Melbourne is the street art capital of Australia. For 20 years, street art has grown from being tagged on trips to entire alleys and murals 20 stories high. Local works can be found not only on the streets, but also in modern art galleries around the world. Artists hold solo exhibitions and collaborate with well-known brands, and the painted alleys have become one of the main attractions in Melbourne.
How it all began?
1984 is considered the start of street art culture in the city. Then the famous American graffiti artist Keith Haring flew to Australia and painted several works in Melbourne. The work on the Wall of the College of Technology (35 Johnston St, Collingwood) in Collingwood has been preserved and is now listed as a Victoria Heritage Site. This is one of 31 works by Keith Haring in the world.
Later, tags and graffiti began to appear on trains, on old houses, and on walls in narrow aisles between streets. Melbourne has an unusual downtown layout – the main wide streets are separated by numerous narrow lanes. They are conveniently hidden from prying eyes, which is why they have become popular with street artists. And the creative atmosphere in the city only added color to the walls.
In the 2000s, stencil art was at the peak of popularity – this is when a drawing is applied through a stencil. Artists began to put provocative and social meaning into their work, thereby drawing more attention to the street art scene. In 2003, the famous Banksy rats appeared on the walls of Melbourne. In total, there are about 9 of his works. Unfortunately, none of them survived – the owner of the building painted over a few, a couple were spoiled by vandals, and the rest were city workers when they were cleaning the walls. And in 2004 Melbourne hosted the world’s first stencil art festival. After these events, the city was swept by a new wave – there were more and more artists, drawings, styles and techniques. People began to come to see the famous painted alleys.
Of course, street art was not limited to the capital. For example, a three-hour drive in the city of Benalla hosts a large-scale Wallto Wall festival every year. And the Silo Art Trail runs through the regional cities of the state.