The Adelaide connection

Tense piece representing old school graffiti crew 73A with shout outs with local Crime Wave crew in Brunswick.  

YouTube video

Kilkenny-Adelaide industrial

From the Port Adelaide train line sits the old Bianco Supplies Site. Set to be rezoned as residential housing.

Adelaide trains

Welcome to Adelaide, Outer Harbour Railway line, Bowden. Some fresh graffiti painted on the wall with the old Redhen rail-cars, that operated from 1950's to 1996. Adelaide has a long history of modern graffiti similar to Melbourne and Sydney "There were pieces and tags in Adelaide by late 83" Phoa.  

Brief origins of graffiti and its arrival in Australia

 American photographers Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant documented some of the first subway art in the world from New York. Henry Chalfant co-produced "Style Wars" in 1984 a movie about hip hop centred around the graffiti culture of the 70's and 80's. From this video footage and photos, modern graffiti was exported to the world and this subculture arrived in Australia in the 1980's, establishing itself to what it has become today.

NA-Nasty Artists crew, RCF-Rock City Funk, MS-Mainstays

 Monk

 Tarns?

Further Info

Adelaide Old school writer "Phoa" Full Interview

Interview with "Tarns" & "Ambush" Adelaide writers

Graff Central, Adelaide graffiti website

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australian_Railways_Redhen_railcar

Case Study~Outer Harbor Railway Line, Adelaide

I returned from Adelaide recently. The graffiti scene is totally different to familiar Melbourne. For starters Melbourne's population is an estimated 5.2 million people and Adelaide's 1.3 million. Adelaide is about a quarter of Melbourne's population (source http://australiapopulation2016.com/). More often than not there is a distinct correlation between population size and diversity and quality of graffiti. There's many other factors including town planning, city layout, heritage buildings, culture, demography, perception and more.

I only had about 24 hours to absorb the graffiti culture. So I got up at 5am to begin. When in a new city the first place to go to look for graffiti is the train lines. There was a general absence of graffiti along the Outer Circle train line mainly because of the lack of track-side walls. Its common for the lines to back onto residential roads (no walls). Where residential fences meet the railway line they are mostly corrugated iron. Its rare to see highly prized surfaces such as brick or concrete walls. 

Trains in Adelaide are different. The one that I rode on was only 2 carriages. During the journey your're reminded that "South Australian police officers regularly travel on board public transport services" and to "please mind the gap."

Adelaide to Outer Habour 

Bowden to West Croydon, pieces, tags, throw-ups (Buffing around Bowden station) 

Kilkenny-West Croydon (recent trackside buffing around Kilkenny station

Kilkenny station graffiti hub abandoned building

Kilkenny-Port Adelaide, (probably the odd tag and maybe a throw up)

Port Adelaide underneath Grand Junction overpass about 20 pieces 

Port Adelaide-Outer Harbour (almost no graffiti)

Trackside artwork from Kilkenny Abandoned building, featuring old school Adelaide writer Tense

The only example of fire extinguisher for painting that I could see

View from Kilkenny Railway Station

Unorthodox hollow throw-up

Several hollow Throw-ups in a row, using minimum paint to cover maximum surface area

TTK-Toys That Kill

Adelaide

Piece on residential wall abutting major road

Adelaide stickers

24 hours in Adelaide (more Adelaide content to come!)

stickers from the CBD

Adelaide

I went to Adelaide, South Australia back in July 2012 and stayed a week. This is some of the art in the CBD on display. There's definitely more graffiti around along the train lines.  

Its good to see accomplished roller works about (its a rare sight). 

 This guy whoever they are gets up. This character gives the viewer a somewhat confusing feeling "is it this way or that way?"

Door shows a range of approaches to tagging. From abstract to lasso style. Note the range of different mediums used texta, white out, chalk marker, drip texta, aerosol paint and ?chalk.