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In remnant public spaces MiniGraff’sstickers,stencilsandpostersfleetinglycallourpost9/11selvestoaccountforconforming,acceptingandconsentingtoashamelesslycapitalistculture.Thesepastedorpaintedfragmentspeel,fadeordisappear(oftenassouvenirs)asmysteriouslyastheyappear.Theyarerebelliouscitizenslikehersignaturestencil—thefleeingsilhouettesofJoeandJosephine.Workinginpublicsince2005,MiniGraffhaswonrespectasoneofasub-setofstreetartistswhoaimtoshifteverydayacceptanceandasanartistunwillingtohidebehindcarefulplatitudesabout‘criticaldiscourse’.Shedeftlyparodiestheadvertisingindustryandthebrandnamesthatinvadepublicspaces,streetscapes,parksandschoolstoplantthebannersofconsumerismandimprintinsecurity.Shecautionsthatthelimitsonourrightstospeakoutorexhibitcriticalworkinpublicspacesaresevere. AnarrestingexampleofborderpatrollingwasaninstallationcomponentoftheexhibitionRealEstate:MiniGraff/JasonWingatTheCrossArtProjects(March2011),aspaceinaformerTVrepairshopinaKingsCrossbacklane.Theworkcomprisedasilkscreenposterrepeatpastedonatemporaryhoarding,blockingviewingandlightintothegalleryspace.MiniGraff’simagecomprisedtheword'Grab',aredstarlogoandagraspinghandthat,whenrepeatpasted,transformedtheobstructionintoagiantauto-teller.Councilrequiredthegallerytomakeacostlydevelopmentapplication.Aplannersaid'no'asGrabmightbeconfusedwithNAB(NationalAustraliaBank).Anotherplannerconfided:'thereisanunofficialpolicyofapprovingonlydecorativeartorartthatdoesn’thave

words'.There-submitteddesigndrawingwaspixilated,obscuringtheoffendingG-word.Needlesstosay,theworkwasupduringthisilluminatingexchangeonmunicipalcensorship.Whoselandgrab? Notlongbefore,andashortwalkfromKingsCross,adisusedshopbillboardservedtoscreenCountryShoppers(2011),aMiniGraffandAntoniaAitkencollaborationontheglobalrefugeecrisis.Inthisfive-partpostermini-serieseachgrainyblackandwhiteimageisidentifiedbyalargefluorescentcentrallogothatwittilyplaysoffthewesterntourist’sLonelyPlanetGuide.TheepisodesrunfromCook’sshipappearingonthehorizontoclaimingterranullius.Finallyrefugees'select'acountryfromtemptingpilesofcountryguides.Wastheartists’brightangeratthetragicdrowningofover50TamilandHazararefugeesoffChristmasIsland(inDecember2010)tooaptaplaywithitscontext?Thesamecouncilsoonseizedthesite,obliteratingtheartisanalposterswithagiantdigitaladvertisementfornewconcretecyclelaneshailingitsownworkassistingthegentrificationofformerworkingclasssuburbs,aprocessthatbrutallydisplacesinvisiblelow-incometypes—includingartists. Critiqueofcapitalisconfronting.NoLogo,NaomiKlein’sdescriptionofcorporateculturetakingovergovernments,waspublishedadecadeagoyetremainsfront-pagenews:mining,geneticallymodifiedfoodandtheaddictiontriumvirateofalcohol,tobaccoandpokies.'Imaginealifewithoutpackaging'saysBigTobacco,callinginaiditsso-calledrightstoadvertise.Governmentsandpolicecensortomakepoliticalcapital:thenewNSWPremier’sfirstwordswere

