Tuesday, September 27, 2011

White People Problems

There is a bit to think about globally, and locally these days.  Luckily for us we have an enormous capacity to ignore, which is probably an evolutionary necessity (since we have well and truly stuffed the planet it would be awful if we thought about it all the time).

I fall into the woeful category of the armchair advocate.   Better people try using a bigger band aid to ignore more effectively or actually do something about all the stuff there is to think about/ignore.  If anyone else has stumbled upon the blossoming thought project, you will know the feeling of having a smile whilst simultaneously checking over your shoulder in case a cult is waiting to haul you into the back of a van full of singing smiling people.  You may have had a similar experience if you have recently encountered the Free Hug people on a friday night in Brunswick St.   Anyway good luck to them, and as Judy Small said, one voice in the crowd.


 

The  Resonate Collective has a more serious take on the issues, falling into the admirable category of people taking action.  I spend a bit of time thinking about what they mean, with their dead fish and abandoned furniture photos pasted badly through the streets.  They have got under my skin, for sure.  Are they talking about a resonance?  Are they resonating our thoughts? Is it about collective thought or are they making a statement about how we have stuffed the planet (and how it sucks that we try so hard to ignore that we have stuffed the planet)?  Anyway, again, I am impressed by their action, albeit still drawn into my own tenacious inertia.  


I once thought I would change the world.  Alas, these days I am probably more inclined to watch South Park for its political rumblings than pull out a Socialist Left newsletter (do they still exist?).  So of course, it was the words of Lush that finally "resonated" with me:

Lush's words stuck because I recently had the opportunity to visit Wadeye, a remote aboriginal community south west of Darwin.  The Metal gangs of Wadeye are rather infamous, probably most widely exposed in the controversial documentary of Vice.  I am not sure I can yet fathom the depth to which white people suck, having spent just one day in Wadeye.  



That's it for my White People Problems today...Oh and also that I hate the new thin take away coffee lids that cave in when you drink through them.  So annoying!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Paradise by the Dashboard Light

I toyed with calling this blog post "Resonate", because the Resonate stencils and paste ups through Fitzroy are what have inspired this.  But reflecting on the images that I have collated over the past month I have decided this post is actually about passion.  Love, hate, sex, anger and angst.













Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Nine random outpourings

I almost need to churn out 15 blog posts today.  I have so many  topics lined up in my head: images, thoughts and ideas.  They are creating a bottleneck because I have had no time to post.  If you can stay with me and scroll down, I will try to tick a few things off the list. I am limiting it to 9. I am saving my news on Klara and a few others for another day when I can dedicate a full post to them.   And yes, this blog HAS been instagramed.

First: I believe the above image is probably the is the work of SF.  SF is someone I have been photographing quietly for a while now (but I am not shouting out as some of his tagging looks a bit neonazi so I need to check that before doing a full post). Anyone know about SF/Sikel Freid?  You will no doubt have seen his insurgent stickers.    Anyway with reference to this image I think whoever did it has an innate understanding of lines and shape - they are thrown together so brilliantly.

The second thing to share with you is my utter bemusement at WTF the council are doing removing street art.  Why not focus on some of the shit that is really hurting Fitzroy (like the dickheads staggering out of the licenced venues at 3 am, smashing their beer bottles in the gutter and pissing on porches) ? The images below are out of order, image 1 is of a guy removing a gorgeous Be Free (image 2).



Third, I want to know is Civil back in our hood?  I have been seeing cheeky men pop up around the place.



Fourth: This is a striking paste up, by Guz.  I eagerly await more!


Fifth:  I really liked this paste up, at Backwoods Gallery, until I realised it has been placed over Kaff-eine.  So if you are the culprit, there is a reason I am not showing the whole image.  Please don't do it again!  If you can use some etiquette I will definitely post photos as your work is Rad.


Sixth: Barek's nymph is so cute, he needs to pay us another visit! Check out his photostream.


Seventh: I am dead impressed with Ishi one right now, seriously awesome stuff.  Check out his photostream.

Eight: You are probably seeing these paste ups around the traps.  I will investigate some more about the artist and post soon.


Finally, the Ninth thought to purge: I bring you the ever wonderful work of Phoenix.  More images to follow as I would like to dedicate a full post to Phoenix again.  BTW Vetti found some great Phoenix work a year ago.  Some of my old Phoenix finds here.



Saturday, September 3, 2011

This post has not been Instagrammed

I am not sure if I can blame Instagram, the dreaded lurgy or chaos, but I just haven't had the rhythm lately.  I feel a bit like Steve Martin in The Jerk (NB in my first version of this post I called him Steve Murray if that gives you a sense of the gravity of my problem) .  I have been walking past great Art (such as Anthony Lister on Westgarth Street) and thinking "I'll come back to that when my battery is charged".  I have been taking shots  of tiny stickers only to realise that I focused on the brick next to them, or worse, that they are the label of a softdrink the dude just purchased at Coles.  I have been so busy instagramming everything  (that really cool green bike on Brunswick street is a particular Fav) that I have been forgetting to upload to Flickr.
Enough about me and my woes, in among it I have found some fresh, new and very decent art.  Here is some of the Rad and inspiring shit that I have actually managed to notice lately...

Kaff-eine is rocking out some amazing new characters 

Makatron, I presume - he's commissioning all over Fitzroy 

Outside the Juddy Roller, new Cafe, the owner attracting the  best street artists in the country

Ishi 1 (?) found this slightly too late but it is still amazing