photo: C.D blog
A rough guess is the boom in street art on Melbourne's lane ways lasted form 2000 to 2008.
The local city council caught a wift of the boom (?) of street art and in 2008 decided to create a panel (street art assessment panel or if you prefer: SAAP) to judge street art as a protected 'tourist' resource. Hence in 2008 renown UK street artist 'Banksy' work was protected by a clear plexiglass sheet. Of course the irony is that until recently in April 2010, one of Banksy's other works was destroyed by council cleaners, doing what they do best; cleaning. But with council/gov interest you also get low level commercial interest. Which would be the clubs, bars, cafes that have sprung up around and inside these 'laneways', not to forget the development of apartments and refurbishment of various decrepit buildings (slightly above low level commercialization).
Similar to the now defunct 'hells kitchen' CBGB's (NYC) club and it's infamous laneway at the back of the club, which now has new apartments blocks at both ends.
So a seeping commercial presence has inevitably dulled the 'edginess' of Melbourne lane way street art, that and also the hundreds of 'bill board' posters (selling/promoting everything from shows, clubs, DJ's, hair products etc) that have sprung up in all of the laneways. To the extent that the Melbourne City council has erected frames on the side of lane way walls dedicated to billboards.
After recently visiting some of the laneways on Saturday 10th July 2010, it felt banal, boring and safe. With literally most of the art covered up by bill boards and council paint jobs.
We all just have to wait for the decay to set back in with the crazies, druggies, muggers returning in the near future...and of course the street artists.
Duckboard place Melbourne City. From here
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