Community Service Announcement

I have been loathe to comment on what's been happening lately in Fitzroy because I never want to discourage anyone's creativity. I always maintain that art is an action.  So whether good, bad or indifferent the act of doing street art IS art to me.  Graff in tall places, clever placement, mass bombing: these all make me look twice.

Unfortunately lately there has been some slacking off of standards.  I won't name names, nor pass judgment on anyone reading this who may feel this is directed at them.  I therefore will not attach photos either.  But PLEEEAAAASE people.  Fitzroy built it's reputation as a street art Mecca on the back of hard work.  Exacting work.  Think, among hundreds of others, of  HaHa, Everfresh, Awol, Aeon, Tres, iKool, TV Crew, Ghost Patrol and Miso, Lister.  These people are Giants. They made our reputation.

So with apologies for my arrogant opinion, condescension and paternalistic take, I implore every enthusiastic participant in the New World Order to:

1.  Stop pasting over other people's work - be it throw ups, pieces, or legendary stickers such as Ghost Patrol.  It pisses everyone off.

2.  Use good wheatpaste. No-one wants to look at creases or watch a paste up half hanging on a wall.

3.  Only put your good stuff up.  Say something, reflect, opine.  Give something.

4.  Look at a wall before tagging it to determine if any respect is due.

5.  Learn the history and context your work, today, is positioned within.

Thanks for allowing this self indulgent community announcement.  I have said it and now I will move on.  I still live to observe everything new that comes along.  I embrace the evolution of Fitzroy.  I just fear it's demise!

Hot Stuff 2011

Too many things to mention here - 2011 in Street Art internationally has been huge and locally I swell with pride.  Like Violet and My Darling Darlinghurst, I keep loving Fitzroy more every day.

The Juddy Roller opened and bought us local interstate and international artists...

 Makatron did some huge and awesome commissions everywhere, among other things like exhibitions...

 Love, truth, hope, these words appeared and stayed...unknown artist...

 Kaff-eine came into our hearts with paste ups, and is now captivating us in aerosol and house paint.  Literally, and metaphorically getting bigger and bigger...

 Precious little demonstrated more than a talent for words, with an innate capacity for total awesome genius with the Ironlak

Klara exploded in bombings on the streets and with Urbex adventures bringing us truly stellar pieces, Sikel Freid proved to be a master of line, and Ishi One proved to be a master of wheatpaste.  I have run out of space to include photo's but if I keep going along those lines it is Doctor, Suki, Be Free, Freshchop...Civil, Barek...

 The AV crue remained prolific, as did Flies crew

 Grizzly opened to balance the other side of Fitzroy with big names and bigger coffee and Vetti blogged about it first

 Waa Waa paid us a visit

TV Crew did some really nice pieces as did BNF crew, and Frits in particular, a few pics down

 Taggers kept tagging, love them or loathe them, and I love them..Osirus being everwhere

 Cave Clan did the most hilarious bombing, rivaled only by Lush, and it is most true that Stickers are the new black (along with street art cafes)..

So there are a thousand photos I could show you still, here are a few more...The Dead Sets from the Hard Rubbish Show still make me laugh...and I have acquired some of them as well...

Oh Yeah, Flake remains an all time Fav...

Stickerporn and thank you Barek

You only have to search the tag stickerporn on Instagram to realise that, not only do all the greats make stickers, but stickers are as cool as aerosol or wheatpastes, just smaller and more easily transacted. You can't swap a piece on a wall but you can swap a sticker. Honesty, it is Stickers Without Borders out there. There is something tantalisingly nostalgic about loving stickers. It makes me 10 years old again, it brings out the stamp collector in me, the swap card nerd. I have some Bareks, some Kaffeines, and I intend to steal the Precious Little currently held by magnet to my fridge (sorry - you know who you are - you were asking for trouble flaunting it). Graft accepted! Special thanks to Barek for my Rad new collection...(who by the way features in a street art exhibition in Copenhagen soon!)

Daily Bread (live from Adelaide)

I love Radelaide.  People reel at my suggestion that Adelaide is awesome, but don't judge so quickly.  It really is the cool little brother of Melbourne.  If you are in Adelaide check out Joshua Smith's Espionage Gallery.  That's it for the lecture.  Nursing a mild headache courtesy of a winemaker with a generous hand, I bring you your daily bread.  Radelaide style: Spelt bread with runny cheese, Porcini salt, quince paste and washed down with a fine drop of red ...