Is street art, art?

This is not a creative outlet for myself ... but it is for other people and I have a habit of taking photos of good street art ... or graffiti.  Not all graffiti is street art in my opinion ... so is all street art, art?

I am getting quite sick and tired of the "tag" phenomenon, where graffiti or street art just becomes glorified lettering .... am I just getting old or is this boring for other people?  Catching the train into Melbourne a while ago I noticed that ALL of the graffiti along the railway line was lettering ... or tags really.  On some of them, someone has gone to a lot of detail ... but it's just words that don't mean anything to anyone .... unless you hang out with teenage boys and you know who the "taggers" are ...

I must admit I've been looking at graffiti and street art again, since seeing the movie "Exit through the Gift Shop" earlier this year.  Driving through North Fitzroy after, I recognised a sticker on the back of a sign that was an image by US street artist, Shepard Fairey - who features in the movie. 

Shepard Fairey sticker (the face one) on a sign in North Fitzroy.

I guess in some ways using the same image over and over again is some sort of a tag in itself ... it identifies the "tagger" .... but I far prefer to look at sometime like the face than a word an exaggerate dynamic font!!  There's a "tag" of a cat that is literally across the Western Suburbs ... I've seen it all over the place, in Footscray, Altona, Braybrook, Yarraville ...

Cat tag in Footscray on the side of a railway bridge.

And yes I don't mind the cat .... however I still love it when you come across a piece of street art that impresses you ... that really shows the creativity of the person, who, although breaking a law, is sharing something worthwhile with you.  I go looking for them ... rather than walk down a main street in Melbourne CBD ... why not a laneway?  I found the next piece pictured, in the city recently.  It's in a lane that runs from Bourke Street to Little Collins down the side of David Jones.  It's covered in graffiti ... or street art ... I really needed a fish eye lens to capture it properly ... I should go back one day with a different camera.

But does street art become art when it's actually commissioned?  There's no risk .... the artist is either paid for the work, or at the very least given permission to paint the area.  I stumbled across some recently when I took myself for a walk alongside Moonee Valley Creek (killing time before an appointment!).  I can only assume that prior to the artworks, that the concrete under this bridge was a prime "tagging" spot ... and I really do prefer the end results to a bunch of spray painted lettering.

Wikipedia defines art as "the product or process of deliberately arranging symbolic elements in a way that influences and affects the senses, emotions, and/or intellect."  I guess the fact I've even bothered to write about it in the first place ... or taken photos of it ... makes it art.  It must have affected some senses, emotions or intellect in me.  And if we go by the wikipedia definition (yes I know ... not the most academic of references) then the fact that tagging affects my senses (I hate it) ... well even that may be art.  (Big apologies to my friend Zette about this ... who is still fuming about the local tagger who has written "splash" on her fence .... she would really like to deal with Splash.)

So graffiti is art ... and one of my all time favourite pieces of graffiti is now long, long gone ... it used to be in Moor Street, Fitzroy ... I loved it so much I photographed it, which is great as I still get to share it with people.  It's not as paintly as some of the examples above ... in fact it's quite simple ... and witty ... and that's why I still think it's great.
Simple but witty ... a bit like me at times!

Unfortunately I haven't had much time for creativity lately, I have an assignment due for uni this Saturday and my hours are gradually increasing at work back to normal.   Not 100% full time yet, but before I do I need to schedule in more creative time so I don't slip back into bad habits. 

I now have a huge pile of ceramics to glaze .... I made 35 porcelain pendants in the end .. far more than I realised!  I'm in the process of sanding off rough edges and deciding on what to draw on the blank ones.  Hopefully once I submit this latest assignment I'll find a block of time to sit down and glaze.

In the meantime I've managed to sneak in the odd photo over the past two weeks.  I was working on a photoshoot for work ... photos of our students in action, our facilities etc - not exciting subject matter, but I enjoyed it anyway.  The last day we did at our Coburg campus were they teach all things automotive from truck engines to marine, lawn mowers and chainsaws to trims for car.  I found a couple of thins I couldn't help taking photos of.

Springs on a shelf in the Motorsports section

Cupboard under a spray booth for adhesives

I could of spent hours just taking photos for myself, but unfortunately that wasn't what I was there for ... so I manage a small number.  Pity, as the whole department will be moved in about a year to a new building being built in the Docklands.  Perhaps I'll get another chance at some stage, as it seems that I am attracted to "industrial beauty" .... or is that beauty found in industrial settings.  Whether it be urban decay, a pile of discarded materials, tools or a whole actual warehouse I love finding something attractive in not so obviously aesthetic appealing situations.

Safety gear in Motorsports

Spring has sprung

Spring has sprung, the rains have come and Victoria's all awash ...

