Go down the drains

 

Pam the bird

Pam the bird has acquired a larger than life status on the streets and rooftops across Melbourne. Appearing recently on The Project, Pam offers an anything is possible attitude. By painting unimaginable locations across Melbourne Pam has earnt respect traversing the graffiti sub-culture into the mainstream psyche. It must be mentioned there are many graffiti writers across Melbourne that have gained similar status for their achievements. Obviously those include but are not limited to writers Pork, Nost, Jetso/Peezor, Uzi, Heef, Gettinup, Golfa, RIP Sinch etc. 

The below photo shows Bradmill in Yarraville one of the last relics of the former working class suburb. As the traffic travels across the west gate bridge, city bound you are greeted at eye level with the graffiti saturated Bradmill. A former cotton textile factory that once operating from 1927 until its closure in 2006. This site has attracted visitors from far and wide to witness and paint one of the most notorious of Melbourne's abandoned buildings. *More on this in a later post. The best roof-top spots already taken, Pam shows respect by finding a new space amongst the clutter, capturing the roof. The competition to claim bigger, bolder and more outrageous spots is a long running story in the Melbourne graffiti scene. 70K graffiti crew from late 90's were likely the first to set the high bar for hard to reach locations (see below when Renks and Stan tagged every window of an abando in the CBD). They were prolific and painted heaven pieces higher than anyone else. Since then many artists have followed with people like Nost and Pork more recently bombing and piecing high-profile spots never painted before. The story continues, whilst Pam was caught, before long the next graffiti artist will emerge. Whilst a number of people have walked to the west-gate Pam is really one of the few that climbed it and left a mark despite every obstacle possible. Special mention to Uzi for his buffed tag is still legible on the middle pylon. Often just a simple outline the innocent bird appears across the city reaching new heights and flying free.  

 

 

The Tassie connection

Gold Rush-Ballarat

Once a town of wealth built on gold. The third largest city in Victoria sits 1.5 hours West of Melbourne. The Western Fwy takes you through the culturally desolate and sprawling monotnous suburbs of Caroline Springs, Melton and Rockbank. These modern pop-up towns sit in contrast to Ballarat containing some of the oldest buildings in Victoria. Land of Wadawurrung people, prior to invasion that in the space of 200 years was profoundly changed by hopes and dreams. The chance of striking it lucky in goldfields lead to an economic boom rarely experienced elsewhere in Australia on this scale. Large, grandiose buildings stand lining the streets providing a glimpse into the past. The big, bold 1800's architecture a critical element to providing canvas for modern art for the people by the people-graffiti. These similar traits are found in other early colonial cities elsewhere like Launceston, Hobart in Tasmania and Bendigo, Ballarat, Melbourne in Victoria. The tucked away train lines, alley ways, laneways and stormwater drains are all unique features of this period utilised by the urban graffiti artist.

What remains of creeks and waterways in the city are now drains, many lined with bluestone

                                                                        Local crews

                                                                    Melbourne vagrant

 

Abandoned buildings, Truganina

Abandoned former business in Truganina, West of Melbourne. There is a higher portion of abandoned buildings in the west, often associated with developers waiting for re-zoning or permits for sub-division. This awkward little pocket of derelict land used to be Plains Grassland. Since European settlement only 1% of Victoria's remnant grassland remains. After its closure indigenous plant Austrostipa bigeniculata (Tall spear-grass) has flourished and is recolonizing land. Typical Western Melbourne graffiti writers on display Prix and Logik from AFP and the infamous Lush Cat.

 

Graffiti nearby

CKA crew

The trackside walls along the Werribee train line are culturally rich in graffiti. Big name artists come to paint the back walls of industrial buildings. This first piece is particularly unique with the use of a free style approach colour outside the lines approach. The 2nd piece shows a change to a public style directly related to its prime track-side position. 

                                                       City Krims Again, City Krime Art