fluoroOriginal: The Ghost Who Walks
Street artist Meggs is a crime-fighter of a different sort, challenging dualistic society through methods that are a little subtler than flying a cape.
Growing up on a diet of cartoons, comic books, and Star Wars, the Melbourne-born artist has invented his own way of opposing social and political evils. The streets and alleyways of Melbourne, Paris, London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo and Hong Kong are evidence of this fight. The work is a testament to the artist’s moralistic stance displaying his unique interpretation of the symbology of villains and demons.
The suburbs of Melbourne are the site of Meggs’ induction to a life of skateboarding, graffiti, and reworking of pop culture icons. These interests developed into a contribution to Melbourne’s art and design community. Meggs’ recurring themes stem from an early fixation with graphic-heavy toy packaging and video covers. The artist subverts and challenges assumptions regarding civil and human rights and the role of authority using art, collage, and graffiti.
After completing a Bachelor of Design, the artist became frustrated with client based design work and began exploring different mediums. His ‘spew blobs’ and ‘devil children’ have since become a familiar sight in the Melbourne CBD. His complex stencil images and paste-ups are easily recognisable although not all easily accessible – the artist chooses not disclose the location of the abandoned building in Melbourne which houses his earlier work.
In 2004 Meggs joined Everfresh studio, a progressive collective of artists renowned for their diverse collaborations, visual narratives, and group murals. The collective consists of street artists – Sync, Rone, Phibs, Reka, Wonderlust, Prizm, Makatron and The Tooth. Everfresh produced their first foray into publishing ‘Blackbook’ this year. A striking limited edition book which offers an exclusive glimpse into the studio’s work and the culture of their underground art world, a world which as they state is usually ‘cloaked in anonymity’.
‘Sons of Privlege’ – an installation which opened earlier this year at Low-Fi in Sydney’s Surrey Hills – returned to Meggs’ themes of “freedom of thought and action” and a “frustration with institutions – be it governments, laws, or religion”. The exhibition posed challenging questions to its viewers forcing them to re-evaluate societal norms and expectations, while gesturing to the fragile nature of “power, fame and fortune”.
The artist will also have work exhibited this year at The National Gallery of Australia, for the gallery’s first street art exhibition to date.
Meggs is an artist who is ever evolving and transforming. It is hard to liken his work with much else, although when questioned, he reluctantly admitted to feeling an affinity with the Phantom over other superheroes the “tough guy but also the consummate gentleman”. This comparison is truly apt – the ‘balance’ between aggressive and refined is a dichotomy which he can empathise with as he gravitates between street and gallery art.
