Gold Coast Institute of T.A.F.E. Children’s Centre (GCITCC) has been keeping me busy painting murals on several exterior walls. I’ve hopefully inspired some young artists with a variety of works including trains, bugs, numbers and lots of crazy cartoons. Here’s a selection.
It’s not everyday you get to splash around a couple of litres of black in someones dining room. The owner of this Wakerly residence provided a concept for the mural capturing my attention. A striking impact was desired to complement the modern decor and fittings in the family home.
Students from Redbank State School participated in drawing and design workshops to develop concepts for the covered outside play area (COLA). Featuring many of the students submitted designs and the schools motto, the “Everyone Belongs” themed mural was part of Harmony Day Celebrations.
Graffiti is ubiquitous, appearing as seemingly meaningless scrawl displaying nothing except self interest to the untrained eye. This reflects in destruction of the natural landscape as concrete monstrosities annihilate everything in sight in the interests of man’s progress. Governments maintain their anti-graffiti stance by wasting millions of dollars on graffiti removal and the media propaganda machine continues to publish a one sided bias. The civilians are not convinced. Splashes of paint encroach on the drab city architecture, reminding us there is something else, walking amongst the people leaving messages for the interested mind. Unlike advertising, graffiti is art for arts sake not capiltalism. Please note no animals were harmed in the production of this graffiti.
Acrylic on canvas 60 X 30cm.
Another busy week entailing artwork and education at Nanango State High School. I worked with creative students to complete twenty unique stencilled works on canvas. Following this designs were developed and we took to the wall with the intention to make the schools behavioral expectations more appealing. Thanks to the Famed committee, school staff, students and the tuck shop for making this project very memorable.
Frogs have been popular in recent times and the requests keep coming. I enjoy painting private residences as it gives a home a unique flavor, personalising the space for the owners. Transforming the previously dull exterior into a feature mural armed with aerosols and headphones, this Spa area kept me busy in Logan Village last week.
Persistent rain has made if difficult to paint during recent weeks. I made a move during a brief period of sunshine.
Firstly I want express my respect and gratitude to the Quandamooka people who’s land I have been privileged to live upon for the past sixteen years. I also wish to extend my appreciation to the individuals and organisations such as Rita Ackermann, Courtney Gilliott, Philip Farley, IN-SYNC, Boystown, Mount Cotton State School, Bayside PCYC and many others who have supported me. As a young person I was able to establish networks and make many friends which helped grow my business. From many years of practice and study my skills developed as an artist which gave the confidence to establish Aerograffix in 2000. I am also proud to have contributed to local arts through my committee member roles with RADF, Bedlam and Spontaneity, Community Creative Alliance, my time as youth worker, gallery volunteer, a Living Library Book and advocating for many young artists.
Aerograffix has become synonymous with the youth arts sector by delivering successful projects throughout Queensland and interstate with a grass roots approach. Aerograffix gives example of a Redlands community development success story and I will forever be grateful for opportunities provided which instigated a deeper understanding of the bigger picture. With a heart full of dedication and over many years of persistence I was able to initiate positive changes in my life and hopefully to others.
Since Redland Council has become a City Council I have witnessed a reluctance to embrace progressive ideas. A top down approach to youth issues and the box ticking mentality towards public art projects has unfortunately severed links to valuable cultural resources. Systemic neglect is evident as council is still in the planning and talking phase about the initial process of creating a purpose built space for the youth of the area. There is currently a reluctance to embrace genuine and progressive ideas despite policy which claims to foster this type of approach and numerous council documents which are brimming with rhetoric about embracing both youth and the local arts community. Facilities and projects for artists remain a pipe-dream whilst spending on graffiti removal has significantly increased. During the past decade I have been lied to by state government, had promises broken by local government and my name has been vilified by local media, despite much support from members of the community. These issues have contributed to my decision to move from the stagnant cesspit of the suburbs in Redland City to greener pastures within the hills of the Tweed Valley.
The Aerograffix office and studio is now nestled in the hills of Tomewin, Northern New South Wales. Located a few minutes from the thriving yet laid back town of Murwillumbah featuring a legal graffiti wall several hundreds of metres long… Happy days! Aerograffix will continue to work with councils, schools, youth agencies, sporting clubs and businesses to deliver quality projects and artwork across Australia.
Thank you once again for the inspiring support and I look forward to catching up soon,
Christian Griffiths (Sauce)
Aerograffix
PO Box 1262
Murwillumbah
NSW 2484
+61 409 068 980
