'Art is supposed to provoke emotion': Hosier Lane paint-bomber speaks out

A filmmaker who says he was involved in the "paint-bombing" of Melbourne's internationally famous Hosier Lane on the weekend has come forward to defend it as an artistic and political statement – and call out what he called hypocrisy of Melbourne City Council over street art.

He revealed to this masthead that it was staged and filmed as part of a bigger project connected to graffiti culture – and the team believed their actions were entirely legal.

Cleaning in Melbourne's Hosier Lane, where masked people paint-bombed popular street art.Credit: Jason South

The council is now considering issuing new guidance for street artists to "clarify" Hosier Lane's legal quagmire that would combine private property rights, the heritage listing of buildings on the lane and the desire to promote artistic expression.

The group of about 10 men used fire extinguishers on Saturday evening to spray paint over a large chunk of the laneway's existing art and graffiti.

The filmmaker verified to this masthead that he was part of the project by sharing a still from video shot at the site from the point of view of the paint-bombers.

He said they were trying to "express the [graffiti] art form in the purest way" and make a statement against the commercialisation of street art.

"[Hosier Lane] gets painted over every day," he said. "A lot of these people outraging claim to be fans of street art and graffiti, and they're in an uproar when really they should be asking for more of this.

"It's just the shock and the awe of it. But people's emotional response gives it credence as art. Art is supposed to provoke emotion. But apparently that's a concept that goes over the top of a lot of people's heads."

He asked to remain anonymous because, he said, "it's still a little early to name names, especially when the police want to charge people I know and care about".

Hosier Lane on Wednesday, where graffiti taggers and artists have started to paint over the "paint-bombing" from the weekend.Credit: Nick Miller

He said his group had wiped the footage from their computers after hearing police were hunting them. "The guys are freaking out," he said.

On Wednesday, Victoria Police released CCTV footage believed to be of the group walking in the CBD before the attack, as well as film that captures them doing the 'paint-bombing'. Police urged the public to contact them if they knew any of the people in the group.

CCTV footage released by police shows the people they believe carried out the 'paint-bombing'.Credit: Victoria Police.

Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp called the paint-bombing "vandalism at its worst" and "not the sort of behaviour we will have in the city". The council reported it to the police, who said they were continuing their investigation into a "criminal damage incident".

But the filmmaker said the council exploited the urban art scene as part of its marketing and branding of the city.

"You can't promote creativity and inclusivity and then promote censorship in the same sentence, it's ridiculous," he said. "If people get too outraged about this we're going to have less space for creative freedom. If you come in and privatise the wall and call police on the artists, you're taking away freedom of expression and that's the real threat to the creativity in that lane; not people throwing a bit of paint around."

He pointed out that in 2013 the City of Melbourne gave permission for graffiti artist Adrian Doyle to paint the entire Rutledge Lane, which adjoins Hosier, in "Empty Nursery Blue", obliterating the existing work.

At the time lord mayor Robert Doyle praised the artist for creating a "blank canvas" for new work.

Hosier Lane sits in a legal grey area. The City of Melbourne's 2014 Graffiti Management Plan canvassed ad-hoc general permission for graffiti in the lane, negotiated with the property owners. However, a spokesman for the council said: "While Hosier Lane is recognised as a long-standing street art site, written permission from the owner is still technically required to create street art on private property within the laneway."

Adding to the debate: New graffiti art on Hosier Lane after the "paint-bombing".Credit: Nick Miller

The City of Melbourne was considering introducing new street art guidelines to "provide clarity for all parties", the spokesman said.

The filmmaker said they had believed Hosier Lane was a "legal wall".

"Literally we thought, 'Where's a safe place we can film this scene where it's legal to do so?' "

The scene was intended to make a statement about the commodification of visual space and over-commercialisation of street art, he said. He and others in street art culture objected to the streetwear store Culture Kings opening on the lane. "They're on the news saying, 'This is horrible it's not part of the culture,' well, you don't know the culture then. You don't realise that a big part of the culture is rebellion, starting conversations, making people question things."

Hosier Lane had been exploited by the state but none of the proceeds went back to the artists, he said.

"You're not hurting anyone, it's just paint, it's graffiti where graffiti goes ... Nobody got hurt, we made a mess and it's all over the news."

By Wednesday, new artwork and graffiti tags had started appearing over the paint-bombers' work, some of it referencing the debate about what was or wasn't considered acceptable.