Is it art? A commentary on public transport

OK, so it might not be a artistic interpretation of the Melbourne public transport system - but if I took a better photo and hung it in a gallery you might believe me!

This was seen on the corner of Lonsdale and Elizabeth Streets.

New public art / seating

Wow, it has been more than a month since I've graced this blog with a photo of marvelous Melbourne!

Well what better occasion than the unveiling of some new art / seating on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke Streets. Just outside the Galleria building you will find some shiny new balls.

Just like the money purse on Bourke Street Mall, the intersection between art and function is one where artists can be playful and stretch their creativity.

I can just imagine these silver balls slowly breeding across the city, popping up wherever a seat is desired, being loved by passers by and constantly polished by the bums of the weary.

Is it art?

Whether it's functional or not has nothing to do with it. There are so many things out there in the big city that could be classified as art. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that the good old rubbish bin can even be considered art.

Check out these two examples and tell me there is no artistic merit in the arrangement, composition and colour!?

I've decided I'm going to create a new series called "Is it art?" And the best bit is you get to decide!

Space invader - Melbourne

An invasion is underway - did you know? Urban artist, Invader, is one of the many artists to take his art to the people, quite literally. Just keep an eye out next time you travel down a laneway in Melbourne, you might see the invasion taking place before your eyes.

Just like the good ol' game of space invaders there are points to be won! The system is from 10 to 50 points depending on size, location and style.

The one I've captured above is pretty big and in a fairly public spot, so I'm gonna call it 40 points.

If you want to see more of the invasion check out this Flickr cluster.

>LOCATE THIS ***not this time! You must hunt them out yourself!***

New Quay Promenade, Docklands - art

I bet there's plenty of debate whether Docklands is a raging success of an urban renewal project or a misguided ill-placed misadventure - I know I can't make up my mind. It's a perfect venue for daytime activities; the dragon boat festival is great! But come nightime it's a ghost town. And don't even mention the micro-climate! Stick a few wind turbines in there and I bet the whole of Docklands would be self sufficient!

If there has been one definite benefit of the Docklands build, it's been for public and installation artists. There's a great amount of public art to see, get the tour guide here. Above is an image of one of the installations on New Quay Promenade.

> Locate this