There is no other place we love in the city as much as Blender. Home to a multitude of our friends and a bastion of amazing talent, we find ourselves spending a lot of time there in the company of more than welcoming community of artists. This veritable fortress of creativity in the heart of the CBD is lead by a man who has, over the past few years, helped and promoted the Melbourne street art scene, and emerging artists, in more ways than can be counted – Adrian Doyle.

Over the past year, Jacob Oberman has been putting together a documentary, Subtopia, on Doyle, Dark Horse Experiment and, of course, Blender Studios. This is awesome.

“Adrian Doyle is the dynamic face of the urban art world in Melbourne – part artist, part academic, part entrepreneur and part social activist. In 2001 he set up The Blender Studio as a co-op for artists and street artists alike. The old warehouse has become a hub of Australia’s finest practitioners. He runs an enormously successful council program that gets ‘young punks’ to stop doing graffiti and instead ‘beautify’ the walls of Melbourne.
All this is on top of his own art that is increasingly obsessed with the suburbia of his upbringing. He’s not sure if he loves it or hates it but he has such a deep fascination with it that he’s doing a PhD studying the aesthetics of suburbia. Doyle frustrates and excites the art establishment in equal measure. Many see him as a breath of fresh air, while others regard him as a pushy kid with a runaway ego.

Doyle’s fiancé and business partner Piya is the brains behind the highly successful Melbourne Street Art Tours that operates out of the studios. With street art now the top tourist attraction in Melbourne, the couple have continuous media attention that has placed mounting pressure on their lives.
Their latest venture is a gallery called Dark Horse Experiment, a partnership with the Dickerson family, scions of the traditional art world, in an effort to bring wealthy collectors to street art.

With multiple projects on the go, can Doyle manage to balance his bohemian lifestyle with his super strict fiance and the maelstrom of his fractured existence?

Created by Adrian Doyle, Jacob Oberman, Piya Suksodsai, Renegade Films, and ABC”

Definitely a unique look at Melbournes art scene with this one, and a unique insight into Doyles world, as you can see from the preview below.

Subtopia: The Myth Of Doyle is essential viewing for anyone with an interest in both Australian street art as well as the struggle involved for artists and creatives struggling to do new and exciting things with art.

Who: Adrian Doyle, Piya Suksodai & Jacob Oberman and a whole swath of friends, artists and Blender denizens!
What: Subtopia: The Myth Of Doyle
Where: On all TV screens across Australia
When: Screening Tuesday 11th September and Tuesday 18th September at 10pm on ABC1

Check out the ABC page, Dark Horse Experiment and The Blender Studios for more information.