In 1985, Peter Voice was arrested for drawing pictures of native parrots with chalk on the pavements of Melbourne, despite having a busking permit. Peter contacted ABC Radio and, after a brief public battle, common sense prevailed and, by December, legislation was in place recognising Pavement Art as a legitimate form of busking (two years later the same thing happened in Adelaide). In '86 Peter persuaded Bev Isaac to join him and try her hand. Bev quickly became and still is Melbourne's best known pavement artist. Unlike the street artists of Europe, where a tradition of copying old-masters prevailed, Peter and Bev drew contemporary original works bringing a new vibrancy and topicality to this ancient art form.
Within a couple of years Bev and Peter were in strong demand for festivals and special events through-out metropolitan and rural Victoria. More artists started working not only in Melbourne but in Sydney and Adelaide as well. Peter and Bev were regularly commissioned by (ironically) Melbourne City Council, Melbourne Comedy Festival, Adelaide Grand Prix and others. At the 1988 Glenhuntly Pavement Art Competition they met Ulla Taylor who soon teamed up with them on some bigger projects
The rest of there history can be read on their website
I was so inspired by watching these ladies creating this fantastic pavement art.How refreshing to see an old art form being utilised.I'm not exactly sure why,but it just felt right to see artists on their hands and knees working,chalking,painting as opposed to designing,computer manufactured posters and then printing...not that that isn't right either..but i'm just an old fashioned girl i guess and it was nice to be able to relate.
Performed by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra on the 3rd November
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