Drewett Neate Urban Art Auction

Not blogged this yet, as was hoping to get some decent resolution images to go alongside, but no-one seems to have any, so been a bit stuck!

Anyway, for the last few months, loads of different Bristol graf and street art people have been mentioning this auction in one way or another, and it looks like it’s going to be really interesting.

Drewett Neate is an auction house generally more thought of for dealing with land, property and the like, but also with an angle in fine art. Perhaps seeing the massive interest in ‘urban’ art at the moment, they’ve decided to put themselves together a specialist auction for just this kind of thing, and to be honest, they seem to have done a pretty good job of it.

Loads of artists have got pieces in this auction, including some lovely Banksy pieces, and some not half bad Nick Walker bits too. Lots of Bristol names have got new pieces in the auction too, including;

• Inkie
• Dicy
• Mudwig
• Graham Paris
• Eko
• Motorboy
• Mau Mau
• Cyclops
• Dora
• Mr Jago
• Xenz
• SPQR

So, a pretty fine line up of artists. The Let Them Hang print blogged below is going to be launched at the London auction preview too, and in a very nice touch, the auction house is taking the preview of the pieces on tour before the sale. So if you want to check out what’s there, then get yourself along to the following places;

The Ultralounge in Selfridges on Oxford Street in London from the 23rd May - 1st June

Paintworks, Bristol (which is apparently now in ‘Bristol’s Totterdown creative quarter’, always seemed more Brislington way to me…) from the 5th to 10th June. Suspect there’s gonna be some more painting over the river to go with this one too.

Then finally at Village Underground, Shoreditch (London’s Nathan Barley quarter) on view from 13th to 17th June

The sale itself will be on the 17th of June from 6pm if you’re feeling cheeky and fancy going along to have a waggle of a paddle.

Annoyingly, there doesn’t seem to be any sort of online catalogue for this one, which seems a bit of an oversight. Will try to get some photos of the more interesting pieces up on this blog though soon if permission allows…

For more information on it (and a few small pics), check out the Drewett Neate web page here

New Let Them Hang Print

Mentioned this at the end of last week, but it’s now been officially announced, the new Let Them Hang Print is a wicked collaborative piece from the following artists

• Mau Mau
• Dicy
• (Graham) Paris
• Mr Jago
• China Mike
• Eco
• Mudwig
• Ziml
• Will Barras
• Richt
• Darren Groucutt
• Xenz
• Banksy
• Nick Walker
• What Collective?
• Sickboy

It’s being done to celebrate 40 years in the printing trade of Paul who runs Screen One down on Jamaica Street, and has done printing for all of these guys at one point or another. The print’s been commissioned to go with the Drewett Neate auction, the preview of which is starting at the end of next week at the Ultralounge in Selfridges in London (sounds like there’s a lot of painting going on around and for this show too).

Have seen the piece in its rough form, and it’s wicked. Imagine the image in the previous blog, drawn by China Mike, then tagged/stencilled/surrealed and augmented with bloody great arrows by the artists involved. There are a load of other random little bits to it with special meaning to those involved, which are gonna be fun to spot and try to work out…

If you get to the auction preview in London, you can even pick yourself up an exclusive version of the print involving most of the artists contributing to it.

Hoping to bring you a sneak peak of at least part of the print as soon as poss. It’s gonna be a classic…

Weapon of Choice Review - May

As ever, just back from the Weapon of Choice night down at Mr Wolf’s, another wicked night. Seza and Soker up with the paint pens this time, bit more of your old skool writing for a change.

So, starting the evening early were ‘Anomaly’, jazzy style funk band. Worked ok, though crowd a bit flat in a way, bit early probably. Got in the way of the traditional blank canvas shot though…

Interestingly, the canvas had been divided into quarters with masking tape beforehand, and each quarter had been sketched out in pencil first too. Apparently they were down there from half seven getting on with it. Seemed a bit cheating in a way, but became clear why at the end, top preparation!

So, you step outside for a minute and they get to it, don’t they. Hard to get a shot with the band still going on too, but here’s Seza rockin’ the right, and Soker taking the left.

Longer shot, starting to get more filled in now.

Close up on Soker with the fat marker.

Lining it out in fine pen first…

Seza about to start filling some more in.

Then on with the 3D

The state of play at half time, not an unimportant phrase in Bristol tonight…

Outside got to see some new Lokey sketch work, brought to you today by the letter ‘G’ and Guerrilla Galleries

Swop sides and back to it, lining in the pencil sketches

Seza’s side coming together

Then back to the fat pens, whilst good Mr Nikill does the backing honours for an MC with his sampler, top stuff.

More of it coming together

and some more…

Really getting pretty done now.

Back to the fine liner for some detail

Looking pretty done, so another break, but that masking tape still looks odd on there

So Seza comes back and pulls it all off

Leaving four cool clear segments, just add a TCF tag…

…and sign the thing…

…innit

So, the piece finished.

Another really great night, more chilled than last time, little quieter too, guess the usual student part of the crowd have all got exams at the moment! Next up is Gumbo and Oath, new ones on me, but apparently european style pieces, letters, smiley faces and the like. Sounds very cool.

Xenz Piece On Ninetree Hill And New Paste Up

Bonkers this hasn’t been blogged yet, but for those of you who know your Bristol graf, you’ll know of this one anyway. It’s a massive Xenz piece from 2006, just slightly up Ninetree Hill off Stokes Croft.

A whole load of those exotic birds on a telegraph wire, here’s a long shot from the end of last year.

Close up on a section of it, check the perspective on the top of the wire, awesome.

