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“See No Evil” in Bristol Brings Thousands to the Streets

August 29, 2012 Artists, Bristol, Events, Features, On the Street, Street Art Festival, U.K.

Basking in the warm glow of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, the “See No Evil” festival unabashedly celebrated Street Art in Bristol with thousands of fans thronging through the street while London was scurrying to deal with the threat of the unofficial Street Art of the Olympic kind.

In its second year, the one-week festival invited about 40 Street Artists from around the globe to hit up the walls of one long street while visitors traveled great distances to watch. In yet another sign of the full emergence of this first global art form, people witnessed live painting day and night, took photos, visited pop up galleries, attended graffiti workshops, danced to live music on six stages, and ate huge mountains of food at what organizers called a “New York Style” block party.

M City, Nick Walker, She One and El Mac. (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

On the map for the Street Art scene since the early 1980s, Bristol was known for its own style then, eventually giving rise to some of todays’ better known names. With this expansive celebration initiated by locally raised graffiti star Inkie, many styles from the worldwide scenes of graffiti and Street Art exist alongside one another in this grand thoroughfare. Notably only 3 of last years 72 or so works survived into this year (by Nick Walker, Aryz and El Mac), suggesting a very slim chance that many of these new pieces will last for long, but few seemed to mind this month.

El Mac. (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

The 2012 crop includes painters from Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Poland, Austria, and across the UK who used an estimated 3,500 cans of aerosol to collectively create a massive gallery of public art. With roots in what was once strictly illegal, it’s mind-bending to imagine how occasionally even a police officer or mayor has been photographed proudly adding to the artworks at festivals like these. Within the space of one small decade or so, the appreciation for this form of expression has skyrocketed and in fact this month thousands in Bristol are seeing no evil in it.

Our special thanks to the talent of photographer Ian Cox, who shares these images with BSA readers. Also thanks to Ben Merrington for his photo of the ROA piece.

M City, Nick Walker, She One. (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

M City (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

She One (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Conor Harrington (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Conor Harrington. Detail. (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

TCF Crew (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Sick Boy (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Pixel Pancho (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Mark Lyken (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Paris (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Nychos, Flying Fortress (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Nychos (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Flying Fortress (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Cheo, Soker, CanTwo and Mark Bode. (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Mark Bode (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Duncan Jago (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Kashink (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

KTF Crew (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

She One (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

Lucy McLauchlan (photo © Ian Cox 2012)

ROA (photo © Ben Merrington 2012)

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See No Evil 2012 Cultural Olymipiad (Bristol, UK)

June 26, 2012 Artists, Bristol, Events, On the Street, Street Art Festival, U.K.

See No Evil

Bristol invites you to See No Evil

This summer, Bristol will play host to the most diverse art project to take place in the UK, with live projections, art installations and some of the biggest names in street art descending on the city from 13^th– 19^th August.

The week-long event is part of the London 2012 Festival, a summer-long arts festival throughout the country to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Curated artists will paint Nelson Street, to reinvent a selection of urban spaces, with some jaw-dropping images expected to be added to the Bristol street.

The event will be accompanied by Hear No Evil, organised by Team Love and featuring a series of music events throughout the week and a FREE New York style Block Party on Saturday 18^th and Sunday 19^th August on Nelson Street.

A visual spectacular will open the weekend’s music on Friday 17^th August when 3D Projection experts AntiVJ creating a unique installation in the Passenger Shed in Temple Meads. This FREE ticketed performance will be arranged with music by musicians Adrian Utley from Portishead and Will Gregory from Goldfrapp .

The best of Bristol’s music culture will set the backdrop to live street painting and outdoor stages on Saturday, while buskers will be chosen to take up a number of pitches throughout the festival site and lead the street party on Sunday 19^th August, while artists put the final touches to their creations.

Nick Walker

30 of the world’s most prolific street artists will paint the streets, including abstract expressionist Remi Rough, Liken, Nick Walker, alphabet painter Eine and Portuguese artist Vhils. The artists are being curated by Bristol bred graffiti legend Inkie, who inspired the event’s first outing last year.

Mike Bennett, organizer of See No Evil explains:

“See No Evil is a unique event, designed to showcase the emerging and established talent in the world of urban art and music, to develop the innovative footprint in Bristol’s creative quarter. The pieces created over the week will create a legacy from the project and a destination for urban art fans from all over the world. There are going to be some massive names from the world of graffiti involved this year, we’re really excited to welcome them.”

Phil Gibby, Arts Council England’s Director for the South West said;

“See No Evil will give people in Bristol a chance to experience the Cultural Olympiad by seeing streets brought to life with the best of urban art. The Anti VJ installation will transform the Passenger Shed at Temple Meads with projected images and sound. I look forward to being part of this fantastic celebration of culture in Bristol.”

Banksy, Robbo, A Mallard, and The Rolling Stones

January 25, 2012 Artists, Bristol, On the Street, U.K.

Team Robbo, the fun-loving anti-Banksy graffti Collective from South London who is not pleased with the appearance of work by the world-known Street Artist. Even in his hometown of Bristol, Banksy gets no respect from Robbo, and apparently The Rolling Stones are now buffing as well? Team Robbo employs a classic Stones lyric “Paint it Black” by way of engaging the public with a very open demonstration of tough street love and ironically, the only thing you may remember from the effort is the refrain.

Interviewed regarding this Street Art/Graffiti rivalry that sends bloggers and print journalists into paradoxisms of high alert, this local London duck was non-plussed. While congenially posing for a photo opp on Regents Canal, Mallard seemed to know little about the whole home turf affair and wondered aloud if we had any bread crumbs.

Thanks to Garry Hunter for his in-the-field photography.

Wapon Of Choice Gallery Presents: Cheba Solo Show (Bristol, England)

September 8, 2010 Artists, Bristol, Events, Gallery, Opening, U.K.

Cheba
brooklyn-street-art-cheba-weapon-of-choice-gallery Cheba solo show

Opening preview 17th September, 6-10pm, all welcome.

…In 2002, Thanks to a small record shop (Eat the Beat) Cheba took the step of putting on his first solo show. Following this Cheba has gone on to showcase his work at numerous group shows, including the recent ‘Crimes of Passion’ at the Royal West Academy, with many illustrious figures from the world of street art. In this show you can expect to see Cheba’s usual simple but striking characters, with a few added surprises and tips of his hat to some his influences and iconic artists.

Exhibition runs until the 17 October 2010.

Weapon of Choice Gallery
14 St Michael’s Hill
Bristol BS2 8DT