Brunswick walls

Brunswick trackside walls are hot property in Melbourne. Its a balancing act of don't cap what you can't burn or try finding a new wall or if there's no wall space go up. Multi-storey graffiti is a sign of healthy and thriving graffiti scene. Its good to track change. Brunswick like most inner-city places has gone through a huge change in the last 10, 20, 30 years. Even since the 2013 visit I noticed lots has changed. More built up, more green space and graffiti is flourishing. 

2013

The roll-up days of Ha ha and Sync. Ha ha featured in the Melbourne street art documentary Rash from 2005. Ha Ha was Melbourne's answer to Banksy. His passion and productivity for street art, was hugely influential. In contrast to his big bold roll-ups along train lines his main icon was his stencil work. Without artists like him its hard to imagine what the stencil scene would have been. In 2005 the stencil graffiti capital book was released. This boom in street art lead to laneways dedicated to stencil work like Canada Lane Carlton and Blender Lane in Melbourne. Interview with Ha Ha. We all but lost Canada Lane, fortunately it was immortalised somewhat in the book Uncommissioned Art an A to Z of Australian Graffiti. More on that later.  

2024

Golfa appearing seemingly everywhere.

2013 Artists below

Retayner

Bailer

Bailer and Retayner famously put Melbourne on the map with their album Hedge Burners. Over Spray stands strong as one of Melbourne's best graffiti themed hip hop songs released in 2012. These two artists traversed the medium of lyrical abilities back to back with visual artforms. They've done it beyond most artists lifetime dreams. On one hand Retayner has released burners on walls across Melbourne and united the Oz hip hop scene to bring together to bring best unrivalled cyphers. Bailer's book Wall Stories was published, showcasing a comprehensive take on the Melbourne graffiti scene. Probably the biggest Melbourne graffiti book since the likes of Kings Way. Publishing anything on this scale in the graffiti scene is fraught with challenges where the legality of artwork can make writers run the other way. Between them a solid combination that's influenced the likes of many Melbourne and Australian artists.

2013

2024

To go back to the same walls 10 years later and see the same artists holding the yard, what a sight to behold. Especially in a trackside environment where the space is premium. Resume and Bailer piece holding ground. The new emergent generation pieces above of Kewl and Cola. There's consistently and increasingly a range of artists that get the highest and best spots, includes the likes of Uzi, Cola, World, Smel, Getting Up, Golfa and of course Nost and even Porke from New Zealand was notorious for it.

Solfes-Brisbane best export

 

Brunswick boarded with throw-ups

Psychedelic throw-ups in Brunswick. Mixing up the conventional colours.  

Brunswick

Most writers have trouble enough maintaining perspective in a piece let alone a piece over three sides of a wall. Fat, fresh & clean letters. The light blue and pink work well together great colour coordination. Prix using similar style to Lamb one extra fat letter to start the piece.

Interview with SDM crew

How does the Melbourne graffiti scene rate on an international level?

Melbourne scene rates as one of the best in the world,we have some of the dopest,most dedicated writers. As far as style writers Melbourne has always been at the forefront of innovation,  there is a rich history of writers pushing the boundaries and honing their craft,this tradition of mastery is being carried on by some really skilled new talent,which is awesome to see. Our home grown writers can cut it against the best in the world.

What does graffiti have to offer to society?

Visual stimulation, pleasure, displeasure, wasted magistrates time, clean up bills, herald sun stories to read

What role do legal walls have in graffiti?

Depends on your perspective, good to chill at on a Sunday with mates

Who are the fresh writers on the Melbourne scene atm?

wow that could be a long list for sure.....SOME of my faves atm Dvate,Askem,Duke,Bailer,Scaler,Ling,Porno,Sabeth, Mords, Silk, Plea, Dem189, Shem, Akuze, Shame, Tilts and so many more!

When does graffiti look bad? 

Most of the time..........

French artist, Choq

International graffiti tourists are attracted to Melbourne's Art Culture. This illustrates Melbourne's position on the world stage along with other big-name cities like London and Berlin. 

                                                         French Artist Choq in Brunswick
                                                   https://www.facebook.com/choq.world

"What a Character!"

In Melbourne, graffiti is more than just tags. These photos are examples of crews that use characters as their tag or calling card. The most infamous is of course is the Cat. Seen in the northern suburbs and particularly inner-west. It takes a lot of technique to develop a character in which you can throw-up quickly.

 Merri Creek, Alien Wizard
The wiz is like an extra terrestrial alien, with quint-essential, Australian cork hat for the funkin blow flies. 

 Brunswick
loving the blue-stone laneways of Melbs plastered with graff

 Brunswick
Graffiti is tasty!

Croydon

Melbourne
This quaint, adorable, character is often seen in and around the suburbs of Melbourne. Nufevah uses a variety of different materials and mediums to put up work. Nufevah works often come with an environmental message attached. Is it a type of whale?

Sinch

 Brunswick