Artist's Eyes - Old v New

While in Melbourne for a couple of days recently, I popped into the National Gallery of Victoria on St Kilda Road for a quick look around. My attention was grabbed immediately by the massive sculpture / installation in the the foyer, Xu Chen's Eternity- Buddha in Nirvana, part of the NGV Triennial exhibition. Then, as I wandered around the other exhibits, I began to think how these all compared with the street art for which Melbourne is so famous. So I closed in a few examples of old masters and looked at their brush strokes and how they painted the eyes of their subjects. I make no judgement on these or the street art, I simply provide a set for people to compare for themselves. See below.

One thing for sure, those street artists can certainly paint. They use cans of spray paint, the old masters used a selection of brushes and mixed their colours on palletes. For more on this magnificent gallery, visit: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ . For more on street art visit Melbourne.

Doge Pietro Loredano - Jacopo Tintoretto (NGV)

Detail of above (NGV)

A monk with a book  Titian (NGV)

Detail of above (NGV)

Profile portrait of a lady - Unknown artist, Northern Italy 15th century (NGV)

Detail of above (NGV)

Street art 1

Street art 1, eye detail

Street art 2

Street art 2, eye detail

Street art 3

Street art 3, eye detail

Street art 4

Street art 4, eye detail

Street art 5

Street art 5, eye detail

If you are a street artist and your work appears here, I would like to give you credit. If you would like that too, please add your name in the comments. Thanks for your great work.

Water-tank Art

When out for a walk in the bush today behind Hackett, Canberra, I saw this clever piece of street art. It was painted on the wall of the suburb's water-tank, behind the security fence. I like the way the artist has craftily added a crack to the wall and the effect of water running out. Further attention to detail has been added by painting the flow so that it runs over an out-building giving the whole piece a 3-D effect.

The link-fence view

A bit of local flora and fauna.

I have no idea who the artist is, but it's much better than tags.

Melbourne - Street art

Whenever I visit Melbourne, Australia, I like to take a walk through the galleries and see the old classic paintings, because I like them. No matter the finished piece, if I look at it with an understanding of their time and style I can interpret the subject from my own view and share the concept.

Then I like to dive into Melbourne's alleys and seek out the street art. As with the classics, I can accept the artists' time and style, no problems there. They can paint, there is humour, and there are messages in their work. There are standard spray-paint pieces, stencils, 3D pieces and high-rise scissor-lift works. They all know their work is ephemeral, to be painted over one day, some soon, some later. Art is forever progressing.

If your work is shown here, please add your credits in a comment. I don't want to claim credit for these works, simply to share the work to a wider audience. Thank you.

All art work was photographed on 14th February 2014, and it changes daily.

Click here to watch a slide show of the work.