There’s just something about art and backyards that go together – drinks, bbqs and good weather makes for a pretty ideal day, and, when you couple that with a bunch of highly creative friends, you often get art jams that are second to none.

Taking it one step further, Primo! Mag and The Outsiders decided that just hanging out and doing art wasn’t enough – they wanted to share it with everyone, and so Backyard Play was born!

“PRIMO! Magazine & The Outsiders are two like mind crews who have already established a place in the local Art scene. They have joined forces to create a burgeoning new collective called BACKYARD PLAY. This collective aims to cultivate a greater sense of community amongst Street & Graffiti Artist. They hope to break down the stigma that surrounds their beloved chosen Art forms.

The idea, to bring together Artists, friends & community in a way that personalises the medium of their Art as well as promotes creativity & collaboration in their very own backyards. Through shared experience, BACKYARD PLAY hopes to bring more understanding of the process of creating Street Art & Graffiti as well as the shared experience of childhood play & the shared experience of a dedicated day of painting together. The first of these days took place on 6.8.2011 in a backyard in Sydney & the result is the first BACKYARD PLAY exhibition.

6 Artists created works inspired by the theme Backyard Play using a range of media such as aerosol, pen, paint and texta. They barbecued, drank beer & painted together, making Art in the same place at the same time they influence each others work & created an inspiring work environment. This day also held a deeper message of reflection for the Artists, with a loose theme of nostalgia & ‘childhood’, which encouraged them to draw upon their background & influence in order to convey their message. This is all reflected in the show in what we hope to turn into a regular playtime.

BACKYARD PLAY is a celebration of the things that hold a community together & knit you to your community like pride, nostalgia, diversity & notions of home.”

You probably even recognise a few of the names from the Sydney Secret Wars list – there’s quite a few of the competitors taking part in this event.There will also be a really cool doco of the event on show, which was made by Will Hodgett & Daniel Repetti – along with the photography that’ll also be on display you’ll be able to get a great sense of how the show developed. Put it all together, and this looks mad – get to it!

Who: Cam Wall, Sprinkles, Kon, Mr. Sweet, Teem, photography by Hannah Wang and doco by Will Hodgett & Daniel Repetti
What: Backyard Play collaborative exhibition
Where: 240 Enmore Road, Enmore, Sydney, NSW
When: Opens Thursday 8th December and runs til Wednesday 14th December

Check out the Backyard Play Facebook page as well as the Facebook event page for heaps more info on the event.