rewind... outpost {track 1}

Outpost : art from the streets November 2011, Cockatoo Island Sydney

Howdy y'all... How was your weekend? Seems like it is a time of extremes... From snow blizzards throughout Europe, cold snaps in America and flooding rains in Queensland. 

In Sydney we experienced a glimmer of summer as we bathed in a sunny Sunday that made everyone feel rejuvenated. Me included. 

So today im starting the week with a big rejuvenating post as I attempt to clean up my image folder on the hard drive.  Im rewinding the tape and giving you a look at some of my photos from a new art festival that burst onto Sydney's art calendar in November 2011. The festival was called Outpost : Art from the Streets and, boy, was it HUGE.  

My tiny camera did over time that day. 

Arriving by ferry on a hot Spring day I was immediately struck by the scale of the event, as a massive banner declared to every visitor that Cockatoo Island had been kidnapped by a posse of street artists' who had tagged, assembled, painted and posted an array of works, that acted as crib sheet for the street culture art movement.... 

It was the first time street art had been given free reign over the Island, and free reign in a city that still doesn't quite understand what this form of art is all about. In Melbourne it is celebrated, and highlighted, with many inner city laneways acting as open gallery spaces for all manner of mediums. Paste ups, aerosol art, stencilling, found object installations all feature in this art world yet rarely in one big space. So it was great to see this new art festival celebrate, and educate Sydneysiders with a sample of what is happening 'right now'...

ok. that's enough chat. 

Its time to have a look at some of the art that happened 'outside'. 

And believe you me - there was A LOT out there to blow your mind... enjoy!

This is what greeted us as we arrived to the Island by ferry. I love that you can just see The Harbour Bridge in the distance...

Anthony Lister inflatable graffiti balloon

Everfresh studio banner from Melbourne

Everything that could be played on was full of graffiti and colour... like these cement pathways

Large mural of 'cuprocking'  - coloured plastic cups inserted into a wire fence to create an image...

Love the seagull perched on top of these artworks...

love love love this colour. it needs a caption like BAM! 

This installation by Phibs was amazing... You may remember that I meet Phibs out at Dubbo in early November as he painted a mural at Dubbo's regional art gallery...as part of the Space Invaders exhibition.
 He was one busy guy that month!

This mural was truly amazing! It was painted by Vexta and was one of largest graff works at the festival...
I was blown away...
Great piece and great representation of this art movement.