More birds and a little butterfly too, this was probably all done in a disturbingly short space of time too…

One cute little addition to it, a couple of stenciled cats from Dan and a little food bowl for them, eying the birds hungrily. Sure you could read all sorts of things into it about biting Xenz and all that, but I just think it’s a really cool idea…

So, here are some shots of it from just the other week. There’s a newish paste up next to it now, as well as some random tagging starting to creep in. Funny, some girls were taking photos of it before i tool these ones, kinda like people queuing up to photograph the piece. Bristol hey?

BIt of an odd one this, a robot jesus on the cross with the phrase ‘ wir alle lieben wie roboter ‘ next to it. Our trusty german translator says this most likely means ‘we all love like robots’ but could perhaps mean ‘we’re all fucking like robots’ or ‘we’re fucking everyone like robots’. Make of that, and how it fits with the image, what you will.

Thought it might have been something to do with the influx of Berliners for the ‘Not A Penny’ show recently, but apparently it isn’t, and there’s also another one down by the Arnolfini if you’re down that way. Not seen it though…

Anyway, the Xenz wall ladies and gentleman. If you haven’t been to see it yet, then it’s well worth the jaunt.

Weapon Of Choice Tonight!

It’s back once again with the tunes and the paint pens folks, Weapon Of Choice down at Mr Wolfs in the centre tonight. Seza and Soker painting this time, it’s gonna be good…

Mau Mau And Cyclops Opposite Ninetree Hill

Someone (ta Craig!) pointed out in the comments the other day that there was a new Mau Mau and Cyclops piece being done opposite the bottom of Ninetree Hill last Friday. Have finally had a chance to go and check it out, and it’s really, really good. It’s on the board on the bottom of the left hand derelict building on Stokes Croft for those that know it. You can’t miss it, although i think i may have walked right past it being done at the time - duh!

Long shot of the whole piece…

Not got the lens to get it straight on, but here’s a slightly closer shot.

To the left…

To the right…

If anyone spots anything else fresh, new or in the process of being done, then do let us know!

9-11 update

Grateful to James Barlow in the comments for flagging this story up from Trym Tales.

Police have arrested 7 local teenagers in connection with a spate of graffiti in the Westbury on Trym and Henleaze areas.

Their work seems to have been centred around the tag “9-11 inside job” which has appeared on walls, pavements and exchange boxes for public phones. The repair bill for their work runs into thousands of pounds.

The arrests followed a member of the public who saw the youths committing an act of vandalism and photographed them. The police then followed up the evidence and took action. A combination of cautions and final warnings have been given to the 7 and, so far, no further graffiti has appeared in the area.

Surprised there were seven of them at it, though it was pretty comprehensively sprayed everywhere for a while, and it wasn’t really a tag they were spraying, more of a statement, but still, may put an end to this bit of graf for a while. Can’t say as i’ll miss it to be honest…

Original stories here and here

Whole Building On Fairfax Street

Came across this building completely painted up the other day down on Fairfax Street in the centre. Know nothing whatever about it, anyone got any ideas?

Detail shot…

PRSC Fundraiser Night

Meant to blog this during the week but didn’t get chance. Still, last Saturday was the fundraiser for the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft down at Jester’s on Cheltenham Road, and it was a really fun night.

Turned up and checked out the pieces nest to Jesters i’d seen being started earlier in the afternoon. Looking pretty cool, and still being finished off. Long day!

In the venue, Clayton Blizzard was doing his thing. Really like this guy, kinda like a modern day west country Billy Bragg. Jumped into the crowd at one point and did a crazy song completely acappella as well, which was pretty darn impressive. Go check him out if you get the chance, next Bristol gig’s at The Croft on 23rd May.

Stepped outside for a mo to try to get shots of the pieces on the side of the building next door. Really difficult with those bars in the way, should go back and try to put together a chopped up one at some point.

Bit of detail for you through the bars, Epok and Flx.

Still at it late into the evening…

Back in to enjoy the bands. Can’t remember what these guys were called but they were as cool as they were bonkers. Bluesy and dark Tom Waits style songs about vegetarianism.

Next up the Ruckus Collective, sometime readers of this blog and one of the best new bands i’ve seen for a long, long time. Funky, jazzy, rocky, dubby, all thrown together with some seriously talented musicians and some top Mc’ing. You have to go and see these guys. Been to see them again already since last Saturday on the strength of this gig.

The venue was great for this event, and throughout the night they were projecting PRSC related photos from, i imagine, Chris Chalkley’s massive collection. Forgotten how much good stuff there had been around Stokes Croft over the years, looks like Sickboy was the first person to hit those regularly repainted Jamaica Street boards judging from one photo. Even saw myself up there at one point, trippy.

With the crowds gone, tried to get some more photos of the pieces outside, bit dark, but not dreadful. Here’s Haka’s piece (the complete artist line up for this was Haka, Soka, Flx, Epok and Sepr by the way).

Another attempt at a decent photo of the pieces down that pathway, it’s not gonna happen is it…

A wicked night, roll on the next one!

A New Bristol Print Comes Together…

Heard talk of this print a while ago now, it’s been an idea 18 months or so in the making, but today have just seen a very nearly finished version of a cool new print from Let Them Hang that will feature, well, this view of these buildings…

The idea behind it is to celebrate 40 years in the printing trade for Paul, the chap who runs the Screen One print house on Jamaica Street, Bristol (the building on the right there).

Hoping to be able to bring you more about this very soon, it’s a seriously exciting piece and is going to spark some real interest, i can tell you…