The Road to Rouen

The last month has been pretty crazy, from Orlando to Tokyo, via Munich, Nice, Baton Rouge, Dallas and Rouen.  

The initial reaction from politicians and commentators has been to give credit to IS, followed by a realisation that, in fact, the atrocity has been carried out by an individual with mental health problems. 

We as a society need to recognise the needs of all the members of our community; we need to make sure that people have the support they need.  We need more understanding, we need more compassion.  

There are undoubtedly those who believe that it's all a conspiracy and the attacks are co-ordinated; there are doubtless others who cling on to the hope that these are the End Days and the messiah is about to return and sort it all out.  Politicians seeking election are happy for you to be scared, it stops you thinking about other issues.  And IS are happy to claim any atrocity so long as it increases the fear that westerners feel going about their day.  

Don't be scared of your neighbour, don't be scared of every stranger, don't judge others because they're different, don't be swallowed up by the madness and the hatred being whipped up.  Do take care, do use your common sense, choose life.  

And remember that for every bomber or shooter there's a hundred, a thousand, paramedics, nurses, doctors, fire officers, police officers, bereavement counsellors clearing up afterwards. For every evil deed there's an untold number of heroic and humane responses.  Choose life.

The Corn Poppy, Poppy

Your mother shouldn't like it

 Cheo, Mister Men, Upfest, 2016

Cheo, Mr Graff, Upfest, 2016

Many years ago, back in the '70s, there was a radio show, hosted by Charlie Gillett, called Your Mother Wouldn't Like It.  Mostly the music played was pub rock, until punk came along.  I thought it was a great title for a radio show playing new music.  It should be a prerequisite of rock and roll music, your mother wouldn't like it.  

Should the same be true for graffiti?  Cheo has been painting Mr Men around Bristol for Upfest 2016.  Great for the kids, great for families.  But should it be?  Isn't  Your Mother Wouldn't Like It part of the deal with graffiti?  

Here's a few shots from the local skate park.  Your mother might not like it bit I do.

upfest faces

Some or my favourite faces from Upfest, Bristol 2016.  

The Thomas Brothers, Forever,  Upfest 2016

Pronk-Stukken, Upfest 2016

Mister Feeney, Upfest 2016

Ron4RT, Upfest 2016

Pocka, Upfest 2016

  Caro Pepe, Upfest 2016

Odeith, Upfest 2016 

 RIP, Upfest

Title, Upfest 2016

Upfest 2016

 

 Rocket 01, Upfest 2016

 Karl Read, Upfest, 2016

Upfest Bristol July 2016 - the first of a few

 Fin DAC painting The Nursery, Bristol

Upfest 2016 this weekend: Europe's largest Street Art & Graffiti festival, with over 300 of "the most ground breaking, talented urban artists in the world".  There's some great art, some great graffiti.  Not everything here is graffiti, for sure.  I would argue that there's a proportion that isn't even street art.  But I'll save that for another day.

Let's start with a couple of easy ones. In a minute Pichi and Avo's big rock n roll extravaganza piece.  But first . . . Wonderful use of colour in a rather more playful than usual, cartoon like offering from Fin DAC.

 Fin DAC

Looking back down the hill, you can just make out the Upfest shop and if you look across the way there, you can see the Clifton suspension bridge.  Here's another shot of the Upfest shop:

Thanks, everyone at Upfest for organising a pretty amazing festival.  

 Pichi and Avo

Awe and wonder from Pichi and Avo

What goes on

Wandering the streets of Southampton, trying not to be run into by Pokemon hunters, I came across this on the wall of a shopping centre:

Osch, DeEvolution

After my rant a couple of weeks ago about the difference between graffiti and street art - coupled with a bold (and rash) statement that I liked graffiti but not street art - I should have walked on by.  Definitely Art, definitely Street Art.  Of course I love this.  Beautifully executed with a simple message (my take is "civilisation is on the brink, pondering its future", you might see it differently).  

Osch: the internet explains it all: Osch is a chilean-german artist, architect and urban sculptor living in Europe since 2004. He has been painting since 1996.  His work shows 2 different typologies of paintings. One related with the dreams, onirics situations (surreal). The other one related with the abstract world in which he has been experimenting with layers, creating deepness in his sort of espacials representations. He has also been experimenting with collages and graffiti. He usually works on canvas, paper, boards or walls. 

This isn't all that Otto Schade has left  behind in Souhampton.  He is also responsible for a zany zebra, named Silver, which is inside the Marlands shopping centre. This is one of almost 200 across the city advertising a local zoo (Marwell) and highlighting the plight of the Grevy Zebra.

Osch, Silver

Here's some more Southampton city centre graffiti. Or street art.

Bubbling under

Play dead present 33rpm

continued

Real, One

poppin' a bottle o' Grey Goose vodka 

(but never finishin' it)

Lou Bliss, The Headless One

the Stele of Jeu

Ellie Potter, Flaws

I thought back to when I was fifteen

and I was squeaky clean

. . . dreading that anyone would read my diary . . .

Kimya Dawson, All I could be

 Connor Tyler, Dead Flowers

and you can bring me dead flowers every morning, 

send me dead flowers by the mail, 

send me dead flowers to my wedding

and i won't forget to put dead roses on your grave

Jagger & Richards (channelling Gram and Townes)

 Josh Davies, Olivgrun

oh, the sisters of mercy, they are not forgotten or gone

Neil Layton, Emily Brown & Stanley in Space

I'll stand by Stanley

No matter what he said

I'll stand by Stanley

Until the day he plays dead

Lefty Sketch

Lefty he can't sing the blues

all night long like he used to

Jasmine May, Wolf

He smiled to see her cry

Jack Williams, Spinnaker tower

stand by the shore

sail away, sail away 

Sam Hugh, You will never be one of us

Gabba gabba 

we accept you

art from Play Dead studio, Southsea, July 2016

The Hit Parade

Play Dead @ 33rpm 

continued

Snub23, Rage on

You got me singing

 Doug, Doug

What can I say?

 Mr Kemp, Another side of

The fifth Beatle

Leila, Bear

Music for pleasure

 Lex, All Daphne

I'm not helpless, I'm not helpless, I'm not helpless.  

I'm dead.

 Nol

I'm gone, so gone, you can forget about me

Jordan Pryke, Doom Rider

Don't look like no chaos space marine to me

Roo Abrook, Biba

Requiem in Denim and Leopardskin

 Sadie Tierney, Wonder Wheel

Pink Emerson Radio

Samo, Frida

through the neon doorways

down the stony streets I fell 

sailing shadows, reds and blues 

curtains drawn but I saw through

Window to your soul

and I found you

Boz Scaggs, Harbour Lights