Tag: Yosemite Sam

5543. Brunel Way (236)

Dibz and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Dibz and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

It seems that every time I go down to Brunel Way, I will find Dibz and Fade happily redecorating the long south-facing wall under the main road. They were at it again this week with yet another imaginative co-production. This particular piece was painted a couple of weeks ago, and I caught up with them as they were nearing completion. Both artists, and Fade in particular (who has definitely bonded with my dog) are so generous with their time and happy for a chat.

Dibz and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Dibz and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

I am pretty certain that the Yosemite Sam character was painted by Fade (he was putting on finishing touches). More obviously, the piece on the left is by Dibz and the one on the right by Fade.

Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

When you look at the work of the two artists side-by-side, I feel that Dibz’ pieces are always a little more intricate and sharper, while Fade’s pieces have a slightly softer and gentle appearance. To me, it is baffling how each artist is able to create a style and tone that is replicable from piece to piece – these guys are amazing.

Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

On the right is Fade’s contribution. Fade has really captured the colours of cartoons, and all of his pieces have that exciting glow about them, in this case created by a gorgeous golden 3D drop shadow. Yosemite Sam is a popular character with street artists and in this instance Fade has more than done it justice. Yet more to come from this pair.

4584. Cumberland Basin

This piece by Serm, tells a story not only about his work, but also about the street art scene in Bristol, or any other place with a graffiti culture. As a photographer and chronicler of street art and graffiti in our city, I and others like me, have a pretty good grasp of what is going on, of who painted what and when. It is an earned privilege to have this overview, but it is also a rare one. Most artists, quite rightly, are interested in finding a spot where they can paint their new idea, without much consideration for what was there before.

I came to photograph a new piece by Petro, but instead found this lovely piece by Serm. It is obvious that Serm didn’t know that the Petro piece was so new, otherwise he would have perhaps found another space. Serm has, however, broken a convention by painting over half a piece, which is considered to be a bit rude. A collaboration might have been a better option to paint over Petro’s piece. Enough background.

Serm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022
Serm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022

I have only seen a handful of Serm pieces and none of them with a character, so this was rather special. The writing is skilfully done in white with some shades of grey fills, but overall rather minimalist. The colour comes in the shape of the Yosemite Sam character on the right-hand side.

Serm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022
Serm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022

I am minded to do a gallery of cartoon characters, just for fun, because there have been so many painted by artists over the years, and all of them worth celebrating (of course time will be the limiting factor). The last time I saw a Yosemite Sam was in New York in October 2017, by Crash. This one by Serm compares very well to that one.

John Matos, Bower Street, New York, October 2017
John Matos, Bower Street, New York, October 2017

1245. Broome Street, New York (2)

I still have a great many pictures from my trip to New York in October 2017, but have had some difficulty finding the names of artists, and the locations of some of the pieces. These difficulties act as a bit of a barrier to writing these posts, as I have limited time to do the research required. The emergence of Street Art Cities, a website and app, has been an absolute godsend in that respect. Street Art Cities allows local street art ‘hunters’ (people like me) to upload street and graffiti art onto a map-based platform with descriptions of the work. I am one of two such approved hunters in Bristol, and in New York, a recent upload extravaganza by the four hunters there is making my job of posting my holiday snaps so much easier. Maybe if they ever visit Bristol they will benefit from the work I have done for Street Art Cities.

John Matos, Bower Street, New York, October 2017
John Matos, Bower Street, New York, October 2017

 

Now I can tell you that this stunning piece of Yosemite Sam in Broome Street is by John ‘Crash’ Matos, an artist brought up in the Bronx in the 1960s and 70s. He tends to feature a cartoon character combined with the word CRASH in many of his pieces, a long way from bombing trains in train yards as a teenager. His nickname ‘Crash’ was coined after he accidentally crashed a computer in school…something that was much easier to do back in the old days I can assure you. This is a brilliant piece from a brilliant artist.