Ask Kristan how he chooses where to sketch in Melbourne, and the answer is often tied to the calendar: January means the Australian Open, March brings the roar of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. September means AFL Grand Final fever taking over the city, and come November, all eyes turn to Melbourne Cup and the world of horse racing. Each event marks its own moment in the city's story, one worth documenting as it happens.
But it wasn't always like this. In the early days of the series, the approach was more methodical – starting at the Arts Centre and working outward, one block at a time, looking for whatever gave that stretch of the city its character. Other days, there was no plan at all – simply walking until something caught his attention. Music playing somewhere or a gathering that felt worth investigating was often enough to change the direction of an afternoon and led to some of the most interesting pieces in the series.
It was easier to find the unexpected when the streets were quieter, as Melbourne slowly came back to life after the world's longest lockdown. Now, after six years, Melbourne is a city so thoroughly documented by Kristan, and yet so constantly changing, that finding something new to say about it takes a different kind of attention than it once did.
Much of what makes it onto the page still comes down to Melbourne's own particular obsessions – its food, its coffee, the conversations Kristan has along the way with the people who actually live here, rather than the landmarks every visitor is pointed toward. It's this local, lived-in perspective that continues to shape the series, six years on, and to constantly keep the excitement of never knowing what piece will appear in Oud Art Gallery next...
Interested in seeing what new Melbourne artwork we have on display? Email us at contact@oud.art to arrange an appointment.