Wills finds a way with walls
Retro aliens from outer space have been invading walls around Perth in recent years thanks to local artist Martin E. Wills, aka MEW.
People can expect to see more of Wills' bee-hived 60s extraterrestrials when he joins a throng of international urban artists taking part in the Public: Art in the City festival.
"It is really awesome to see some attention being given to the local street-art dudes and to be able to work alongside big international names," Wills said.
He will be sharing scissor lifts, knuckle booms, scaffolding and spray cans with the likes of Alexis Dias, Gaia, Lucas Grogan Phibs and Pixel Pancho over the next nine days starting this weekend.
"It is really good for Perth to have artists of this calibre turning up, not to slight the local artists of course," he said.
"They provide some impetus for more support for the locals as well as the fact that they will produce amazing work and we will have the advantage of that work without going overseas to see it."
"There already is really incredible stuff happening in Perth street-art wise."
Wills, 32, studied graphic design and advertising ("I found that to not be my cup of tea.") but progressed to large-scale murals after doodling in a soul-destroying call centre job.
Wills, who also works at the Outre Gallery in Northbridge's hip William Street, held his first exhibition of 60's sc-fi and surreal pop-art in 2008. He painted the mural Enjoying a Restless Beach in Space on a Highgate drycleaner's wall as part of the 2012 Beaufort Street Festival.
He said he was encouraged by the state of Perth's street-art scene after being advised to go to Berlin to check out the action there.
"While there is incredible work there, I came back thinking we've got incredible work here and you don't have to fly to Europe to see awesome stuff. We also have it here. You just need to know where to look, I suppose."
However, government authorities and building owners still had a long way to go to understand the potential of urban art, he said.
"There is still an attitude from some property owners that if they were providing a wall for someone to paint on that they should be paid for it, rather than the artists being paid. There is still a confusing slightly backwards vibe."
Wills' contribution to Public will be on a wall at the corner of Elder and Murray streets in Perth from April 13.
"I'm looking at doing more of my weird alien and vaguely sci-fi characters with big hair, lots of colour and weirdness."
Details about other activities for Public can be found at public.form.net.au
