Street art meets a 'sweet' history in Fitzroy: A conversation with local street artist, Ling

What is the inspiration behind the mural?

Based on the composition of the space and with portraiture being a key focus of my practice, there was an immediate intent to produce a portrait. The narrative around it came through discussion with the team at Pace where I became aware of the building's history of producing Lifesavers lollies. That, combined with the proximity to Fitzroy Pool, created a perfect crossover which could be represented through a portrait of a local lifeguard. Luckily Rosie, who happens to be an artist as well as a lifeguard, put her hand up for an impromptu photoshoot at the pool which generated the final reference.

How has the community responded to the piece?

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. From tradies watching the progress to locals stopping by for a chat and meeting lifelong Fitzroy artists, producing pieces like this almost always lead to positive conversations. The intrinsically human element of portraits is easily understood and appreciated.

Are your pieces typically inspired by the local context?

It doesn’t always have to be a local context although increasingly I’m looking to have a clear narrative associated with my portraits. Personally I’ve found that this makes me more invested in the work and allows for a more involved process. The outcome being higher quality work with visuals that are unique.

What is your approach for securing new sites for your art?

This can vary dramatically from large scale commissions to applying for new projects through EOI processes. Coming from a Graffiti background, the one method that has always been successful is simply walking the neighbourhood and asking. I can’t think of a time where this has failed and generally leads to meeting new people and making genuine connections.

Have you had a commercial relationship with a developer previously?

Not that I can recall. Painting walls has led to a huge number of projects over the years. Some of which have involved working with companies in parallel with developers but I have not worked as directly as in the manner of this piece.