Perspectives 75
Grassroots to Selfies-Paradise by April-Kaye Ikinci
In 2009, in a grungy corner of Melbourne, 2 street cultures lived side-by-side. The homeless/the Street People and others at risk and the graffiti artists and taggers. Both lots ever changing. On the connecting uneven, narrow, old blue-stone lanes, canyoned by industrial C19th and C20th brick or concrete three-storey buildings, they passed each other and went about their business. One lot to THE LIVING ROOM, a Primary Health Care access point for food and drink; access to nurses and doctor; emergency help or information or advice; use of showers, washing and drying machines; shelter, seating and company during the day; computer time and other facilities that make life better living or at least livable. Part of the landmark visibility were those not at ease with inside spaces or wanting to smoke, sat outside in the lane, on upturned colourful milk crates and watched the street scene. Some commented loudly positively or negatively on what they saw. The other lot, mainly young, male, with their spray cans of paint in backpacks and eyes at attention to pinpoint a wall space to suit their own next actions of image-making on the walls. These walls already decorated, nay embellished, were asymmetrical patchworkstyle with wondrous, weird, clever, sly-funny, challenging and left-field markings, tagging, pictures, motifs, paper-prints and stencils done by others before; probably in the silence of the late late inner-city night. The SprayPainters noticed what was done, and appreciated the range from the individual artist making her/his social commentary to the skilled StreetArtist who decorated the small restaurant’s outside wall with verve and pattern-making to keep the profile of the business visible. And to discourage constant new “painting” with its paint fumes that seeped into the eatery. They showed respect of others by not intruding on or over-painting their work, and even sometimes recognised their street names. April-Kaye Ikinci © 2017 Halleluiah
