I had heard of the unique status of Australian graffiti and, with such a perfect example only two hops away, my roomie and I decided to investigate. Within 5 minutes of talking to le artistes it was undeniable that they were high. We stood 8 feet back as they worked but I still felt my brainstem start to float away. Four artists had divided the wall between themselves and were spraying diligently while 3 more lounged with equal dedication in the shade. The team was headed by a set of middle-aged twins who own their own graffiti company. Companies hired them to design and execute artistic tributes throughout the city. These men had been in business for a decade, and worked all over Australia; I think it's the only country where a scheme like this could work!
In Sydney there are actually graffiti tours of the city! Graffiti is protected in the same way that historical buildings are in the U.S. If you purchased a graffiti'd building there is no guarantee that you'd be able to paint over it - the work may well have entered into the annals of Australian art and be untouchable, or rather un-touch-up-able. The famous Bondi Beach boasts a boardwalk tattooed with bulbous letters and grotesque caricatures, and cities all over Australia have started picking up the trend.
I am not entirely sure why this fascinates me so except that it seems a perfect illustration of the difference between the US and Australia. In the US graffiti is categorized as an "art crime" almost on par with violent hate crimes; in Australia it is glorified. So, is the USA just behind the times? Is graffiti the artistic wave of the future? Maybe. But did I mention the mural they are crafting is for a NASCAR race? Can you say klassy?
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