However, Melbourne seems to have survived the storms and I'm loving all the colours of flowers everywhere.  Blossoms, magnolias, wattle and daffodils ... now just need a couple more sunny days where I can do more urban exploring.  I have a list ready ... now where's the sun.

My plum tree all in blossom.

Bisque firing was a success!

I'm very happy to announce that the first firing of my ceramics pieces was a success ... other than the pieces I smashed before even getting to the kiln!!  There are some hair line cracks in the cake stand but being so fine, they will hopefully fill with glaze.  We are also wondering if these cracks have appeared because it was at the top of the kiln and therefore cooled quicker than the pieces that are deep in the kiln.  I suppose we'll find out when we do some more!

Now I just have to decide on how to finish all the pieces .... what glazes to use ... what effects ...

Just found a great blog from a ceramic artist in Adelaide that uses some gorgeous retro designs and some interesting glazing techniques ... I'm no where near their level but the posts are very interesting ... wondering if they have ever tried house paint like some ceramics artists did in Australia in the 50s ...

http://retroceramicdesign.blogspot.com/

All fired up! Well almost ....

My house has been a pottery drying area for a number of weeks now ... and even just in the drying process I've learned more about pottery.  I already knew that the pieces would shrink (about 10% they say), but seeing is believing.  I made a cake-stand that I originally thought would be of a decent size.  It's really now only for small cakes but I'll wait to see what the end result is like before I decide how big I'll make the next one!  In the drying process the top of it probably shrunk about a cm around all sides.

Terracotta cakestand (still greenware at this stage)

I'm a bit nervous about a vase I made .... it really isn't the most stable of pieces, although I like the shape!  Again, another direction that may have to be rethought if I make another one of these ... perhaps a flat bottom!

And then there's the lattice pieces I made which are extremely fragile in their greenware state.  I've taken a risk with these pieces - any moving of them has been done with great care and I'm worried they are too fragile.   I also don't know if I've used the right clay - for this kind of fine work I probably should of used porcelain ... however this is all really a learning process and about creating, so I should take the mistakes as lessons learned!

Lattice piece with terracota coil pot in the background.

Coil pot

So today I finally, carefully packed up my various pieces of greenware pottery and transported them over to Spotswood for firing, and I have to admit I'm nervous and excited.  I can't wait to see what works - and of course what doesn't work.  Unfortunately it was not without disaster.  The first mishap was while I tried to pack the vase pictured above.  I knocked the table and in saving the vase from toppling and smashing I put my hand down on the table in the quick save action right on top of one of my lattice pieces ... now not really worth firing.  Then a couple of the porcelain pendants snapped in half.  Wow this greenware stuff needs kid gloves!

The unfortunate fall out.

Naturally I wasn't that happy about the lattice piece.  Even though it really is an experiment I wanted it to work - back to the drawing board with this one.  I'll try it again but with slightly thicker lattices and in porcelain which being a finer clay can cope better with being thinner.

I drive to Spotswood was done very carefully with Zette our careful driver, Geoff (our firing master) and myself (me in the back in back nursing the pieces as best I could).  The unpacking at the other end was going to be telling as well.  I was beginning to wish I done a big solid piece like Zette had!  Luckily I only lost one or two more pendants (I've done quick a few), but alas I also lost the other lattice piece - the bowl pictured up above.  So I never will know how that clay in that kind of fine work will fire ... so on to the porcelain version as it seems less risky.

Next will be learning about glazes, that is if all the remaining pieces survive the firing - there could be some more lessons there as well!  I'm particularly curious about decals and also about using house paint to decorate pieces.  Yes house paint!  I read somewhere that you can use it on greenware.  I find this a little hard to believe as I would of thought it would burn off, but apparently some artists used to do it in the 50s.  If that's the case I'm imagining lead based paints, which some glazes used to be, or enamel paint rather than acrylic.  I've tried research this on-line, and although I've come across the odd comments on pottery forums where someone suggests you experiment with house paint they don't go into any details.  Like at what stage?  On Greenware, a second firing, no firing - but after all the process?  And what type of house paint?  I guess I'll just have to do what the pottery forums said ... and experiment!!

So tomorrow it all gets stacked up into the kiln .... fired for three days making sure the kiln has plenty of time to cool afterwards (opening too soon can also crack pieces).  I can't wait to see the end results and start my next lot of experiments!

Beach Huts

I've been meaning to do a photo session at a little known corner of South Werribee for a while now.  While the South Eastern bay beaches in Melbourne are well known, and frequently visited - the western parts of the bay coast are not so known .... which is why I love them so much.

Admittedly the beaches aren't quite so long ... and often covered in seaweed ... but I love them all the same.  Years ago I knew a couple that owned ("leased") one of the beach huts at Campbell's Cove, and one summers day and night a whole group of us went down there ... and ended up sleeping on the beach ... and I've always intended to go back ...

