Urban Art

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The second installment of the PaintUp! series has recently been completed, gracing Rutledge Lane within Melbourne's CBD. The larger than life mural in an altogether difficult area to spot, is the work of artist DVate and was completed with the help of high access machinery.

Best viewed from the adjoining multi-level car park, the work is the result of a City of Melbourne/Hosier Inc initiative which hopes to further activate the Hosier-Rutledge precinct. March 2014 witnessed the <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/paint-up-hosier-lane-reaches-for-the-sky">first PaintUp!</a> take shape, which saw a mural of an Aboriginal boy created over the real of 161 Finders Lane.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/img_6546.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="PaintUp! round two"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="870" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_6546.jpg?itok=ryXcAXvs" title="PaintUp! round two" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>PaintUp! round two</figcaption></figure>On a different note parts of Hosier Lane face an uncertain future with the approved Forum Theatre regeneration which includes a 107 metre mixed-use tower holding laneway frontage, subject to a <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/david-marriners-forum-theatre-project-on-hosier-lane-faces-mounting-legal-challenges-20150310-13zu1y">legal challenge</a>. With the tower 67 metres above the preferred but not binding height limit for the area, opponents believe the structure will have an excessive impact upon what is one of Melbourne's biggest tourist drawcards and historic low-rise precincts.

As reported during early March, the approved scheme was before a planning tribunal with an outcome expected to be made public in the not too distant future.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/img_6518.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A quiet Sunday morning"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_6518.jpg?itok=0HGa3iUp" title="A quiet Sunday morning" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A quiet Sunday morning</figcaption></figure>View the image set below of what's new on and around Hosier and Rutledge Lanes.
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Rutledge Lane reaches for the sky

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Urban.com.au has highlighted Hosier Lane <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/hosier-lane-off-the-boil">more than enough times</a> and fairly so, with the tourist attraction never short on something new to gaze upon.

Along with a new retail/cafe space as part of the 167 Flinders Lane redevelopment, new artworks continue to appear in the area. Enjoy the pictures.
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Hosier Lane in the shadows of 2015

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Having little more than an appreciation of what Hosier Lane adds to Melbourne's urban environment, it is hard to accurately judge where the renowned street art hub is at.

According to HosierLane.com street art "Mostly refers to unsanctioned work born illicitly by defacing a wall or other surface, however can take many forms including, spray paint, stencil art." With that in mind outsiders such as myself are in no position to judge the validity of what is currently adorning the walls of Hosier Lane.

I would suggest the precinct reached its zenith visually late last year with the sanctioned <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/paint-it-black-hosier-lane-reborn" target="_blank">Paint It Black</a> project, but as Urban.com.au member Melbourne Fragments stated "This complete commidification and partitioning of ownership goes totally againt the whole point of street art and the reason this laneway became popular for it."

For comparison sake, see the Hosier Inc compilation video created earlier this year which highlights the array of murals; most of which have come and gone.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="398" scrolling="no" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Y95fMa58SXs" width="100%"></iframe>

As it stands Hosier Lane looks more an exercise in excessive tagging than a muse for budding artists, but once more, what would I know.

View the relatively light yet still interesting current batch of Hosier Lane street art below, and as always enjoy.
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Hosier Lane off the boil?

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In light of last week's <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/fishermans-bend-strategic-framework-plan-released" target="_blank">Fishermans Bend revised structure plan announcement</a>, it seemed an opportune time to meander through Montague Precinct, more specifically the area east of Montague Street and north of City Road.

This particular slice of Montague Precinct is home to the majority of current planning applications for the Urban Renewal Area, all of which are high-rise in nature. Expected to be a showcase of contemporary urban design, the area currently has little by way of urban character save for the odd structure worthy of retention.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/img_7580.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Remarkably wide roads present an opportunity "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_7580.jpg?itok=qxaGsJes" title="Remarkably wide roads present an opportunity " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Remarkably wide roads present an opportunity</figcaption></figure>More than any other factor, the existing road infrastructure became immediately noticeable. Immensely wide roads that seemingly carry comparatively little road traffic.

