fitzroyalty » art

vandalism

brian — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:08:54 +0000

Wood St, just off Moor St. Hmmm, how do artists fight?

Fitzroyalty - hyperlocal news and reviews about Melbourne's first suburb: Fitzroy 3065 by Brian Ward is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Australia License.

wild things

brian — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:12:23 +0000

Wild creatures on Rose St and Leicester St. Watch out for the duck!

exploitation or shoes

brian — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:12:53 +0000

More work by K on Leicester St, and opposite a cartoon about buying shoes. Oh the irony…

celebrity

brian — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:12:03 +0000

I have no idea who these people are meant to be. Their posture suggests minuscule celebrity. On Elgin St Carlton.

a flower in the desert

brian — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:09:27 +0000

A saw this wire flower sculpture on the traffic light post on the south east corner of Smith St and Johnston St over the weekend.

but is it art?

brian — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:05:20 +0000

I’ve become even more cynical about street art. Everything I see makes me suspicious. Is it art? Or just rubbish? I thought my visual palette was refreshed by seeing some different street art in London, but I have not seen anything new of exciting since returning to Melbourne.

astronauts

brian — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:11:41 +0000

I think this was on Napier St, but I’m not sure. I’ve seen several. Does anyone know the artist?

the City of Yarra’s arts and cultural strategy 2010 – 2014

brian — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:11:21 +0000

The City of Yarra is developing its arts plans for the next five years. You can read more here. You have until 5 March 2010 to complete and return surveys aimed at community members, arts organisations and arts practitioners. If you have something to say about the arts in the City of Yarra, the time is now.

sublime

brian — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:19:28 +0000

This work first appeared in Fitzroy as a paste-up but it and its companion have also been created as paintings. I like both versions.

London holiday – arts and culture (sex and drugs and rock and roll)

brian — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:04:32 +0000

Arts and cultural events in London are astonishing in their variety. I had many plans to see galleries and museums, and to attend concerts by Brett Anderson and Pat Metheny, but some of the most impressive experiences I had were at events or exhibitions I heard about only once I arrived in London. This post summarises the arts and cultural experiences I had in London.

Film

Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll is a biographical film about the life of Ian Dury. It’s sympathetic, surreal, self-indulgent and over-saturated but also very enjoyable, amusing and moving. Hopefully it will be picked up by a local distributor or appear at MIFF. See ... read the complete post

Melbourne and London – reassessing global culture

brian — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:03:22 +0000

Walking through the markets on Portobello Rd or Camden, the same brands, signs and signifiers of twentieth century western culture are endlessly replicated. Rasta VW pop art Einstein sneakers Kurt Cobain Cookie Monster Star Wars Audrey Hepburn The Beatles. Then there are the stalls selling poster and block mounted prints of photographs of stencil artworks attributed to Banksy.

Like keysersozeisthesled, I felt somewhat underwhelmed by the crass commerciality of the copies. I could do good business selling prints of orphan works (works without an identifiable creator) of street art from around Fitzroy at the Rose St markets or elsewhere, but I’d feel bad about it and so don’t. Some others do, however. Despite this being a grey ... read the complete post

London holiday – street art

brian — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:02:23 +0000

In Spitalfields / Shoreditch.

Made you look – scrabble in Notting Hill.

A vaguely political work just off Portobello Rd. A lot of the newspaper clippings had been washed away by the weather but I think it was about the mothers of soliders killed in wars.

Rathbone Pl, Soho.

Skelly Bob sticker in Soho.

Graffiti in Soho.

... read the complete post

high tide 2100 AD

brian — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:12:23 +0000

I’m not sure how recent this high tide 2100 AD stencil on Gore St is, but I was fascinated to see it. There’s another on Flickr from 2005 so it may have been there for years, although it looks quite fresh. According to the very helpful Victorian government land website, the area around Gore St is approximately 26m above sea level. This artwork exaggerates how much the ocean may rise due to climate change, but its message is political rather than literal. For more information about the predicted effects of global warming and rising sea levels see 100 metre line.

... read the complete post

London holiday – a walk along the Thames

brian — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:01:18 +0000

On a cold quiet Sunday I took a long walk by the Thames and into the city. While most people are drawn to the historical architecture, London also has some stunning modern and contemporary architecture to see.

fitting in

brian — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:17:20 +0000

This stencil was new on Brunswick St earlier in the month.

angel-man

brian — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:10:53 +0000

And the rain sets in; it’s the angel-man… I’m deranged.

not sure if you’re a boy or a girl

brian — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:12:45 +0000

Great paste-up on Victoria St (apart from the loser who defaced it).

QR code street art / poetry

brian — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:11:52 +0000

It’s exciting to see a new form of art for the first time. I spotted these three small stickers on the north east corner of the intersection of Smith St and Johnston St in Collingwood on 8 January 2010. I don’t have a camera or mobile device to read the QR codes to discover their URLs – has anyone done this? I’d love to know more about this!

