Recently when a building in Grey St., St Kilda was demolished, this image on a wall at the end of George Lane was revealed in its entirety. After years of only ever spotting a small part of it, I thought I’d capture it here before it is once more obscured. At first glance the painting may seem a little too stylised, the image a little too predictable in subject matter, but let’s take a closer look:
There is something prophetic in its raised scalp – a light emerging from it – combined with the image of a house with roots where a heart would normally sit. The spray of red paint behind the hat is a mark of the artist’s craftpersonship. The work remains sharp and undaunted by it. Tears fall from this female automaton, and indeed, there is something of the lachrymose about the piece, not least because of the bowed head.
While it will remain there on the wall, it will only be revealed for a few weeks until a new structure is erected in front of it: a secret of sorts in this tiny lane that meets up with Little Grey behind the Coffee Palace. Funny, or perhaps not, it will once more be hidden to the busy thoroughfare of cars as well as foot traffic, where life and pain in the diverse suburb of St Kilda often go hand in hand.
SJ Finn eating one piece of art at a time 
In case you’re interested, the artist in question is Reka.
He’s been getting increasingly complex in themes and refining his craftsmanship over recent years. Sadly he’s moved away from Melbourne and we don’t as much of his work around.
What’s really interesting is that it seems to have faded significantly from when it was first painted, which does change the tone somewhat: http://rekaone.com/blog/?p=2337
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Thank you Felix. Indeed, very interested to learn who the artist is. How excellent. I’ll check out the blog address.
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Wow. The original shots are extraordinary. So much of it has been covered up, and the faded colour makes it, as you say, considerably altered.
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