Sydney’s Sensational Street Art

Very few, if any, cities remain untouched by the street art craze; Sydney is no exception. No longer a form of rebellion, street art is now often created as part of an urban beautification scheme or to promote tourism. This exciting form of artistic expression is becoming increasingly popular and is popping up in cities worldwide. And no wonder. Many millennia ago, the impulse to leave our mark on our environment was set in stone (excuse the pun). That is to say, cave drawings date back 44,000 years in Indonesia, and Spain believes it has cave art dating as far back as 64,000 years.

On a recent stay in Sydney, we had a chance to explore some of the street art. Our stay was brief, the city and street art scene extensive; it was impossible for us to view all of it in one day. Sydney’s street art scene stretches across the large city from the CBD and into many suburbs such as Bondi, Chippendale, Redfern and Newtown, to name but a few. Furthermore, there are cities further afield in New South Wales with spectacular collections of street art, such as Wollongong, the site of the first Wonderwalls Festival.

Wollongong Street Art –  Adnate Shida Wonderwalls by JAM Project

Portrait of Jenny Munro by Melbourne artist Matt Adnate

The painting, a ten-story high portrait of Jenny Munro, was complete in June 2016. You will find it on the wall of the Novotel on the corner of Harbour and Goulburn streets.

Jenny Munro, a Wiradjuri elder and Aboriginal activist, is the founder of the Redfern Aboriginal tent embassy. She has been fighting for Aboriginal housing rights for over 40 years.

The Peace Waratah by American artist Shepard Fairly

The painting, a massive 44 metres high and 28 metres wide, is located on the side of an office building located at 309 George Street in the CBD. The 15 storeys tall mural of a woman holding a Waratah was complete in June 2017.

Portrait of Jack Mundey by Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto

You will find this portrait at 140 George Street, The Rocks, on the stairs leading to Globe Street. The mural comprises two parts – half on the stairs and the other half on the brick wall behind the stairs.

The portrait commemorates Jack Mundey (17 October 1929 – 10 May 2020), a prominent Australian union and environmental activist.

Brown Bear Lane By Pierre Mol

It is a recreated view of Brown Bear Lane as it was in 1901. Brown Bear Lane named for the pub that once stood on the corner of the lane. The first pub in The Rocks was initially known as The Romping Horse in 1789 and became the Brown Bear in 1836. You will find this mural at 155 George Street, the Rocks.

More Public Art

In Between Two Worlds by Sydney artist Jason Wing

The artist explores the themes of present and future ancestors of both his Chinese and Aboriginal heritage with this mural consisting of three main elements. In Between Two Worlds is created with both wall and floor murals and 30 suspended illuminated ‘spirit’ figures. Located in Kimber Lane, Chinatown, the alley is vibrant with blue clouds and pale spirits by day; later, at night, the silhouettes flood the lane with ghostly blue light.

Forgotten Songs by Sydney artist Michael Thomas Hill

Forgotten Songs celebrates the songs of fifty birds once heard in central Sydney before being forced out by European colonisation. 180 cages hang suspended above the alley, and a soundscape of birdsong fills the air. The recordings of bird calls change with the time of day. You will find this display in Angel Place, a pedestrian lane between George and Pitt Streets.

Still Life with Car & Stone American artist Jimmie Durham 

This artwork is a squashed 1999 Ford Festiva hatchback with a two-tonne quartz boulder atop it. The boulder has a face painted on it (two eyes and a mouth). The artist declares the “piece is concerned with monuments and monumentality”. You will find this piece in Walsh Bay perched on a roundabout.

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