Update 11 January 2010: thanks to the commenters below for providing the links. You can read more about this art project at the site of its creator, Keith Deverell.

... read the complete post

most women look nothing like this

brian — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 01:05:40 +0000

More work by the mysterious K, on Rose St near the corner of Fitzroy St.

sparcs is elegant

brian — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:12:10 +0000

Two connected works by sparcs: the first on Rose St near the corner of Brunswick St, Fitzroy, and the second on the corner building at the intersection of Brunswick St and St George’s Rd, North Fitzroy. See more here and here.

Fitzroy in 2009 – the year in review

brian — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:02:53 +0000

A jumbled summary of some of the events of 2009 in Fitzroy.

Art and entertainment

Unpretentiously Underground gallery opened then faded away The Last Tuesday Society got bigger and bigger book launches were most enjoyable I helped judge slam poetry went to lots of exhibitions at Lamington Drive and Gorker gallery listened to some jazz at the Laundry and at Uptown went to lots of comedy shows saw The Church play at the Workers Club participated in the shoot for a scene of a film as an extra

Built environment

construction started on the cheesegrater apartments Safeway supermarket was renovated the Rob Roy hotel revamp opened as the Newtown Workers Club shops and cafes closed new shops and ... read the complete post

it’s all about the glue

brian — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:12:07 +0000

Rone’s current Rose St wall paste-up has not lasted as well or for as long as his previous work on the same space. I remember reading about the glue paste-up artists use on Drab’s blog, and wonder if Rone’s recipe was not right on this occasion? It’s a shame because this work on Rose St was perhaps the best yet, with each print receiving an additional handpainted element, making each sheet unique and the entire wall more complex and visually appealing.

BSG art bookshop to open in January 2010

brian — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 01:11:43 +0000

Starting 15 January 2010 with the opening of their new art book shop, the Brunswick St Gallery will be open seven days a week from 10am to 10pm.

a skulking companion

brian — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:11:52 +0000

I missed this Ghostpatrol piece when I posted about a similar one recently, so here’s their companion. He’s skulking in the doorway next to the Fitzroy and Carlton Community Credit Co-Operative.

biker mice on Brunswick St

brian — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:16:46 +0000

The biker mice must be expanding their territory as this stencil was spotted south of Alexandra Parade!

do I know you?

brian — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:19:20 +0000

I like the ambiguity of this stencil.

girl x 4

brian — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:16:12 +0000

One version of a work I have seen in several spaces around Fitzroy.

the Blackbird market at the Workers Club

brian — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:09:56 +0000

The opening day of the Blackbird summer market at the Workers Club on Saturday 5 December appeared to be a success, with large crowds squeezing into the front bar, the back band room in the back and the corridors in between to browse the many stalls.

Joyce from Mel: Hot or Not has already published her review. I didn’t see a lot of buying happening, just gawping at everything and moving on, but I was not there for that long. I’d like to know how stall holders judged it.

I was ... read the complete post

the secret bbq cult

brian — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:05:17 +0000

There are several similar bbq paintings around the inner city. Each bbq only has one sausage on it. Do they mean something? Are they signs pointing to meetings of a sinisiter secret bbq cult? From top to bottom: North Fitzroy, wall of laneway off Reid St just behind St George’s Rd; Hosier Lane Melbourne; and laneway between Rose St and Leicester St east of Brunswick St.

new market and gallery on Alexandra Parade

brian — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:04:04 +0000

Last month chalk advertisements for a new artist market appeared on the footpath on Brunswick St. I followed the arrows on Saturday 28 November to the Shabana Jacobson studio and gallery, located in a building on Alexandra Parade next to the Fitzroy pool (on the corner of Young St) that used to be a wooden furniture shop.

Inside were several stalls featuring jewellery, clothing and paintings. It was a quiet start but it was their first day open, and I’m sure it will pick up as more people find it. The next market day is tomorrow, Saturday 12 December 2009.

buttons on Johnston St

brian — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:10:52 +0000

A fusion of art and craft on a laneway off Johnston St near the Tankerville Arms hotel.

Shift 2009 RMIT graduate printmaking exhibition at Red gallery

brian — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:03:04 +0000

On the evening of 2 December I attended Shift – the 2009 RMIT graduate printmaking exhibition at Red gallery on St George’s Rd in North Fitzroy. It was packed with people and full of quality work – I particularly liked ‘Adaption’ by Eloise Linklater (in the photo below). It closes on 19 December.

Miso’s Tchusse at Gorker gallery

brian — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:01:04 +0000

On 3 December I attended the opeing night of Miso’s new show Tchusse at Gorker gallery. The show features many works on paper and board, light boxes and an installation featuring linen hanging from clotheslines, various objects and street detritus. It creates a reminiscence about Miso’s hometown: Kharkov in the Ukraine. Some of her now iconic paste-ups previously seen on Melbourne and Fitzroy walls feature in the show along with many new works. It’s a dense and fascinating exhibition that you should see before it closes on 20 December.

