The Graffiti Crowd

Melbourne's Hosier Lane must be one of the most visited back alleys in Asutralasia. It's famous for its ever-changing display of graffiti. There isnt a surface that hasn't been touched by some enthusiastic graffiti artist - many who seem quite happy to 'scale the heights' to reach the most inaccessible places.

I wander there every time I visit Melbourne and this year, I hung about photographing the photographers. If you wait long enough, someone will always come along and make a twit of themselves for the sake of a take-home photo. I like that - not because I want photos of people looking stupid, but because it reinforces for me that there are vast numbers of people (like me), who find a fun and joyousness in good street art and graffiti, that is somehow liberating. Perhaps I'm just relating to the irrepressible spirit - of both the artists and the photographers/visitors - who want to 'break out of the societal mould' occasionally.

I'm all for that sort of freedom of expression.

I don't like being categorised; and I understand the motivation of people who want to decorate otherwise gloomy parts of an inner city.

I'm inspired by it and it sends me away smiling.

Surely that can't be a bad thing.

You'll find a ton of other graffiti shots on this blog if you click on the word graffiti in the label line below.