What are they trying to say?

Curated by Unimelb, 2015

This street art tour will be aimed at English Literature or History students to demonstrate the depth of interpretation that can be unearthed in street art pieces. Here, an interpretation of the street artists purpose for choice of subject will be explored with a focus on its relationship to government practices – particularly surveillance.

Stop 1

Street artists often try to emphasize the illegality of their work – through images or captions that capture the crime of spray-painting public streets. Some artists explicitly refer to themselves as vandals while others allude to the fact that it’s…

Stop 2

This second image demonstrates a very physical disregard for the law. Despite the government’s intentions to use the cameras to reduce illegal activity, it has unintentionally become a significant piece of street art itself. Perhaps in an attempt to…

Stop 3

Continuing with a focus on surveillance and the notion that we are being watched, the two pieces captured in this image work together to send a very ironic message. The soft blending of predominantly warm colours in the ANZAC mural, aid in a show of…

Stop 4

Technology has allowed the growth of public surveillance to reach new heights – whether for safety or control is not always clear. Rupert Murdoch’s head over skull bones with the caption “Pirate Empire” not only incorporates Murdoch’s shady history…

Stop 5

It doesn’t stop at just Australia; the roots of surveillance are embedded in all cultures and countries. This piece aligns the USA and the Soviet Unions view that, whether true or not, they are the powerhouses or superheroes of the world. However,…