... read the complete post

driving in Abbotsford

brian — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:18:08 +0000

This great paste-up is on Johnston St near the train station just east of Hoddle St.

punk attitude

brian — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:08:46 +0000

Rone’s Rose St wall receives an upgrade.

new Ghostpatrol paste-up on Brunswick St

brian — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:11:27 +0000

Spotted on Sunday 29 November 2009 on the wall of the now closed opp shop.

old and new Rone on Gore St

brian — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:10:25 +0000

Since September when I previously posted about this fading Rone work on Gore St it gained some lippy, but when he updated the Rose St wall recently Rone also covered the ‘get a new picture’ writing with… a new picture. Nice.

The Little Giant Gardener by Drewfunk in Abbotsford

brian — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:11:39 +0000

When I first posted about the creation of this work in Abbotsford last month I was not sure who the artist was, but now I know it is Drewfunk, who has been posting photos of his progress on ‘The Little Giant Gardener’ on his blog – see here and here. I have been riding past each day on my way to work wondering what new additions I will see.

This annoying life by Oslo Davis at Lamington Drive

brian — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:07:37 +0000

Last Thursday night I attended the opening night of the ‘This annoying life’ exhibition by Oslo Davis at Lamington Drive. It was so hot and so full of people! Fortunately the beer was cold and people were friendly. Davis’ work is hilarious, insightful and amusing and I tried to read as many of the cartoons as possible.

You can see some of them in the catalogue (8.5mb PDF). The show is on until 23 December so you have plenty of time to see it, but I urge you not to be too complacent as you need to see the exhibition installation to best understand the jokes (there’s text on ... read the complete post

power to the people

brian — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:12:52 +0000

One of the many recent stickers appearing on the streets of Fitzroy. I’m seeing a lot more small scale works on stickers than large paste-ups lately – I wonder if this is a trend?

bad duck

brian — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:03:45 +0000

On a laneway wall off Leicester St.

Magic Lantern Studio to open soon on Brunswick St

brian — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:05:45 +0000

Magic Lantern Studio on Brunswick St now has a fantastic window display that says ‘opening soon’. Since the closure of Birdgirl (the former tenant at this building) in January, and the enigmatic posting of their business card in their window in July, I have been waiting to see them open for business. I am so curious to see what they’re doing!

Eyes of flame by Wendy June at Mattt on Gertrude St

brian — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:18:44 +0000

Last night I attended the opening night of the exhibition ‘Eyes of flame’ by Wendy June at Mattt handmade bags on Gertrude St. Wendy’s evocative illustrations, based on characters in Lewis Carroll’s Jaberwocky, are available as limited edition prints and also as bags. The show runs until 31 January 2010. Their respective work is also available at the Rose St markets, which is a fabulous place to buy Christmas presents for people.

I had a chat with Matt and he is planning more collaborative projects like this to make his products as individual as possible and to use his light filled studio space as a gallery space as well as ... read the complete post

RMIT fine art photography first year graduate show at the Library Artspace – J Studios, North Fitzroy

brian — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:03:58 +0000

On Wednesday evening I attended the opening of the RMIT fine art photography first year graduate show at the Library Artspace – J Studios, 100 Barkly St, North Fitzroy. I was impressed by the work and bought two photos by Hillary Kirkland, who had never sold work before. I think I was as delighted to be her first client as she was to sell her first work.

I also appreciated the surreal superimposed images in Christian Munari’s ‘Intramural’ and the sense of stillness in ‘Chiaroscuro’ by Lauren Crosling. Telia Nevile’s photos of her friends and colleagues from the Last Tuesday Society are delightful, and you can see more ... read the complete post

electro kitty

brian — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:18:32 +0000

I’m not sure what this is supposed to mean, but looking for meaning in art is so passé isn’t it?

pink is so hot right now

brian — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:15:45 +0000

This pink work appeared about two months ago in the laneway extending from the carpark at the end of Fisher’s Lane. Pink seems to be the colour of the month in Fitzroy.

swine flu

brian — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:12:58 +0000

On the window ledge outside Lamington Drive gallery.

I despair for humanity

brian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:15:12 +0000

Sometimes people make me so mad. I tried to enjoy the open day at Abbotsford Convent last Sunday but it was very hot and crowded, the suburbans in their monster trucks were turning parking into something akin to interacting with a bunch of footballers in a bar and the C3 contemporary artspace was full of bogans touching and playing with the art, as Melbourne Jeweller explains. It was all horrid and I made a rapid escape, but not before seeing and totally empathising with this work of art in the courtyard. That’s exactly how I felt.

calibrating empathy

brian — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:18:33 +0000

A fabulous paste-up on Johnston St.

new Rone on Rose St

brian — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:07:13 +0000

A new series of Rone prints, which I have not seen anywhere else before, went up on the Rose St side wall of the Vegie Bar last weekend.