I eventually did - a couple of weeks ago .... the first sunny day we had had in a while.  Unfortunately I got down there all keen to take photos ... before realising I had left the battery out of my camera .... I did finally get back there ...

The thing about Campbell's Cove is not the scenic beauty ... or immaculately maintained beach huts like you might find on the other side of Melbourne ... but there's a different kind of beauty here ... one of character, history and many untold stories.  It's a secluded little corner of Melbourne which I am almost reluctant to write about ... but I am.

In fact, I wouldn't mind owning one of these!

I

My Campbell's Cove photos were actually taken over two days.  I took a mate of mine down here late one Saturday afternoon .... I think on the way there he was wondering where on earth I was leading him too .... however once there he got it as well and was surprised he'd never known about it.  We took photos until yet again I had battery problems (it ran out!!) and the light was fading fast  Disappointed we returned home ... not without me pointing out to him that there's a nudist beach not far from here!  As soon as I did he slammed on the brakes ... that was until I pointed out that in August it really is too cold for any sun bathing!!

The next morning I woke up to a brilliant sunny morning ... in fact with much better light conditions than the day before ... so I jumped out of bed and headed back down to finish my photo taking.

Pirate Booty

With so many bright colours, left over boating bits and just things to see .... it's little wonder that in under 3 hours I took nearly 700 photos!  Yes - I am a little ummm keen on photography!

If you want to see more from this little Urban Adventure, please see my Flickr profile ... but here's a couple more of my favourites.

I somehow think I will be returning here in different weather conditions ... there's still so much I could take photos of for a start.  Secondly, I seem to have a thing about water ... whether it be the sea, a creek, a river or a lake .... I should probably live closer to the coast.

I hope you like this little corner I've found you ... but shhhh ... it's a well kept secret!

Urban Exploring

Wikipedia defines Urban exploration (often shortened as urbex or UE) as the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas or industrial facilities.

However, my definition is a bit looser than this.  Mine is purely exploring ... whether it be urban environments or rural ... I like to see things in different ways - to find beauty where you least expect it, and my eyes and my camera are the tools to share these finds.

Sometimes I will plan an exploration, sometimes I just decide to see where a road or a path leads.  And as I usually have a camera with me, if I find a good shot, out it comes!!

Its amazing what you find, and I've surprised some friends from finding things in their local areas they have never even known about ...

Open a map - throw down stone ... go and explore where it lands!!

Here's some photos from a recent trip.

I have been driving through Altona a lot for medical appointments.  The Petrol Refineries fascinate me ... and some of the wide open spaces around here (which unfortunately are quickly disappearing).  I had noticed some old signage in a field that amused me and that inspired me to try a different road one day ....

Abandoned KFC bucket ... in a field in Altona.

With time to kill before an appointment I decided to follow a road that appeared to go nowhere ... but I had to find out how to get to it first ... and this nicely took me to a different angle of the petrol plant ....

And to the Altona East Soccer Club ...

But I finally found the way to the road I had seen .... and to my delight lead to Kororoit Creek or lower Kororoit Creek since I leave near the creek but much further up.  Slowly over the past 3 years there have been attempts to clean the creek up a bit.  It was once quite clean apparently - up near me there used to be a swimming pool built into the creek - that stopped being used between to the two world wars ... when the creek became mucky with pollution ...

Somewhere in the past year, they have built a bridge over the creek and joined up two parts of Altona ... and alongside the creek they are making walking paths, and planting trees ... but the bit that I loved the most was the public art that had been installed here.  The day I discovered this I was still quite unwell ... massive headaches, dizziness ... I walked only a short distance along the path before realising I just couldn't do it.  I did end up coming back a few weeks later with a friend and her dog and we followed the path.  The following photos are first of the sculpture on first discovery, and then a couple of photos when I shared my discovery with Zette and her dog Peanut.

The Art piece from a distance

I love the effects of the sticks, the red and white and the shadows of the late afternoon.

When we did come back for the walk the thing that struck me the most was how quiet it was ... yes there was industry just over the fence ... and some noises associated with that, but apart from that there was so little other signs of life ... no other people out walking ... just us two and the dog ... oh and a lot of rabbits, which of course got chased!

Unusual growth spied on the walk.

Although late in the day, the bushes were all laced with droplets and sparkled at you as you walked past.

One of my favourite things to see in late winter ... Wattle blossoms ... to me they are a sign that spring is coming ...

One of the neighbours to the creek path.

So that's my exploration of Lower Kororoit Creek - well that section of the creek anyway - there's others!

I'll be coming back here later in the year when it's not raining so much and I'll get more pics.

But of course I have other places I must visit ... other photos to take ...