Could it be that in the existing road network lies the key to avoiding some of the blunders of Docklands? This road network to my way of thinking provides much scope and opportunity to create a cohesive precinct-wide landscape and pedestrian plan, prior to the first tower even gaining approval.

By doing so, Montague Precinct could avoid the haphazard nature of Docklands in terms of road network, urban experience and dotted development which has led to the general malaise surrounding the precinct.

Regardless, enjoy the images below, for the most taken on a quiet Sunday morning.
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What Montague Precinct currently has to offer

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Think Lygon Street, East Brunswick and the snapshot below is the vision many readers are familiar with: an evolving thoroughfare with all the bustle and colour expected of an area with a semi-bohemian feel and a rapidly increasing population.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Img_3518.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Lygon Street, East Brunswick vista"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_3518.jpg?itok=C3G_vMjr" title="The Lygon Street, East Brunswick vista" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Lygon Street, East Brunswick vista</figcaption></figure>Most would not be aware of the labyrinth of half blocks, alleys and cul-de-sac's that are mere metres from Lygon Street. Forming a <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Brunswick+East+VIC/@-37.7689734,144.9749164,16z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x6ad64494291c9ac5:0x5045675218cd600" target="_blank">snaking border between Brunswick and East Brunswick</a>, the laneways immediately west of Lygon Street (many with no signage) create an oasis of sorts from the hubbub near by.

Frequented by few, the back street network also provides an ideal canvas for some of Melbourne's better known street artists to ply their trade. It seems the artists are drawn to the area in part due to the presence of artist studios and the like, with Ann Street particularly strong. Whatever the case some of the artwork is incredible!

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Img_3429.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A typical Brunswick / East Brunswick back street"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_3429.jpg?itok=P8bCe0Ze" title="A typical Brunswick / East Brunswick back street" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A typical Brunswick / East Brunswick back street</figcaption></figure>Enjoy the pictures below featuring artworks west of Lygon Street on the border of Brunswick and East Brunswick, taken on a fine Sunday afternoon.
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East of Brunswick, West of Lygon

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Having walked through Fitzroy now a number of times with the intent of capturing street art amongst other topics, it seems a fairly pointless exercise trying to catalogue all the epic pieces of street art in one article.  Therefore today's piece focuses on an area south of Johnston Street, essentially bound by Nicholson Street, Smith Street, Chapel/Victoria Street and of course Johnston Street - and bisected by Brunswick Street of course.
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/IMG_1075.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A typical laneway found around Johnston Street"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" height="468" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/IMG_1075.jpg?itok=GL2R9K61" title="A typical laneway found around Johnston Street" width="702"></a>
Best summed as a split between tight, maze-like laneways and typically open street scenes, this pocket of Fitzroy really does warrant some time for the individual to explore and appreciate its many idiosyncrasies, of which street art is but one.  In a general perspective hats off to Yarra City Council for maintaining and encouraging the urban fabric of Fitzroy.  A snippet of Yarra City Council's Public Art Policy reads a s follows:
Council’s aim is to provide more opportunities for local artists to create works that can be displayed in public and for increased community access to public art and design.  Most public art projects supported by Council in recent years have been delivered on an ad-hoc basis. The aim of a Public Art Policy is to present a framework that can, among other things, recommend how public art projects are developed, funded and located.  The policy could also provide the scope for art to be considered, identified and integrated into the earliest planning stages of Council’s civic works projects, allowing for the design and function to influence the art and vice versa.
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/IMG_1064.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Abito Apartments compliments the streetscape"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" height="468" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/IMG_1064.jpg?itok=xCWjZ-b5" title="Abito Apartments compliments the streetscape" width="702"></a>
Chapel Street, Fitzroy is the point of origin for this article, itself a microcosm for select factors that make Fitzroy what it is - disparate cafes, heritage design and of course street art. From Chapel Street it's a westerly journey toward Nicholson Street in this narrow corridor of artwork.
Enjoy the images.
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South of Johnston

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Parts of Melbourne's famous Hosier Lane and Rutledge Lane combination may have <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/after-the-blue-rutledge-lane" target="_blank">turned blue</a> during August, yet last weekend marked the first time both thoroughfares have been wiped clean so to speak, with a fresh start in mind.  A team of workers and artists applied a black undercoat to all areas with the intention of reserving plots for specific artists. Scissorlifts, traffic management and security all played their part as existing works were painted over, ready for the transformation that followed.

