Street Art 101

 

I think Melbourne locals know how beautiful, vibrant and interesting their city is - the appreciation they have for their surrounds is written on their faces and ground into the soles of their shoes.

They travel by tram; they walk in the Tan; they go that extra block to find a new pop-up shop.

The most fascinating feature of Melbourne to me, a newbie, is the street art. It's everywhere in my neighbourhood, Fitzroy. It changes every day, as things should. It's good, it's bad, it's ugly, as life is. Why does someone want to project an idea or image onto a building, only to have it painted over soon after, I ask myself each morning as I discover something new.

Much of the art is symbolism and type, but just as much are faces. I wonder - is this the secret of Melbourne's beauty.

We build a city shape through bricks and mortar and concrete, but then we breathe life into the shape by brushing and spraying street art onto buildings. It's that seminal human need to make a mark, become part of something more permanent, leave something behind to be remembered. And through this, we see ourselves on every facade, and make it truly a city of people.