Artist - Makatron kama Sutra burger
1. Were you born and raised in Melbourne?
Yes I was born and raised here all my life with a few short stints living in New York and Mexico.
2. You’ve been taking photos of street art/graffiti /murals for years now, when and how did you get into it all?
I received a basketball backboard painted by legendary Melbourne graffiti writer MERDA in 1987 for my 21st birthday – it was my first piece of aerosol art and one that I still look at every single day. Later in my work routine in the rag trade, I found myself driving around the inner suburbs of Melbourne and often seeing graffiti which I started taking photos of. In the mid 90’s a client that was buying fabric off us asked if he and some mates could paint the back of our warehouse. I said yep of course and that started one of Melbourne’s long standing graffiti walls which came down just a few weeks ago. After taking pics for ages, my partner suggested I start a blog to share the countless images I had backed up on a hard drive. In 2010 Land of Sunshine began and soon after I started meeting artists at shows and I offered my factory walls in Brunswick which is now known as Sunshine Lane. Over the years we have had numerous local and international artists leave their gifts of art on those walls.
Yes I was born and raised here all my life with a few short stints living in New York and Mexico.
2. You’ve been taking photos of street art/graffiti /murals for years now, when and how did you get into it all?
I received a basketball backboard painted by legendary Melbourne graffiti writer MERDA in 1987 for my 21st birthday – it was my first piece of aerosol art and one that I still look at every single day. Later in my work routine in the rag trade, I found myself driving around the inner suburbs of Melbourne and often seeing graffiti which I started taking photos of. In the mid 90’s a client that was buying fabric off us asked if he and some mates could paint the back of our warehouse. I said yep of course and that started one of Melbourne’s long standing graffiti walls which came down just a few weeks ago. After taking pics for ages, my partner suggested I start a blog to share the countless images I had backed up on a hard drive. In 2010 Land of Sunshine began and soon after I started meeting artists at shows and I offered my factory walls in Brunswick which is now known as Sunshine Lane. Over the years we have had numerous local and international artists leave their gifts of art on those walls.
Artists - Adnate, Kaffine
3. Over the time you spent taking photos have you noticed any changes in the art scene? If so what has changed?
Absolutely – Originally, it was predominantly graffiti on the streets. I remember a period of time when stencils were hugely popular, and then a period when paste-ups were everywhere. Now I see a lot more aerosol art on the streets both in the forms of graffiti and street art, and more large scale bigger commissioned murals and productions for commercial businesses. I have also seen quite a shift from street to gallery which so many artists crossing over…..
4. So you’ve being doing some traveling over the last couple of years taking photos, did you travel to certain places to take photos or was it more of a holiday with the opportunity to take some cool pictures?
Over the last decade I have been fortunate to have travelled through Europe, USA, South America, Mexico, Bali, Thailand and more recently Tokyo. I never plan a trip around taking photos but always seem to end up snapping as much as I see!
Artist - 23rd key
Artist - Findac
5. Did you bring back any cool stories from your travels?
I think for me the best thing about my involvement with street art and travelling the world has been meeting like-minded people that have been so generous taking me around, saving me loads of time and keeping me safe. There is nothing I enjoy more than taking international visitors around my fave spots in Melbourne. Highlights for me have been showing Martha Cooper, Henry Chalfant and Futura around our streets and it seems the favour has certainly come back to me
In Mexico City, there are loads of areas that are really not safe at all, and where some great art can be found on walls. I met up with Soylo who took a whole day to drive me around, into some seriously dodgy spots that I would never have found spotting ROA, Jaz, Saner and Curiot just to name a few. While the pics don't show it, there was danger lurking around...
http://deansunshine.com/the-soylo-tour-of-mexico-city/
In Tokyo, I met up with Jin who took me to amazing spots that I would never have found in my short time there. Original small Keith Haring sketches by marker on a wall in a car park under an apartment building, the only Banksy rat stencil in the city. Without his help, I would never have seen what I did..
http://deansunshine.com/tokyo-street-art-june-2016/
In Berlin, George and ex Melbourne gal, totally took care of me and ran me around the city for a day...
http://deansunshine.com/berlin-big-thanks-george/
In New York, Henry Chalfant took me everywhere, to Bushwick, to the Tats Cru studios and all over the Bronx somewhere I had never been before.
Wayne from the LISA Project took me through all the murals they had arranged as well as giving me access to watch and document 80's graffiti legends Crash and Daze paint a large mural.
In Mexico City, there are loads of areas that are really not safe at all, and where some great art can be found on walls. I met up with Soylo who took a whole day to drive me around, into some seriously dodgy spots that I would never have found spotting ROA, Jaz, Saner and Curiot just to name a few. While the pics don't show it, there was danger lurking around...
http://deansunshine.com/the-soylo-tour-of-mexico-city/
In Tokyo, I met up with Jin who took me to amazing spots that I would never have found in my short time there. Original small Keith Haring sketches by marker on a wall in a car park under an apartment building, the only Banksy rat stencil in the city. Without his help, I would never have seen what I did..
http://deansunshine.com/tokyo-street-art-june-2016/
In Berlin, George and ex Melbourne gal, totally took care of me and ran me around the city for a day...
http://deansunshine.com/berlin-big-thanks-george/
In New York, Henry Chalfant took me everywhere, to Bushwick, to the Tats Cru studios and all over the Bronx somewhere I had never been before.
Wayne from the LISA Project took me through all the murals they had arranged as well as giving me access to watch and document 80's graffiti legends Crash and Daze paint a large mural.
Artist - Slicer
I first produced a book for my partner through Blurb documenting a trip we did in 2009 and fell in love with the process. I realised there was some thing missing in the representation of Melbourne street art scene as a whole in print. Back then, there was the Uncommissioned Art – an A-Z of Australian graffiti (2007), Kings Way (2009), Street Studio (2010), Everfresh Blackbook (2010), Stencil Graffiti Capital Melbourne (2011) and – all awesome books but in my mind not fully representing the scene as a whole… So I thought I have thousands of pics, surely I could put something together? It took me a few months to come up with a concept, something that differed from what was already out there, and collate the right images.
Artist - Mr. Never Satisfied
1. Early night or late night? Early morning.
2. Melbourne Bitter or Coppers? Melbourne Bitter (although preferably VB)
3. Tags or no tags? Tags.
4. Style Wars or Exit Thought The Gift Shop? Style wars (for without it, we would have nothing)
5. North side or South side? I have always existed equally in both
