Art is one of those things we simply must do
so that our spirit may continue to grow ~ Unknown

There are few things in the world that steal my heart. Fewer those capture my soul. Art is one of them. I have a terrible weakness for all things artistic. I can’t help but fall in love with anyone and everyone who hold the talent to create something out of a blank dot.

That’s how Melbourne trapped my heart. And that's where Melbourne ceased to be a city, instead went on to becoming something more. Past magnificent architectural marvels and grand iconic structures, Melbourne delighted me with visuals which highlighted a different aspect of its own personality.

My love affair with the city was about to begin.

With the city map tightly held in my hand, I had ventured out of my hotel room on the first day itself, curious to discover the little streets and crisscrossing avenues lining the city, the city’s most lovable assets in its most natural form. The sounds I heard and the scenes I witnessed were captivating, almost magical.

 Out there, away from the routine things to do and places to see, I heard this city hum a different tune. Music, painting, magic, puppetry – together, provided for a perfect melody. There were surprises waiting for me at many crosses and turns as the city morphed into a striking canvas dipped in a palette full of colorful art and symphonic creations, having enough enigma to gather my attention.

 Come along ...

1. Art on the streets.

This was a sight I had never seen before: People, helpless and homeless, immersed in doing what they love in a bid to earn a life and living. It was heartwarming, so to say, and even more when I never witnessed anyone buy anything from them. This sight definitely made for one of my most prominent highlights of the entire Melbourne trip.

 An artist at work on the streets, Melbourne
Art on the streets, Melbourne
Art on the streets of Melbourne
Painting for a living, on the streets of Melbourne.


2. Artistic masterpieces in motion: Art Trams of Melbourne.

As part of the Melbourne festival in October 2013, Melbourne had rolled out 8 Art trams to their world famous tram network. And, I was so glad to have seen many and captured at least 3 of them which I would like to share in this little diary of mine. Given below are the pictures accompanied with the words of the artist behind the creative imagination.
i) Tram 2002 by David Wadelton:

A colorful Melbourne Art trams, Melbourne Festival

"I have a great interest in the social history and the appearance of our suburbs. This has manifested itself in many ways, beginning in the 1970s, when I began prolifically photographing my local area of Northcote, as well as other inner suburbs.

I continue this practice to this day, and take special delight in the apparently mundane aspects of our everyday world. It's all interesting to me. One manifestation of this has been a commitment to photograph every house in Northcote, which has an eclectic mixture of houses, built on all budgets and in all era. I've used my photo archive of over 700 images to create wallpaper with which to wrap a tram. The tram will thus become a mechanical embodiment of suburban Melbourne!" - David Wadelton

Art tram launched: 5 October 2013

Routes: 86 and 112
ii) Tram 259 by Joining Forces:

Melbourne Art tram, Melbourne Festival

"You are now sitting inside a giant orange transportation device, covered in floating moon babies, space weasels and crusty old slug men. How did it come to this? Joining Forces is a collective of six Melbourne-based artists who combine wildly diverse styles to make imaginative art.

The members of the collective are Zahra Zainal, Jeffrey Phillips, Gemma Flack, Rhiannon Thomas, Brendan Ninness and Sebastian Berto. The tram artwork is based on a 5 metre long hand-painted canvas, which was created through a process of drawing over and around each other's work. The collective's work focuses on collaboration, experimentation and community" - Joining Forces

Art tram launched: 1 October 2013

Routes: 70 and 75
iii) Tram 925 - 'Backyard' by Jon Campbell:

 Melbourne Art trams, Melbourne Festival

"The backyard design for my tram is based on the backyard that I grew up in, in Altona. It's a stylised pop version of that backyard. The backyard was a site of influential activity in my upbringing, cricket matches with my brothers and our mates and neighbours, family BBQs and 18th and 21st birthdays to name a few.

The backyard seems to have an important place in our psyche but hasn't beeen articulated much in art. I've always liked the social aspect backyards bring to our lives" - Jon Campbell

3. Sculptures in bronze at Waterfront City, Docklands and other star murals.

While striding along the Docklands bay area, by the Yarra River, near Harbour Town, and feeling the soft breeze play with my hair, I came across interesting performers and stars cast in life size statues of bronze. Docklands exhibits the very best of Melbourne, including over 40 artworks contributing to the strong identity of the locale. Inspired by a myriad of themes, walking past some of them felt like turning a few pages of a storybook...
... A storybook which was filled with characters ...

Adventurous.

Public works of art in Melbourne
Peter Pan in Melbourne Zoo,  enjoying the attention of children and adults alike.

Talkative.

Docklands area public art, Melbourne
Graham Kennedy,  was the main host and star attraction
of a highly popular nightly variety television show titled - In Melbourne Tonight, also known as "IMT".

 Passionate.
Docklands creative public art, Melbourne
An English-born Australian pop singer, John Farnham is one of Australia's leading performers with a career spanning over 45 years, also the only Australian Artist to top the charts in five consecutive years.


 Interesting.
Docklands public art in Melbourne
Dame Edna Everage, housewife and megastar,
a famous character created and performed by Australian performer and comedian Barry Humphries.

 Elegant.
Docklands public art, Melbourne
Dame Melba: An Australian operatic soprano, the first Australian to achieve international recognition as a classical musician.

Curious.
Public works of art, overlooking a tram, on the streets of Melbourne
Met these gentlemen, not in Docklands, but somewhere on the streets, roaming, perhaps lost.

And ... Mischievous.

 Docklands public art, monkeys, Melbourne
All of these and many more,
and, ready to speak up any moment ...
these were the stars,
chiseled in bronze, breathing life ...
drawing us closer,
Me and Melbourne Art,
igniting the spirits,
A Love Affair.
                           
                                     ... to be contd.