You might wonder why many elladee_images posts focus on street art in one form or another. Or you might not. But anyway…
In August 2011 the G.O. and I moved 2.6 kms from the Sydney city fringe village of Darlington where any unofficial art painted on-street surfaces seemed to be immediately “tidied up”, to the Inner West village of Erskineville at the St Peters end, neighbouring Newtown.
I wasn’t too happy about the relocation. What redeemed it? Street art. We’ve always been regulars in and around Newtown where murals and street art have long been evident but at about the time we moved street art came out of the back alleys and into its own right especially around our new neigbourhood. In the ensuing time since our move even Darlington has come along.
My day to day life is pretty routine so it’s a boon for me to be going about my business and come across a new offering. I’m not alone in my appreciation of the art form.
I read a recent interview with local street artist Nico.
“… I enjoy painting the inner west because I feel that the works are embraced here more than in any other area in Sydney. Painting in the Inner West is always a pleasure, as there are so many people here that really appreciate the artform. In my opinion, the Inner West is far more progressive and culturally aware than the rest of the city…”
At the moment, I’m enjoying the relaxed form of stencils and paste ups. Here’s a few more I spotted recently.
Why do I love street art? This says it best.“Art is an evolutionary act.The shape of art and its role in society is constantly changing.At no point is art static. There are no rules.”
Quote: You don’t make art, you find it ~ Pablo Picasso
daleleelife101.blog 
I’m ambivalent about it. But having said that, I enjoy many of your photos, and I was gutted when a beautiful Buddha in a tunnel through one of our old gateways was painted out due to a refurb. Of course, I’d never taken a photo, so I’m hoping the original artist will put him back. So far, no luck. It was a young Buddha and I liked the way he smiled benignly on all the passers-by giving them good feng shui.
Isn’t art like music, and literature, and sculpture? There shouldn’t be any rules and we all take out of it what we enjoy.
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Your last para sums it up, and as far as street art goes it’s also about context I think. What works on a wall in Newtown is probably not going to in Vaucluse. I think street artists get that, graffitists & taggers, not.
That’s the other thing of it, street art is mostly temporary, as per your Buddha. Also, my paste up owls and skull… which melted off the tunnel walls during the 10 straight days of rain.
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I do like to see street art when whole walls become what could only be described as a work of art, but often, when several artists do ‘their own thing’ it can look very bitty.
In Worcester we often see pavement artists, some with such talent the 3D effect makes a flat paved area look like a gaping hole.
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So true, there does need to be an element of art for it to be considered truly street art 🙂
I have only seen that kind of pavement art via the internet – would be great to see it for real.
I have seen some great pavement chalk artists in Sydney, who do astounding good classical artwork in the form of busking.
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I like the shot of the “Don’t grow up it’s a trap” in blue. The character struck me as a fish although I don’t think it’s meant to be! I enjoyed seeing it whatever it is? I’ve changed my gravatar to something less loud. Does it get the elladee thumbs up or down? Best wishes, N 🙂
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EllaDee thumbs up for the new gravatar. Stylish and distinctive 🙂
You are correct, it is a fish. Which is in the style of an old fashioned advertisement/shop sign, I think. The words are a quote of unknown source, which if you Google it, is quite prolific.
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I think street is great, and I love seeing it, I don’t like to see it everywhere and over everything, but I like the well thought out stuff and the really well done stuff.
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I agree, I think context is an important consideration and areas like Newtown & surrounds, and the laneways of Melbourne’s CBD area great gallery but it’s not necessarily appropriate elsewhere or in any form at all 🙂
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“Don’t grow up, it’s a trap.” I love that. I wonder if they would come and put that on my kitchen wall? 🙂
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There’s a variety on Google images 🙂
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I love love the fish’s quote. This is all quite lovely – we just get ugly gang tagging which everyone fights like crazy. Down in the city there’s some original beautiful walls if you know where to look – but here it’s more battle colors. But this area isn’t exactly the stomping grounds for serious emerging out of the box thinkers. Missing that.
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Thank you… I think tagging is ubiquitous but we don’t seem to see quite so much as other neighbourhoods. I like the serious street art but I’m in love with the paste ups and the quirky stencils.
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Talking of quirky bits – that gun totin’ cat after the bird is delicious! So the top-hatted fish “Don’t Grow Up” piece is a stencil, right? What about the gun pointed at the fleeing birds? I don’t know all these refinements and the appropriate jargon, EllaDee 🙂
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Yes, they are stencils, and they and paste-ups are currenly my favourite exactly because of their quirkiness 🙂
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