Five Female Street Artists To Watch

Great, I got your attention. I hope some of you are having a laugh.  And I hope, concreteplayground, you might consider some research for next time. Or at least source some photographs this side of 2010. The deer hunters are so 2011.  So much has transpired.  

I will tell you something that is contemporary and has just actually happened, Barek has been to town. And I am confident I am the last person to jump aboard that train. Preprint, Vetti, Dean Sunshine have all covered this already. 

I meant to meet him on the Sunday of his week long Melburn Spraycation but sleep got the better of me. I had promised him an opportunity to get up next to my favourite secret and ancient Ghost Patrol. It remains secret (and in case concrete playground were wondering, just as Miso is not really 'up and coming' neither is Ghost Patrol).  

So, what does a paint spotter do when they stuff up their opportunity to be there when it happens? They pick the next sunny day to meander the streets, on a paint spotter nerd hunt.  So much as happened since I went into semi-retirement, thank you Barek for enticing me back onto the streets.  There is this neat crew called AV...okay, I will stop having a dig. Here's some of what I saw. In 2013. Okay, that's the last dig I promise. 

Rat Blisters and Integrity

I will use less words in this post.  I really just want to explain my love of tags, but people get so pent up about it ....

This wall showcases 4 very different styles

Classic GP

Leagues genius nestled above an old Dicknose (possibly a tribute DN)

DJ CATT recognisable from a block away

Symbolism + word = HOT

The universally recognisable Civil and above it  I think is a Flash that is not me!

Poker Face

I traded in my bomb of a car last week.  This has no relevance to street art at all but it does bear witness that I am able to pull a poker face.  I think this has relevance to street art.

I thought I was onto something when I first started formulating this post. I had 'nailed it', this barely tangible idea about the inability to place something in the street, or indeed even photograph something in the street, without knowledge of a vast and very instantaneous audience.  Like kids discovering their self-consciousness there is something deeply inhibiting, and therefore anti-creative, about that.  As soon as you want to please that mass, you are trying to please the institution and that is the very thing street art is positioned against.

Back to the poker face.  I did some reading and it turns out photography has always been there, being shaped by and shaping street art.  I think the resounding difference between the photography of street art of yesteryear and the snaps of today is the speed of delivery and the breadth of audience.

With this breadth and speed of delivery how do the greats still manage to stand out?  How do we universally hail to the legend of Ears, Reka, Vexta, Rone or Ghost Patrol?  How do we universally, applaud emerging greats such as Precious Little, Kaff-Eine, Ruskidd or Nufevah?

I now have a better idea about how these greats stand out in an environment where thousands compete for recognition.  Their talent is indisputable, but that is not unique as many non 'greats' have equal measures.  But they also have a poker face.  They have an indefinable ability to hold their own against a waive of media assaults.  To grasp twitter, tumblr, flickr, facebook and to shake them until the ripe fruit falls from the trees.  With a poker face, they get to do their work without bowing to the self consciousness of the social forum.  Without allowing it to influence their intent, and thereby, allowing them to have a greater impact on the street.

Some unrelated images from my jaunts this week...

What Corki Sees

I took a guest photographer with me when I last went Flashin': Corki C (aka CJC).  Their brief was to point and shoot whatever interested them.  It was hard to walk past walls with nothing in my hand but I amused myself with the challenge. It forced me to appreciate the street as if I was not me, like I was just out there looking and thinking.  The images below are testament to my conclusion:  It is good to let a different soul tell you what makes Fitzroy.