Helen Wilding and a group of sketchers regularly gather on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy, Melbourne, to document its streetscape. Wilding has been engaged in this project for seven years, focusing on a specific street in the inner Melbourne suburb.
Project Methodology
Wilding utilizes long, accordion-folded paper strips to capture sections of the street. The sketching process occurs on location, where environmental factors such as passing vehicles and trams can temporarily obstruct the view.
Community Engagement
The initiative has fostered a community of sketchers, with individuals positioned across surrounding streets to record parts of Fitzroy. Wilding has engaged with local residents and business owners, including a record shop owner to whom she provided a sketch. She also documented details shared by a building resident, such as names given to pigeons on a roof.
Artistic Approach
Wilding, a librarian by profession, applies a detailed approach to her sketches. These include depictions of shop signs, people, architectural elements like antennas and bricks, and the subtle variations in foliage colors. Faded murals are rendered with their existing states. Wilding intentionally omits graffiti from her work, distinguishing it from street art. She acknowledges the presence of inaccuracies in her drawings, noting that such details often integrate into the overall composition.
Participant Profiles
Alf Green, aged 85, is another participant in the sketching group. Green commenced sketching approximately ten years prior and travels over an hour weekly to join the group. Participants convene at lunchtime to review their work.
Production and Archiving
Each line drawing by Wilding requires an estimated four to six hours to complete, often spanning multiple weeks. The coloring phase is conducted at home, using bright hues that convey an impression of the location rather than strict photographic realism. Completed line sketches are filed by street number, awaiting subsequent painting.
Documentation of Change
Wilding’s previous sketching activities were primarily associated with travel. Her current project allows for close observation of her local environment, providing a detailed record of Brunswick Street. The sketches document historical changes, including scenes from Covid-19 lockdowns, displaying closed shops, canceled event signs, and Black Lives Matter protest references. Social distancing measures were also depicted in her work during this period.
One notable change documented is the demolition of a plant nursery on Brunswick Street, which Wilding specifically sketched prior to its replacement by an apartment building.
The project is projected to continue for potentially another decade. Wilding maintains a website where her streetscape project can be followed.