The best that I saw this week in the Roy

The Outsiders

Revealing both my age and my sad determination to never leave THAT decade, my invite to Outsiders: an unauthorised exhibition, immediately got me thinking about the Brat Pack. The best bunch of actors ever lined up in the worst possible films in history. They were GOLD: Emilio's lovelorn face, Rob's jawline, Demi's huskiness, Molly's teeth. Ahhhh those were the days.

Just as an aside, does anyone else wish it was Ralph not Tom that catapulted to Hollywood royalty?  Imagine the zeitgeist of our times hung off the cheekbones of Ralph Macchio.  Wax on. Wax Off. 

But back to The Outsiders. It was the Greasers versus the Socs (i.e. the high society).  Stay Gold, or rather, Nothing Gold can Stay.

And so I come to Outsiders 2014. This was Gold being given away. It was an absolutely professional group show with perfectly executed teasers and promo video's. The turn out speaks volumes: Reka, Dean, Alison Young (The Prof of Street Art), Toby of Just Another Agency, All Those Shapes, Street Art Melbourne, Marian Machismo. And it wasn't just the free beer. It wasn't even the free Art. Invurt says it. PROPS. HUGE.
                                                     
This show was the most heart felt, heart warming, unified-whilst-disparate, sentiment expressing, open, honest, raw, gutsy demonstration of the Artists stripped bare that I have ever seen in a group show - by the Greasers or the Socs. I loved it. I love them.
           
 The Zine reflects all of this.  It showcases 10 fine artists: Akemi, Astrotwitch, Be Free, Crib, Dexter, Fox, Hollie M Kelley, Minou, Ryan McGenniskan and Suki. What I love is their honesty.

The best thing Akemi's parents passed on was how to believe in the impossible.  And thanks I will have an eclair please. Astro(t)witch hopes for at least one other person to feel slightly better. Be Free would like a trolley full of glitter. Crib is concerned with the illusion of capitalism and wants the viewer to think.

Dexter, a little bit of an art crush of mine, has been on a brave journey back to self as many of you will know and has brought five months of solitary reflection to life in a spectacular way, Fox's parents were instrumental, Hollie's taught her not to live a boring mainstream life. Minou is claustrophobic lol, and solidly believes in people standing up for each other. Suki hopes to inspire.

   

And most of all it is Ryan who struck a huge cord with me, bearing his soul and disclosing that "in the grand scheme of things I am extremely lost at where I am physically and emotionally - I am not at all 'together'". How refreshing. Toby was all over Ryan's work and one of the first to nab one. He is surely someone to watch.....                                                    

The Conga And The Whale

 

A child played in the second bedroom, perhaps writing in a diary or colouring in, being careful to keep between the lines. She was perched on top of a pile of old receipts and ledgers. Old like the dot matrix printers that spat out the future with every laboured grunt, as we gazed in amazement. She wore socks but no shoes.

 The kitchen had at some stage been converted to the master bedroom. The morning paper was open and the white sheet was casually strewn upon the bed.  Empty tins of sardines, the remnants of breakfast and as I looked out of the window I gazed upon a handsome woman, perhaps someone that had been loved right in this spot. Idyllic yet I thought the antichrist had been. At least, the right side up.  The wine had been drunk, good times and the light fell, just so, across the walls adorned with art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And then I saw the sky and I could have been anywhere. In my childhood home, colouring between the lines. In my first flat drinking five buck plonk by scented candlelight and sparking up to a backdrop of good friends and eighties house before it was retro. Waking up in a strangers bed, the smell of nightclub on the clothes entwined beside me. Reading the paper on a Sunday, with the sound of someone in the shower and the smell of sex and coffee.

 

And as I stared at the sky that is above all of us I almost forgot I was a voyeur in a squatters world.  There but for the Grace of...

Thank you, props and shout outs at Tom Civil; Ryan McGennisken; Doctor; Be Free;
Suki; and Bon.

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.