Melbourne Street Art: Bandit to Blue-eyed Boy is a showcase of some of the street art of Melbourne and an exploration of a number of the social issues it has generated. The title is a reference to the Australian legend of Ned Kelly, who, 150 years ago, was a bushranger and outlaw and who is now depicted as a national hero. In the same vein, Melbourne street art is no longer an illegal activity, a scourge condemned by the general public and the establishment alike. Today it is a celebrated art form used to differentiate and promote the city, which has garnered an international reputation (City of Melbourne 2018). Serendipitously, one of Melbourne’s most famous street artists Ha Ha had already created an iconic stencil of Ned Kelly, which we have used as part of our branding.

 

The project will involve a presentation of research on the issues of Melbourne street art’s role in the gentrification of its inner city suburbs, the concept of ‘brandalism’ and the subsequent depoliticisation of the art form. According to Schacter (2015) ‘street art has been re-purposed to reel the creative class into particular urban spaces. Street art and street artists are today employed (quite literally) to accelerate the process of gentrification and mainline a sense of “authenticity” into a site’. Further, it is being claimed that today’s street art has become the playground of corporations, coining the term ‘brandalism’. ‘Around Melbourne, the biggest and prettiest pictures are giant street art-style murals, funded by corporations and often promoting shoes, drinks, medicines, and movies’ (Razak 2017). Hand-in-hand with brandalism goes depoliticisation of the art form. Street art, which traces its roots to New York in the 1970s, is often a form of protest or social commentary but many long-time Melbourne street artists claim the movement has sold out (Razak 2017).

 

There will be an investigation of the legal status of the art form through the legislation available as well as issues such as protection and heritage. City of Melbourne’s Graffiti Management Plan 2014-18 describes City of Melbourne's responses to illegal graffiti and street art and how legal street art is managed. However it is hoped a local council member will be willingly to provide an interview regarding the city’s attitudes towards street art and to comment on whether the integration of street art and subcultural graffiti into formal heritage frameworks will undermine their authenticity (Merril 2013).

 

Public opinion regarding issues related to Melbourne’s street art will be sought by way of interviews with people on the street. Attempts will also be made to interview some local artists and to actually film some street art in progress.

 

Part of the project will be a showcase of Melbourne’s street art, which although already well-documented, still warrants wide and continued coverage, due to its enduring popularity and ephemeral nature.

 

The final product will be a digital story which touches on the issues outlined above, while showcasing a variety of Melbourne street art, with the objective that viewers understand that there is more to this phenomena than just simple aesthetics.

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