Okay, it’s been a while – I haven’t had a lot of extra time away from covering shows and shit to get around to some of the columns that I enjoy doing, but I’m going to make a start by getting back into the Press Mill. Press Mill is our regular wrap of all the main stream press, blog and associated media articles surrounding street, graffiti and underground art here in Oz, and NZ.

So, without further ado ….

• The Trojan Petition was put up (more info here), and there was a bit of coverage, notably on ABC as well as here and on MACC and Vandalog (thanks for the shoutout!) *see below.
• The CCTV cameras in Hosier lane have been a big issue lately, with both The Age and the Herald Sun reporting on it, as well as 3AW. There is also a really comprehensive run down on this over at MACC. Whatever your opinion on this is, or the many different sides, arguments and issues involved in it, one thing is agreed – there has to be a better way.
• Some of the big news in the past few weeks has been all of the articles that have sprung up around Adrian Doyles art documentary piece “Subtopia” ABC has run two really great articles articles, Off The Street: Art For All as well as Off The Street: Melbourne Street Art and the Profit of Rebellion. Also one on MACC that we don’t quite agree with, but hey, as I’ve said time and again, that’s what critics are there for –  whether you agree with them or not.
• There was also a great article on The Age (we love their coverage of street art and such) on street art as an investment – well worth reading.
• A very cool article on Yarn Bombing was posted up over at the SMH website – way to go, knit massive!
• You’ve probably all heard of VandalTrak – it’s the system that the NSW police have put together that persecutes artists for pursuing their creativity. Here’s an interesting article on it all; just another cog in the continuing anti-artist surveillance and tracking behemoth.
• Catch Father Bob and John Safran talking to Jacob Oberman and Adrian Doyle about Subtopia and street art this Sunday night on JJJ.
• Once again, Melbournes street art makes a “top destinations” list – http://www.eturbonews.com/31083/seven-compelling-reasons-visit-melbourne
• Lastly, check out how an Australian won at the “chalk Olympics” this year – we like chalk art, if its not just reproductions of classical paintings, that is …

Well, that’s about all we have for this week, we’ll be back with more on the next round.

* Just as an aside on this article, we think RJ over at Vandalog misunderstood the targeting a little. The petition only used the NGV as a conduit to present itself to the respective governments, not that it was specifically targeted at the NGV. The NGV have, (in recent years), become quite great supporters of Melbourne street art. The “fine art establishments” that are mostly referred to in the link provided with the petition – , ie Orchestras, Opera, Dance and questions why there is $0 funding for street art when it is ranked so highly, and other “fine art establishments”, which are not, receive millions upon millions of dollars. Perhaps this part of it could have been clearer. This was why the petition was delivered to the NGV, as CDH knew that they would regard the issues on the petition with the seriousness they deserved; and they did, by placing it in the gallery for several days.