Arty Graffarti

On a stankin’ hot Melbourne Thursday, Mike Makatron opened his latest exhibition, ‘Cycles’, to a number of melting Melbourne street art punters. After a fantastic show at No Vacancy last year, anticipation was up there with the mercury and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

This year has seen a visual onslaught in galleries by the very popular Collingwood based Everfresh crew, Rone, Meggs, Phibs and Reka [not once, but twice] have each had a show in their homebase. And while they have spent a bit of time across the shore, Makatron has been on somewhat of a solo mission to South America and a stint in South Africa for 2012. While he is a great painter from the get go, it seems the travel bug has improved his work even more as time has gone on, with nature being his focal point. Part animal, part landscape, part angry science the work on display at this show was really something to be seen. I’m repeating myself here and it’s a bit useless now but, seeing a show like this in person is the real deal, there is just so much to be seen, the artist is almost challenging you to find more within his work.

The pieces are rich in both colour and life, while some do lack a pallet, they are given enough character and emotion to suggest that they portraits of beings Makatron has found in his travels. Of all the shows I’ve been this year, I find these the hardest to describe and name, to me they’re distant lands and creatures found in a cosmos far far away, yet they are grounded with enough characteristics to make them of this world too. Makatron has made the unfamiliar, beautiful, leaving each piece with enough depth for a lot of wander and wonder.

Unfortunately this show has closed and done for the year, contact either Makatron or House of Bricks if you have any questions about the work on display. Tip top show!

House Of Bricks

Makatron