Artist and teacher Julie Shiels has been giving Melbournians reasons to keep their eyes open since at least the early 1980s, and over the next four months, she will be exploring “the way people use the city by photographing and writing about the events and conversations that are overlooked”. She writes to Melbourne Metroblog: “Using objects, text and stories and a series of my own interventions, I am re-presenting a view of Melbourne that is surprising and unexpected, but immediately recognisable. The project crosses over between the cyber and physical domains using the web and public space as sites for exhibition.”

At the Botanist of the Pavement website she documents traces of life in Melbourne, and relates conversations from locations around the city. Along with the photographic record online, expect to see various bits of temporary public art cropping up around Melbourne.

There are always good reasons to keep your eyes open in this city, with the pavement art, the unexpected bits of city art you stumble into every now and then (just the other day I walked through a dingy alley and found myself surrounded by pictures in elaborate frames), not to mention one of the most vibrant graffiti communities in the Western world. Julie also draws our attention to the other, less obvious signs of life littered around the city, taking us to places both hidden and out in the open, “from the centre to the edges.”

The project will culminate in November of this year, when the gallery 45 Downstairs (located at number 45 Flinders Lane, downstairs…) will be exhibiting ‘emblematic’ objects related to the project.

I don’t know about you, but this is inspiring me to set aside some time to put on my Sherlock Holmes hat and just go exploring.

Related posts:

1. Ephemerality in Melbourne - an update on Botanist of the Pavement
2. Discarded
3. Just Passing Through - A new exhibition at fortyfivedownstairs
4. Trip to the Werribee Open Range Zoo
5. Busy busy in the city … Open Day at RMIT