Where in the world is HaHa? Dabs and Mylar have returned to Melbourne after several years abroad. Melbourne street artists are travelling the world. Street art is the most extensively travelled art movement of all times. It is one of the necessities of working on the streets means finding news cities and places to exhibit.
Many street artists from other countries have visited and left their mark on Melbourne’s streets. Looking through my collection of photos of Melbourne street art I have many examples of these international artists. I have listed the visiting along with their country of origin and year/s that they visited Melbourne. Most visited in conjunction with an exhibitions as and I have noted if they also participated in major festivals or events.
A1one – Gertrude St. Fitzroy
A1one (Iran, 2008, Melbourne Stencil Festival)
Aerosol Arabic, Thirst for Change, Sparks Lane, Melbourne
Aerosol Arabic (Britain, 2008, Melbourne Festival)
Above, Melbourne
Above (USA, 2011 & 2012)
Now destroyed Banksy’s “Little Diver”
Banksy (Britain, 2003, a covert visit, see my post)
Blek le Rat under perspex Parhran
Blek Le Rat (France, multiple visits)
Choq, Fitzroy
Choq (France, 2012-13)
Celso Gitahy, Brunswick
Celso Gitahy (Brazil, 2008 & 2009, see my post)
Keith Haring, Collingwood
Keith Haring (USA 1984, see my post)
Nash, Sparta Place, Brunswick
Nash (Netherlands, 2012, Project Melbourne Underground see my post)
Snyder, Rocket Pop Boy, Hosier Lane
Sydner (USA, 2012, private initiative see my post)
Peat Wollaeger, Keith Haring Stencil and tribute at Collingwood Technical College
Peat Wollaeger (USA, 2008, Melbourne Stencil Festival).
This is not at all a complete list of artists who have visited Melbourne. Nor does it include foreign street artist who have made Melbourne their home.
I am not writing about these international artists out of a cultural cringe away from local artists. Australian culture has long had a belief in a superior foreign culture – be it French, British or American. I am writing about these artists to demonstrate that street art is a global style. Images of street art are so easily transmitted around the world by the internet and travel is also easy. So many notable street artists have become international nomads. And it is one of the strengths of the art.
Which, if any, visiting artist do you think has been the most influential on Melbourne’s street art?
Black Mark 
February 17th, 2013 at 1:48 AM
I’m not sure that any international artist has been ‘the most influential’.
Melbourne’s scene seems to have evolved on it’s own, though there are certainly comparisons that could be made.
For example, Deb’s femme fatales seem to have at least been inspired somewhat by Fafi’s girls.
And one could argue that perhaps the height of the Melbourne stencil craze came at a time when Banksy & co. were being inducted into popular culture. I guess this is the obvious choice as Bansky seems to have had an enormous impact on street art not only in Melbourne but globally.
But there are many Melbourne artists and crews that seem to have evolved all on their own.
For example, Rone’s Jane Doe seemed to appear out of nowhere in the early 2000’s and has now evolved to enormous portraits that feature in many international cities. His Everfresh counterparts all seem to have progressed too, with most of them now living interstate or abroad and exhibiting in some of the world’s finest street art cities.
While AWOL have existed for quite some time and for the mean time remain local, they have recently rebranded themselves with a unique and interesting style.
I wonder which Melbourne artist has been (or will be) the most influential on the rest of the world’s street art?
February 17th, 2013 at 10:33 AM
Yes, I couldn’t see any major influences, that’s why I put the “if any” in. I think that Banksy was just lucky with his timing and Haring wasn’t. There appears to be a lot of convergent evolution in street art (like Dada and punk) where similar things evolve due to similar environments but without being directly related/influenced.