Street art peeled and flown to Cockatoo Island

Cockatoo Island is bringing street art from the walls and roads of Sydney’s landscape and into the eyes and minds of the masses with the launch of The Outpost Project.
The street art project will display urban art from more than 150 renowned artists from November 4-December 11.
Curated by Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and aMBUSH Gallery, the festival will feature large-scale installations, live art creations, stencilling and sculpture are among the works on display.
Artists showcased in the festival said this is another act helping to cement street art as a legitimate contemporary art form.
“Recent acceptance of street art by reputable galleries globally has legitimised the art form,” artist Shannon Crees said.
“aMBUSH Gallery, the creators of Outpost, are leading the way in changing the public perception of street art and promoting it as a cultural movement with a relevant voice for the community,” she said.
“We are all really excited to be part of such a fantastic project.”
Ms Crees, a Sydney-Based artist, works with large-scale murals and was the only Australian artist included in the high profile line up of ‘the best graffiti artists in the world’ at Banksy’s Cans Festival 2 in London.
Her work has been on display at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art for Australian fashion week.
Private buyers in Europe, America, Japan, Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia purchased her artworks.
Street artist Brad Eastman, who will also take part in the festival, said it’s not the international acts that should draw crowds.
“I think it’s important for people to come and see the Outpost Project, not just because Cockatoo Island is an amazing venue in itself, but because the people of Sydney need to recognise and appreciate all the amazing local artists we have,” he said.
Mr Eastman was recently named Best Artist at the 2010 Sydney Music, Arts & Culture Awards. His large public mural aerosol works can be found all over Australia, London, Berlin and New York.
Mr Eastman said: “Street art is one of the biggest movements in modern art history and the general public will soon realise this and embrace it. Some more art on the streets would be so refreshing and would breathe new life and colour into the city.”
The Outpost Street Art Festival will take place on Cockatoo Island from November 4 to December 11 2011.

By Georgia Fullerton