Labelled the 'All Your Walls' project, Hosier Lane's revamp is part of the <a href="http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/exhibitions/melbourne-now/explore/artists" target="_blank">Melbourne Now</a> exhibition championed by the National Gallery of Victoria which seeks "Engagement with artists and audiences, through ground-breaking artists projects, commissions for kids and families, architecture and design initiatives, and curatorial engagement with dance, performance, music and sound."

'All Your Walls' is a two part program where last weekend focused upon the higher areas of the buildings surrounding both lanes, while November 29th will see completion as lower levels are bought to life.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/1_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/1_2.jpg?itok=2vlQ-lyE" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

Given the clean, vivid colours on show at present, the completed works toward the end of November will be a sight to behold.

See below progression images taken over a number of days - click for a larger view.
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Paint It Black - Hosier Lane reborn

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In previous months Urban.com.au has covered at a variety of different locations throughout Melbourne in terms of street and/or urban art, yet today we look at the heavyweight that is Fitzroy. Well documented for its grit and character, the bohemian nature of Fitzroy gives rise to a strong urban art culture, something that is evident in just about every street, lane and alley through the area.

Starting at Johnston Street and Brunswick Street, ever expanding loops of the suburb will deliver a seemingly endless supply of murals, stencils, sculptures, statues and so on - an easy way to burn the best part of a day should you be inclined. Yet for the quintessential Fitzroy artwork, you need not go past the eastern wall of Night Cat. Titled 'Welcome to sunny Fitzroy' and the product of <a href="http://www.everfreshstudio.com/blog/" target="_blank">Everfresh Studio</a>, the massive mural is now the areas most recognised image that encapsulates Fitzroy perfectly.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Img_6897.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Fitzroy Everfresh @ Night Cat"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_6897.jpg?itok=rnGcsHV_" title="Fitzroy Everfresh @ Night Cat" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Fitzroy Everfresh @ Night Cat</figcaption></figure>The images below were taken throughout 2013. While some artwork will endure, many have now been replaced with newer pieces or simply faded into obscurity. Such is the scale of artwork and constant change through Fitzroy, Urban.com.au just might need a repeat tour in the near future.

For the time being though, expand and enjoy the images.
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Impressions of Fitzroy

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Another installment today in a series of urban street art tours, this time focusing on Little Smith Street Fitzroy. As is generally the way, stumbling into an area unintentionally can often lead to interesting results as seen in the article slideshow.  Little Smith Street as per the image below seems like a typical laneway, yet devote the time to walk its length and a myriad of street art works are there to be viewed adding to an otherwise uneventful walk.
Laneways such as Little Smith Street may not be the most visible or popular topic on Melburnians minds yet it's little gems such as these that add to the urban experience and the fabric of a suburb; and that's why UrbanMelbourne.info will always find interest in areas such as this.
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Img_7013.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Little Smith Street from the south"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_7013.jpg?itok=21z5-1JT" title="Little Smith Street from the south" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
No doubt by now many of these have faded into obscurity or have been replaced by new works. If for no other reason it gives UrbanMelbourne.info a reason to visit the area once more down the track.  Enjoy the photo set below captured earlier this year.
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Little Smith Street, big style

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So the half year has come and gone, an opportune moment then to take a brief look at what Hosier Lane and Rutledge Lane have thrown up during the first half of 2013. Ever changing, most of the images through the area live a short life, superseded by new and interesting artworks on a regular basis.

For what it's worth, this piece below is my standout. Appearing in June it's subtle yet with a detail that allows her eyes to seemingly follow the viewer - great stuff!

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Img_4889.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Sitting comfortably within its confines"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_4889.jpg?itok=xM1kjYDN" title="Sitting comfortably within its confines" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
<figcaption>Sitting comfortably within its confines</figcaption></figure>Enjoy the images below of Hosier and Rutledge Lane's, and the many people who frequent them.
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