aboutactiontocriminalisestreetart.HenceMiniGraff’sgloriousself-portraithailsalltheunnamedSuperHeroes(2011)andyoucanalmosthearthechorusanthemfromtheimaginarymusicalasthecomradesfightfortheidealsofcivicspaceandcivilsociety.MyfondnessforGeorgeOrwellandcivillibertarianheroismhasrevived.Inthistwistedworldthecriminalistheartist,notthepoliticiantakingcorporatedonations.TherecentsuccessofCockatooIslandasadefactobiennaleofstreetartinOutpost:ProjectArtfromtheStreets(Sydney,2011)willhopefullypromptarethink. MiniGraff’sloveofsilkscreenimagesrelatestowonkycomicstripsandanachronisticcommercialartasmuchastopopart.Asatechniquetofusecuttingpoliticsandsatire,thelow-keyBenDaydotisunmatchedforfortyyearsofstreetbriefingsonanti-capitalismandunequalconsumption,feminismandlandrights.Aninspiredwaveofcommunicators,fromGuerillaGirlsandJennyHolzertoAustralian-basedartistslikeDeborahKellyandMiniGraff,extendthisclassyconceptuallanguageaseasilyasthedotmorphsintothepixel.It’sexcitingbutwhenpittedagainstthecorporatestateanditsrelentlessobliterationofmemoryanddifference,averyrealstruggle.Inadditiontopettybutpunitiveregimes,thereisamorassofself-servingblatherabout'activating'publicspaceforcommerce,suchasoxymoronicartbarsandbanaladvertbannerstermed'art'—standardisedandneutral. Ofcourse,notallcouncilsarerollingoutthecorporatevillageorfestivalsfakingconviviality.MiniGraffisoftencommissionedforlocalprojectssuchasRenwickLane’ssublimeCommunityCreeper(forLeichhardtCouncilintheinner-west).MiniGraff’sworkismorethannegationandcritique:sheimagineswhatourliveswouldbelikewithoutcommodification,alifewithoutadvertisingandprofit.Ifyouhappenacrosssuchaninstallation,itislikelyyourdustystreetwilltransformmomentarilyintoaparadiseforbutterflycatchingandotheridylls.SuchdemocraticandlocalworkssitinthevisionarytraditionhandedfromWilliamBlakeviaWilliamMorristoKeithHaringandthemanychildren’sstoryillustratorsthatMiniGraffhasdevouredsinceherdaysasadesignstudentat

MasseyUniversityinWellington. Privacy,herfirstsoloexhibitionatMegaloPrintWorkshopGalleryinCanberra(2011),showedthefruitsofherresidencyandfeastedondeeppsychicstuffaboutchildhoodmemory.MiniGraffpremieredtwonewseriesofhand-drawnscreenprints.ThefirstwasaniterationofherhighwayRoadhouseseries,eachprintdepictingasmallcottageorcaravaninclashingcolours,sittingonverdantgreengrassunderabrilliantblueskyandoverpoweredbyahugescaffold-stylesign.Theseminimalgeometricshelters—NewZealand'bachs'(shortforbachelorpads)—wereenjoyedbygenerationsofeconomicalholidaymakerslikeMiniGraff’sfarmingfamily.InMiniGraff’sprintsthenaïvearecolonisedbycorporationslikeCadburyorNestléuntilfinally'gobble'(Google)takesawaywhatremainsofsuchinnocentdreams.MiniGraffvividlyrecallsherfirstbillboardsightingandheruttermisrecognitionofitspurpose.Perhapsthisheraldedherfondnessforsurrealistfantasyasatoolforphilosophicalspeculation—becauseitcandescribewiththelimitsthatsurrounduseachday. MiniGraff’sworkreliesonsuchadouble-take:itispainstakinglycraftedbypendrawing,scissorsandlayersofcolourscreenstolooklike‘real’advertising,butitisn’t.Itadvertisessomethingradicallydifferent.Thenewseriesongeneticallymodifiedfoodisdrawninthestyleofasecretgardenstylefairytale,showingabounteousharvestmarredbythehiddencorporateworm. Somecalledourtimestheendofdissent,whenwemarchedinourmillionsagainsttheinvasionofIraqwithnoimpact.Likeotherartistswhoseprimaryworkisoutsidemainstreamgalleries,museumsandfestivals,MiniGraff’sexperimentalpublicartshowstheneedtoextendaffirmativeprotestandoccupythestreets.•

ReferencesForthelessfleetoffootoreye,MiniGraff’scivicconversationsareviewedasavisualdiaryonflickr.comorinhardcopyinJaklynBabington’sexcellentexhibitiondocumentSpaceInvaders:AustralianStreetArt(NationalGalleryofAustralia,2010)andpodcastatJaklynBabingtoninterviewsMiniGraffandJasonWing,9March2011:http://www.myspace.com/crossartprojects

Mini Graff artupforgrabs

by Jo Holder,Director,TheCrossArtProjects,Sydney

printcouncilofaustralia 21

special feature

above Mini Graff, Roadhouse

No.15 (in situ), 2011, acrylic screen print on

litho (poster edition), 102 x 76 cm

top right Mini Graff, Roadhouse

No. 8 (installation view on Cockatoo Island), 2011, acrylic screen print on

Snowdon 300gsm (20 sheets), edition: 10,

253 x 450 cm. Photography: Luke

Thomas

above right Mini Graff, The Great

Australian Land Grab, 2011, acrylic screen

print on litho, dimensions variable

right Mini Graff, Roadhouse

No.14, 2011, acrylic screen print on

245gsm Stonehenge, 102 x 76 cm.

Photography: Garth Knight

left Mini Graff,

Super Heroes, 2011, screen print on card,

190 x 86.5 cm