles have come together in this piece in an extraordinary way and it feels as if they were made for each other.

Andy Council, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021
Andy Council, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021

On the left is a superb ammonite or nautilus by Andy Council, with the coiled shell appearing to be stitched together with thick thread. The body and tentacles in rich and vibrant blues extend across the piece and weave their way into the lettering from Acer One. It is incredible how Andy Council can draw together inorganic components and create organic creatures. He is a master of this.

Acer One, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021
Acer One, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021

The right hand side of this collaboration is yet another stunning piece of designed writing from Acer One, who is definitely going through a golden period in my eyes. Here he spells out ‘Acer’ with his geometric lettering. There is an optical think going on here where the patterns can be seen either as flat designs or as 3D images. Very clever stuff.

Andy Council and Acer One, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021
Andy Council and Acer One, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021

An outstanding collaboration from these two and a little warm up for another one at Templemeads Station.

3434. L Dub (20)

This is an interesting piece from Laic217 because the writing behind the character is most un-Laic217 if you know what I mean. Also the character, although obviously by the Laic217 is not quite his typical style and could conceivably be by another artist.

Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, January 2021
Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, January 2021

It is nice to see artists switch it up a bit from time to time and this is a great example of that. I can’t remember when I last saw filled writing like this from Laic217, an element usually provided by his painting compatriot Cort. Overall this is an unexpected and intriguing piece and demonstrates the range that Laic217 has.

2809. St Werburghs tunnel (157)

After a reasonably quiet winter, Sirens is out and about again which is good to see. I managed to catch up with him just as he was finishing off this piece and he seems to be enjoying himself having been through a fairly dynamic period recently.

Sirens, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020
Sirens, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2020

I asked why he had chosen this spot for his SIRENS writing, because it had been the site of an interesting Tom Miller piece that had not been there long, and he said it was because it had been covered with a throw up (a rough and ready quick piece of writing) and so he painted over that. It’s a jungle out there. I have noticed that Sirens’ work often looks rather different from most pieces you see and this is down to the absence of hard outlines and his work is closer to fine art than street art. Looking forward to seeing more over the coming months.

2444. Dean Lane skate park (246)

Photographed on a sunny afternoon, this is a beautifully thought out piece of writing by Cassette in the fine tradition of using a different style for each letter. Particularly pleasing is the way the artist has crafted the ‘SS’ in the form of a snail and the ‘TT’ as a couple of  palm leaves.

Cassette, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2019
Cassette, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2019

This is the second time I have seen work from Cassette in Bristol this summer, and both pieces were on this wall. The other was of a very nicely painted whale. I believe the artist is from the Southwest, but it is nice to see that he finds time to visit Bristol from time to time.

 

2322. Brunel Way Bridge (15)

You can always spot a high-quality piece of graffiti writing. There is something about the confidence with which it is painted, the clarity of the lines and competence of the fills, not to mention the accoutrements. This piece by Turoe has it all.

Turoe One, Brunel Way bridge, Bristol, June 2019
Turoe One, Brunel Way bridge, Bristol, June 2019

Tucked away under the Brunel Way bridge, the piece was completed during a paint jam with Veks (to follow) and really is of the highest quality. I don’t have many pictures of Turoe’s work, so it was great to capture this one.

2249. Dean Lane skate park (215)

Elvs is a fine wildstyle writer from Wales, although I don’t know if he lives in Bristol or in Wales, but he tends to do several pieces every year in the popular Bristol graffiti spots. This is one of at least two pieces he did during May this year (more on his other one soon) and it really shows mastery of his elaborate ‘tag’, which remains broadly similar in shape from wall to wall.

Elvs, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019
Elvs, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019

This piece is characteristically clean and sharp, with three lovely horizontal layers of pink acting as a backdrop to the detailing in black that makes this so obviously an Elvs piece. I’m not certain what the Japanese writing says, but I do know that it is in the Katakana form. It might say HiSoKu. I’ve noticed that Elvs quite often has this Japanese influence in his pieces. I’ll have to ask him to elaborate next time I see him.

2217. M32 roundabout J3 (144)

On the M32 roundabout we have yet another wonderful Cort and Laic217 combination. These two really do seem to enjoy painting together and somehow that personal chemistry comes across, even though their styles are completely different.

Cort, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019
Cort, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019

The Cort writing is so typically in his style, with unusual shaped lettering combining straight lines with curves and some rather tasty fillings too. The whole thing is set on what looks like a brick wall where the render has started to flake off, a great effect.

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019
Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019

To the right is the Laic217 writing bookended with characters in one of his favoured red colours. For me this piece is the epitome of everything that Laic217 brings to his pieces, some great writing, great textures and skeletal characters with an element of menace about them. Nice to see a little shout out to Ryder on the right hand side of the piece too.

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019
Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019

I could sit and look at Laic217 pieces all day. I don’t think I necessarily share his fascination with death, acid, bucket hats or brick walls, but I appreciate how he conjures up these extraordinary pieces. A rich and magnificent piece.