Bristol must see alleyway Graffiti

Bristol must see alleyway Graffiti 

DJ Derek

A wonderful stencil of the famous pensioner DJ Derek by Stewy. A little while after this piece was sprayed DJ Derek went missing. His body was found a few months later, no suspicious circumstances. After this, there were loads of tribute pieces that went up around Bristol

Decay

A fine abstract piece by Bristol's Decay tucked away in this 'must see' alleyway

 31 Corn St, Bristol BS1, UK

2 Leonard Ln, Bristol BS1, UK

See No Evil


Promoted as the creation of Europe's largest outdoor gallery, Nelson Street, one of Bristol city centre's busiest through roads, was transformed with colour in 2011 and again in 2012. The Upfest production crew worked on behalf of the See No Evil management team, scheduling artists from around the world, working 24hrs a day for 10 days operating access equipment for artists and managing site health and safety requirements

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Telepathic Heights Graffiti Bristol

Telepathic Heights Graffiti Bristol

 This graffiti mural piece, by the Burning Candy crew, is painted on the building next to Jesters at the beginning of Cheltenham Road. It coincides nicely with their show at the Emporium tonight

Sweet Toof, Rowdy, Cyclops & Discreet | Burning Candy crew mural | Facade street art from Stokes Croft

138-142 Cheltenham Road is a building covered in psychedelic murals; a squat known as ‘Telepathic Heights’.

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Carmen Beckford MBE street art mural Bristol

Carmen Beckford street art portraits Bristol

One of the founding organisers of St Paul’s Carnival who went on to become a figurehead for race relations in Bristol has died, aged 87.

Carmen Beckford MBE, a retired nurse who arrived in the UK from Jamaica at the age of 17, passed away in her adopted home of Bristol on Wednesday after a long illness.

Her legacy is set to be immortalised in a giant mural as one of “seven saints of St Paul’s” due to be painted onto streets this summer.

She was instrumental in setting up St Paul’s Carnival – known as St Paul’s Festival at the start –  in 1967 with the help of St Paul’s and Environs Consultative Committee and the West Indian Development Association, aided by the vicar of St Agnes Church.

Beckford, a lover of music and dance, was put in charge of entertainment at the carnival which grew to host more than 100,000 people.

Her work with the community didn’t go unnoticed and she was encouraged by the Jamaican High Commissioner to apply for the role of Bristol first community development officer at Bristol City Council, a role held between 1978-86 which included working to improve race relations in the city.

Throughout her life she also sat on the Commonwealth Coordinated Committee alongside bus boycott campaigner Paul Stephenson and established the West Indian Dance Team in Bristol.

The club went on to perform at Colston Hall and traveled as far as Germany. Beckford said of the team later: “When you have self-respect and pride no one can mess with you. I was involved in all of their lives, I would tell my girls when you are walking on the street keep your head high and no loud talking as you are members of The West Indian Dance Team.”

Her work in the community was officially recognized by the queen in 1982 when Beckford was awarded an MBE, becoming the first black recipient in the South West.

The Seven Saints of St Pauls, a project four years in the making, features painted murals in St Pauls. Each is a portrait of Black Bristolians that are known for the founding of St Paul’s Carnival and advocating for equality.

This includes Carmen Beckford, a figurehead for race relations and Audley Evans, a pioneer of the Bristol Bus Boycotts.

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Peace and love street art Bristol

Peace and love street art Bristol

New Gatton Rd, Bristol BS2, UK

It is going to be difficult to do this piece justice in writing, because it is just so damn good. First of all I would say that anything painted here had to be good, very good, because the previous resident was a magnificent turtle by Louis Masai, that had been augmented a while back by 3Dom. This collaboration brings together some of Bristol’s finest talent in the shape of 3Dom, Piro, Epok, Sepr and Feek.

The message is loud and clear ‘Peace, Love, Unity’ – something we could all do with after such a prolonged turbulent era in British history.

The lettering in the centre is by Piro and Epok and adopts three very distinct design styles all of which are expertly executed. The writing is flawless and the colour selections draw you in like a beacon. The writing alone would be worthy of this wall, but we have so much more packed into this space

On the left is my favourite bit (perhaps I shouldn’t say it, but it is), which is the female figure By 3Dom. The movement of the figure and expression on the girls face convey a contentedness and presence in ‘the zone’. I love the little details such as her earphones, necklace and belt of planets around her waist – there is a lot of symbolism here.

To the right of the piece is a fine double-act from Feek and Sepr. I am not entirely sure, but the sense I get here is one of celebrating nature and all that is good and nourishing about it. The ‘Green Man’ monster from Feek is an extraordinary piece of art in a cartoon style and a superb foil to the celestial figure by 3Dom opposite. Sepr’s contribution of a robin and a mole add a touch of simple and humorous class to the collaboration. There is so much in this piece to enjoy, and given the location of the wall it is likely to be a keeper. Brilliant.

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