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

April-Kaye Ikinci © 2017 Elle-Elder

They made their marks in spaces newly discovered on the wall, in niches or gaps or weather-degraded paper images and when space became a premium, ventured deeper into the hidden back lanes to spray their desired presentation, often standing on stacked emptied milk crates that had held their cans.

And I met young ones there, from Western Australia and elsewhere who said that they knew Melbourne as the Graffiti and Street Art Capital. The LIVING ROOM Mob at Xmas (and at other times when numbers and interest was up), played informal cricket in the lane, had a barbecue and had a Pinata-bashing session releasing lots of socks to gratified receivers and cheererons. I was Art Therapy Staff for a season and assisted people to set up Piñata-making sessions and individual and group art events and decorations. I noticed the street scene too.

As the holidays approached, the SprayPainters got younger and younger, more clumps appeared and seemed to come from further away in the suburbs and took less care about others’ images. Sometimes the lanes were full of fumes and teenage boys on milk crates. The smokers had mixed feelings and some found other places to be. And the word had also spread to those who came to view and rejoice in this perceived-as-rebel or taking-one’spublic-space phenomena. Cameras and fans and even arttourists from camera clubs and art courses started to visit.

My favourite graffiti got painted over. I left around that time and went onto other things. Recently I revisited with winter clothes for their emergency stores. The lane was very crowded. Once I could safely notice my route up the lane, I noticed other things: that most of the sub-culture stuff was gone. Grand accomplished expensive-amount-of paint realist huge portraits and images had overtaken the walls. Tags had overtaken the restaurant patterning. There was still some good stuff but it felt self-conscious. And the tourists were now Overseas Far East people, and Other Australian States visitors, International students and Outer Suburban families on a Day-in-Town, many posing in front of these images for Selfies or Tour photos. It was now on some map. A huge door had been opened in one of the old industrial walls of the lane, and a super hip, American-style young person’s upmarket MALL of sharp, modern clothes, of fashion slick sporty shoes etc with black & white and silver trims, brand labels and led-light strips, that exuded wealth, youth and jive. Opposite the smokers’ corner. And today of all days that I might visit there, the Emporium had a Street Party, with a smoking fire in a cauldron in the middle of the lane. With a security guard who was obviously a new migrant wide-eyed and not sure of what he is seeing, and unclear if this behavior is normal and accepted in Australia. Also with a film crew and a couple of publicity-savvy StreetArtists at the ready.

Two cultures plus and minus. **************************************

April-Kaye Ikinci©2019