Knock, knock?

                            Who’s there?

Rainbow.

                             Rainbow who?

Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red.

-50 if you scratch your head.

-100 + a reminder to indulge in classy humour if you get the joke.

hehe.

With my sense of humour, split like white light through a prism, Imma start off by discussing the fashion sense of cities.

London has a formal chic style, with a weakness for plaid.

Paris is a pastel girlie.

My city of Pune has a metallic classiness with occasional grunge phases.

Hanoi has a modern twist on tradition.

Melbourne is boho chic.

Colour and contrast were the two things that caught my eye, the moment I started exploring Melbourne. Every street had a vibrancy, unlike the street before it and no aspect of the city forced itself to fit into a scheme, making the city effortlessly stand out. Despite its uniqueness, each part of Melbourne has a harmonious camaraderie, where every colour palette claims its own space and respects the other’s presence, which makes the city a moving work of art.

In this blog, Imma show ye wee folks some of the brightest, boldest and most chic creations of colour, that I came across, on my trip to Melbourne.

First up, we have a floor mosaic at the Melbourne Airport. An airport can be a very tiresome place, especially at an ungodly hour of the day, but seeing this mosaic at three in the morning brought in a creeping ray of warmth and comfort, and even managed to clear my sinuses.

I love how whimsical yet symbolic it is, as it depicts various sorts of birds, which makes sense since it is in an airport. There’s also a shoal of fish in the middle of some birds and I love the fantastical element. I also like how the various colours radiate from the centre of the mosaic, like a burst of bright light, spreading across the blue background. Mosaics have such a beautiful mobility in each tile and each mosaic seems to be alive. Looking at a mosaic is like spiralling into a whimsical world where everything is rose-tinted and vibrant, but each tile has a story to tell.

Debutant band, The Bear Minimum, has dropped its first album, Crayola Attack.

hehe.

I was so fascinated to see these bear sculptures at the Melbourne Airport. It stood out so well against the rather business-like surroundings of the corridor, bringing home the point that Melbourne thrives on contrast. Each bear has a unique design and I really wish there was a souvenir for these sculptures. They are like Winnie the Pooh’s cousins, all gathered at the airport, for a trip to visit their hunny-loving cuz at Hundred Acre Wood, hehe. I think Disney can do a spin-off, like a sort of a multiverse in Pooh’s world.

hehe.

Here’s the three remaining bears who I couldn’t fit into the collage. I love how they range from ultra solid palettes to a minimalistic cutesy tone.

Moving right into the heart of the city, we have this very comic-book coded graffiti, in an alley behind the Woolworths QV. I came across this wall, right when the shops were closing and it was lovely to see a spot of colour as the lights were going out, to bid adieu to the day. I love the energy that this graffiti exudes, along with its mild vibe of fun chaos. I like how it captures everyone’s expressions on seeing a cool skateboard stunt and it takes me back to a simpler time when fascination and magic existed in cool skills, like jumping over a bench on a skateboard or even something simpler like twirling a ball on a finger. Skills such as these were the epitome of being accomplished and I love how we all saw magic in the little things without jealousy marring all fascination. This graffiti showcases that childhood wonder and I think there is so much power in that simple, untarnished wonder.

I am a simple girl, I see Sanrio, I drop all my commitments and indulge in Sanrio.

hehe.

When I saw that the Melbourne Central Mall has a Hello Kitty cafe, I was so excited that I literally squeezed through the closing door to get my hands on at least one souvenir, before the shop closed for the day. I did not know that the mall had such a cafe, otherwise, I’d have spend my entire day here, but I was lucky to get a Koala Hello Kitty and a Kangaroo Kitty charm, hehe.

The decor of the cafe was so cute and it radiated happiness, mingled with the adorable classiness of Sanrio. I also loved how every character from the Sanrio universe was depicted, even some of the lesser known ones like Choco Cat and Little Twin Stars. The menu of the cafe was so magical but when I visited the place, only the shop was open for one last customer, so I am definitely going to be back to have all my meals at the cafe.

I will be talking more about Sanrio in the upcoming blogs, because Sanrio is my current aesthetic, hehe:)

Distorted vision,

Shows a dimension, unknown,

A truth, unconcealed.

There was something so haunting about this art work. The eyes had this ability to watch you, no matter where you went but they wouldn’t be looking directly at you and being in that peripheral vision was a wee bit unsettling. I was really awed by this graffiti and the fact that I discovered it by chance, in a hidden lane was even more eerie. The dual colour scheme of white and dark blue adds a nice depth to the wall and the frames add a lovely aspect of organised distortions.

Also, the overcast sky adds a lovely background to it. I haven’t applied any filters to this, so the black and white tint is actually just the sky.

Here’s another hidden graffiti, near the Emporium Mall. I love how the woman in the painting looks straight into the camera, almost as if she’s posing for it. The animated realism is so well done and I love the suburbia look of the avenue around it.

There are a lot of hidden pieces of art in the area around China Town in Melbourne, so if you are ever in that area, it would be a fun activity to keep a lookout for hidden graffiti and sculptures.

Here’s a glimpse of a contrast between the vintage architecture of the Fed Square, and this rather random but vibrant bit of pop-culture graffiti, on some construction panels on the pavement. I was really amused to Sesame Street and Looney Tunes, along with grunge Aussie wildlife, and somehow, the bits of scribbling on the mural adds to the overall hippie vibe, despite it being an attempt to vandalise.

I think that’s the epitome of a task failed successfully, hehe.

When I travel by any mode of transport, I always ensure that I get the window seat. If the seat isn’t promised, I resort to two techniques of compelling people to move, i.e kitten eyes or death stares, both of which have a 10% success rate.

hehe.

On my trip back from Brighton Beach, I was lucky to get the window seat, because there was so much to see and this adorable graffiti of blobby wee things with flowers was one of the things. I was lucky to get a picture because the train was rather fast.

Here is another bit of graffiti that I took from the window seat of the train from Brighton Beach to Flinders Street, right near the South Melbourne Market. The graffiti reminds me of stories by Charles Dickens and Edgar Allen Poe, with their ominous vibe along with the tentacles which add a mild tinge of fear along with a fascination for the unknown. I also love the colour schemes, it is so vibrant and unique and once again, the scribbling adds to the literary chaos that this graffiti exudes.

Art is so fluid and I feel that it is the truest expression of freedom. I think art has the ability to depict every artist’s truest self, hidden amidst layers of paint which depict the complexity of an artist’s mind. Even the simplest art form tells a story and every stroke of the brush has the power to change the world, minds and souls.

And that is a wrap,

Until next time,

See ya:)