nost, Nost, Nosh, NOST

30 years have passed since this ‘iconic smith st mural’ was painted. It means something to some, nothing to others. And now has given meaning to the never-ending saga, that is, never-ending.

Nost and the need for the antagonist

Life needs a cause and many love an antagonist as the reason for all at fault in the world. For 9 years, the whole time ive lived in Fitzroy the mural has gone from having a little graff, few tags few throwies along its bottom third (as high as the highest graffer could reach) to the strip being messily and repeatedly covered. It even had some of my faves mio and atak on it.

Clearly no-one cares about this mural. But its been ‘ageing gracefully’ as one emailer said. Change happens always, in this case gradual and subtle then all of a sudden enter, NOST (with rollie and enough paint)…

Nost’s number one fan

From: Hugh Mungus
Message Body:
Yeah there’s an issue with the site, it’s full of images of shitty scribbles by future victims of meth addiction. This stuff is soooo lame! Do graffers think they’re arists? I could shit on a paper plate and put it on a podium and technically that can be construed as art and it would stink less than the rubbish you have on display. Go get a canvas and a bowl of fruit and learn how to paint you fucking talentless, boorish morons.

This is so fucking hilarious I cant even take it seriously!!! The whole site is “full of images of shitty scribbles by future victims of meth addiction” ???

ooo nice stab Hugh; Nost tells the world through his graff of his personal woes. I bet you havent actually READ ANY OF HIS COMMENTS to gain your insinuations though, Hugh.

“Do graffers think theyre artists?” Yes Hugh, all graffers think themselves artists, of course! You’re on it mate!

“I could shit on a paper plate and put it on a podium and technically that can be construed as art…” I think the artist you are now alluding to is Duchamp, nice recalling of year 10 art class Hugh – found this in an abando once – think you might appreciate the honesty:

And heres Hugh Mungus proving that he has actually looked through the entire allThoseShapes website: “Go get a canvas and a bowl of fruit and learn how to paint you fucking talentless, boorish morons.” He’s probably refering to Adnate here:

or maybe ghost?

Lewis
Message Body:
You are a vandalist, not an artist, painting amateur graffiti over a historical mural with great significance to the community. You ignorant, arrogant degenerate. I hope you develop into a human being that’s better than this, for your sake.

Lewis, you are correct. Nost is a vandal but, “a historical mural with great significance to the community”? really? nobody cared about the mural when it was 1/3 trashed, now that NOST has rollied over half of it it is of great significance. Strange Logic indeed. In fact, Nost has even had little throwie Nosts over the community’s beloved mural for the last few years and nobody cared…

The Need to NEWS with NOSH

Hi Toby,
How are you?
I am a journalist at The Age and I wanted to chat to NOSH about his art work and his new graffiti on Smith Street.
My details are below.
Thanks,
Neelima

Again hilarious! I didn’t reply. Controversy makes the sudden need to journalism erupt with the intense desire to bathe in sensation regardless of facts or accuracy. I wonder what “NOSH” would have said about “his art work and his new graffiti on Smith Street” heheheheh she did put together a story for the age without my help- the article doesnt of course show what nost actually covered instead showing a photo of the original mural in its pristine state from 30 years ago not the decrepit un-cared for mess it was in the last few years.

Renew

30 years have passed – maybe its time for an anniversary and rejuvenation of this so called icon? Maybe a collaboration between Megan Evans one of the original artists and Heesco a seriously skilled artist who has recently renewed a 30 year old mural at VU footscray? I think so!

And, if y’all love the wall as much as y’all claim to, graffiti proof and maintain it!

Bandwagons and the bastard vandal

Lets finish off with some humour from the facebook page:

More bad logic from latecomers

From: Chris Clarke
Subject: Vandalism
Message Body:
Please take all NOST images off your site – destroying other peoples art is not something to be promoted.
Can you please let me know an answer to this request.
Thanks

Nice logic chris – goes something like this: “if allThoseShapes has nost images on their site (which they have for years) they are promoting destroying other peoples art.”

First lets have a look at the ACTUAL WALL WHICH WAS VANDALISED (thanks google street view!) not the one which miss-try-hard-news-reporter put in the age newspaper:

See that Chris? the whole wall is damaged, about 2-1/2 metres high with some scrawl even going 3 metres or so high. And see in the middle to the right of the pole with the white and black diagonal bar in the painting? A little chrome NOST. One of many vandals destroying this cultural icon. Hard to focus on any of them if you need to find a target hey?

When NOST went and did what he does, and sorry your beloved wall was not the first he has done this to, there are at least 3 others which i have photos of he did not attack the art, he did not go after the feminist movement, he cleaned up a messy wall and went large cause thats what hes into at the moment.

No one cared about the wall in question, now everyone cares! Its 30 years prob almost exactly since it was painted – its time for rejuvenation, renewal, and it might already be in the works; I suggested Heesco and have since heard others talking of a bunch of modern female artists getting together for the re-paint.

Yes NOST is a vandal. He was one of many on your wall until he drew your attention to just how uncared for it was IN A REAL BIG WAY. You were all too lazy to do any looking after of the wall when you had the chance – now youve decided to go after NOST as the cause of all that is bad in your world.

Revive your wall, graffiti proof your wall, look after it this time!!!

Threats against un-related artists work in retaliation

But yeah of course theres more. More all of a sudden so outraged about something that happened a month ago!

From: sooz
Subject: Nost

Message Body:
Seriously, how fu*ckin dumb is the d*ckhead for tagging over one of the most iconic, long standing pieces of art in Melbourne.

Where the hell are you from? must be from cranbourne or the outer suburbs to even understand what this meant to locals. You should stick to your suburbs, stick to what you know. Your mate will never be considered anything after this. What a loser.

Get a life.

Sooz obviously you dont know what tagging is and read about it in the Age News paper. That reporter clearly new everything about the incident. Please read the above response to Chris Clarke. Nost went over an already damaged end to end fading relic from the 80s. It may have had cultural significance but clearly no one cared about it, until now! “One of the most iconic, long standing pieces of art in Melbourne” is part fact and part subjective opinion. I’m sure it had meaning but in reality it was just an old mural with graff all over it that you go past on the tram. As already stated Nost cleaned up the mess in one foul swoop and went larger cause thats what hes doing at the moment.

“Where the hell are you from? must be from cranbourne or the outer suburbs to even understand what this meant to locals.” this sentence just doesnt even make sense you change from second person to third person. So if he is from the outer suburbs Cranbourne or such then he could understand what this meant to the locals? Are you then having a go at people from the outer suburbs in favour of your way cooler inner-suburb? Clearly you are very isolated.

But none of this after-the fact venting comes close to the content of your follow-up email.

From: sooz
Subject: nost

Message Body:
and don’t you worry we will come to your exhibitions and make sure we do the same to all your artwork too.

Sooz, who are you threatening here? All the artists on this site? In case you didnt already know Nost is not someone who exhibits in galleries. He paints walls thats all. And I am going to assume you know that. “don’t you worry we will come to your exhibitions and make sure we do the same to all your artwork too” really? you’re going to come and rollie over the whole wall in somebodies exhibition? And actually let me get this straight you’re not threatening, you’re promising to do this?

Sooz its nice to see you getting so syked about something, why not put all your energies into helping with the mural’s rejuvenation. If you really are a long time admirer of the work and local in North Fitzroy work harder on protecting what you love. This wall was trashed for years and YOU (like so many other recently irate) DID NOTHING. Fix the wall, stay passionate look after it.