After the Blue - Rutledge Lane

Rutledge Lane, one of Melbourne's premier graffiti art laneways branching off the more well known Hosier Lane was transformed last weekend, when Adrian Doyle of Darkhorse Experiment fame boldly replaced the Lane's striking graffiti with a simple baby blue covering, entitled Empty Nursery Blue. With the backing of Melbourne City Council everything from the walls, garbage bins and even the asphalt was covered in blue paint, with the past artworks adorning the Lane consigned to history.

Earlier this week the Sydney Morning Herald ran a piece which detailed Adrian Doyle's rationale behind the paint job, his expectations and the backlash from other artists.

While much artwork was lost, it created a blank canvas for Melburnians to work with, and like moths to a flame it didn't take long for street artwork to make a reappearance. Walking through this week, the laneway was full of graffiti artists, locals and tourists exploring the 'new' Rutledge Lane.

Below are some images I took on my journey through - click for a larger version.