D_O_C_T_O_R

My wave of accolade breaks on the shores of Brunswick. As the "Fitzroy" flasher I am envious. Let's face it, Brunswick is cooler than Fitzroy. It's a few years behind in the gentrification. All the really good stuff is happening there - think Kaff-eine, Freshchop and the next to roll off the tongue has to be D_O_C_T_O_R. Occasionally she makes a house call to the ailing oldest suburb, checks our pulse and keeps our ticker going. She gives the Old Bird some hope and makes us say "yay" out loud. In stencil, paste and poetry, she really is IT.

My Kaff-eine Addiction

I am a collector, and an addict. I scour the streets obsessively searching for more of this, earlier works of that. There is an artist whose work I photograph so obsessively that I challenge anybody, including her, to have a greater collection. In fact, I think the only reason she hasn't put a restraining order on me is that she knows who I am. I famously found a hit up a dead end alley obscured from street view. So here is a sample of the thousands of images I have, from the prolific street work of the ridiculously talented, brilliant and ever modest Kaff-Eine...

Live your life Be Free

There are phrases that have universal appeal: just do it; choose life; Be Free. There are artists that people love to hate, who take the audience to dark places, piss them off or confront them. And then there are artists who tickle peoples fancy. I believe anything that intends to express and be felt, is Art. Lush tagging Kaff-Eine is brilliant. But Be Free, the artist to whom I tip my hat today, is brilliant in the latter sense. There is an innocence and longing in every piece. They invite you to pause, reflect, smile and remember. I have many people message me about this or that thing they saw, and hands down 9 times out 10 these days its a Be Free: "I saw this cool piece, it was this girl, and she had these cards" ... Be Free - you have our hearts.

Precious Little definitely remains

Only a week to go before That exhibition so I decided to sneak past one of the iconic walls we know and love, which over time has been layered and revisited again by many of the greats, and many more of the rising stars. In particular, one of the most versatile local talents in the trade has added vibrancy to the mix. Her work is so diverse I honestly don't know what her exhibited works will contain and I can't wait for the surprise. I have to search outside my comfort zone for this artist but its worth it! From stencils to paste ups and poetry: rich, poignant and playful. And thats just the street - wait until she peels away the layers even farther. I can't rave more about Precious but that's all for now - I am beginning to sound like a crazed fan!

Items on the Blog

Thankful for the loan of an iPhone, yet somewhat disappointed that I could not conquer the Nokia, I jumped back on the wagon today. This took me into the heartland and beyond, only briefly and with a promise to come back.

Shida thawed me out with the smoothest, most subtle resurgence that I wondered if I had Post iPhone Loss Amnesia and had forgotten the old and familiar - but no they were new and they were amazing.

I continued to daydream about Fiber Femmes, primarily because I can't wait but selfishly too because I want them back on the street!

Even KD gets the Spruce

Since posting "Who Is Vandal Spruce" back in February my curiosity has deepened into a compulsion to find more. He has that affect on people.  There is a cheeky humour about the placement of his work and his choice of subject.  It's clever and it's drawn me in, and I am not alone.  This April KD Lang strolls past the skulls near Bimbo's in a  Getaway piece and the camera lingers on them.  Now in May Dean Sunshine has blogged what can only be described as a Vandal Bombing.  So here I am, back on the trail and turning down more streets than I mean to just to get a fix.  And here he is, this Vandal who is Sprucing up Fitzroy.

Check him in Flickr too

The Merry Month of May

The month of May inspires activism, pagan ritual, poetry, song lyrics, awesome street art, exhibitions and surface POP.   I will start with the much anticipated Fiber Femmes ... I am so excited I'm daydreaming about it:  Baby Guerilla, Be Free, Doctor, Fresh Chop, Kaff-eine, Precious Little and Suki Equally thrilling is that E.L.K. has a solo show this month "Look what you made me do".

Vandal has been Sprucing around Fitzroy, still making me smile like a fool and scramble for my camera/phone.  Great stuff along Brunswick street that won't last long so I will bring you more of that soon. 

Nufevah is still RAD (trying to use popular vernacular - my preference is to tell you he is totally BULK ACE).  Check more out on the FYG website, which is totally awesome and thanks to whoever got me onto it.  

Speaking of ACE s701a is  absolutely firing!  I am totally loving it.  

Ruskidd is rocking, people are stringing up trees, and yes it is indeed the very Merry Month of May!

 The tags on the strings below say "black"

This Spruce has stayed up longer than I thought it would - I took this shot a couple of days after it went up.