Kaff on Collins

What is Kaff-eine doing on Collins?  When approached by Alex at AZB Creative to be a part of the LMFF Windows By Design, as only Kaff can do, s/he said Yep and grabbed it by the horns. More accurately s/he grabbed it with a spray can, some cardboard and a shit load of genius and invited Baghead and Bigfoot to Collins Street.  Even when faced with the dilemma of actually attending the opening, armed with optimism and more front than Myer, Kaff just took a couple of Glamazons along and no-one noticed the paint on the black levi's.  Now this is nothing to be glib about, this is big shit.  I believe Kaff-eine was the only street artist invited to do a window, out of 12 talented folk including designers and sculptors.  Vetti picked up on some of the others, I have to confess I have only followed Kaff, although hats off all round.

lighthouses rule seahorses 4 ever

I have been thinking about the Australian Street that Rennie Ellis first showcased decades ago.  The written word.  Thrown up to make us laugh, think, unify or get angry.  Or perhaps just there despite us, the creators so disenfranchised that they despise the fact that we notice them at all.  A one way protest.  The written word conjures for me anarchy, doc martens and  HECs debt.  I am not taking the piss, walking past a wall of words transports me to a time when self expression was a physical act that wasn't instantaneously relayed.  Rennie may never have imagined Flickr, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  But I reckon if the hypothesis was raised he might have confidently dismissed them as incapable of conveying the sentiment felt when you walk past a wall of words and read some of them.

 

Fitzroy February 2012 (or Didn't We Almost Have It All)

Whitney died!  I could not possibly post without acknowledging this.  Nor can I blog without acknowledging that I am a long way from home, and when I took off, the life of one of the most beautifully eccentric members of our Fitzroy community hung tenuously in the balance.

And what of February and its streetscape?

Nufevah's political voice broke (liquid velvet).  Burg's profile rose (awesome!!!).   Frankie slowly dished out lush colour leaving me craving more.  Doctor and Takie have been clearly having fun.  Paste ups with poor placement have appeared and for the most part taggers have accepted their right of reply.

I am going to keep sitting on the fence for a while, but I suspect, if February is any indication, that there are some rules that need revisiting for the sake of peace. Rules like nothing over street art legends, nothing over pieces.  Probably leave the throw ups alone too. But then again maybe I am being old fashioned...

In addition to this February has so far given us amazing pieces, thank you Awol crew:  Slicer and Adnate being out of this world.  Rone can't stop, won't stop, don't stop and thank god as it has been awesome.

St Judes by Kaff-TV

Walkin' back to Reka One

I needed to go for a stroll, as I had read a Fb rumour that the latest Reka had been tagged.  I took Kaff along to make it more interesting.  Now a strange thing happens when a blogger takes an artist for a walk.  The mood shifts, it becomes less about the discovery and more about the opportunity...

So yes, in the discovery stakes we found the Reka, and at the same time found some awesome new Vandal, to remind me how ridiculously good he is...(with a quick opportunity for some Kaff-eine TV)

I also found some interesting messages from the worlds first street artists, which nearly made me wet my pants...you have to spend a moment on the corner of Smith and Gertrude, this art reminds you that there is a history here older than we can ever imagine, so just respect it...

Then we meandered around the Silo's, and feeling completely unprepared for anything remotely resembling a spontaneous Urbex, I swiftly guided the good Kaff to an old Fav that was screaming out for some Kaff-eine.  Guess what, a huge Aieks, with an instant nod to Arti Graffarti's recent article... 

 But snap back from nerd blogger land, suddenly it was on.  Right place, right artist, right time for a throwie...

 And a few more opportune moments arose (I might need to do a drive by in daylight and Nab this wee piece before anyone works out where it is)

  Oh yeah and there was a heap of other stuff. Hats off to Dick Nose, and some cool new Doctor made me need a plan to revisit in the daylight

Throw Ups

Arty Graffarti did a great post on Y-aieks and reminded me to think about Throw ups and take them seriously.  They really are the woven fabric of the street.  They have the ability to set the mood of a lane like no other.  Walk past them, and you are walking past walls that talk.  Throw ups contain mystery and history.  One crew over another. Codes of ethics.  Tags and territory.  The origins of graffiti, locally grown.  

If you want to get more 'High Brow' and analyse this with an Art narrative have a look at 'How to Read Graffiti' or of course, Google anything you want.  But this is a good read.

TV Crew

So when you are out next, go search out a throw up, look at it, imagine the can, the hand, the hoody.  Throw ups speak the politics of what graffiti is and does.  And graffiti is the Godfather of the street.  

 

Zac - TV Crew

Visible from Brunswick Street, and probably not a crowd pleaser...then again, why not?

FYG

Sadly this wall is gone now, but I would argue that the Lush Sold Out wall was for a long time, the greatest showcase for throw ups in Fitzroy