Street art, such as this mural in Johnston Street, Fitzroy, is increasingly being defaced by disillusioned taggers.

Street art, such as this mural in Johnston Street, Fitzroy, is increasingly being defaced by disillusioned taggers. Photo: Michael Clayton-Jones



A "great divide" has emerged within Melbourne's street-art scene, as councils employ street artists in their battle to erase and prevent graffiti.


During the past two years, 12 inner-Melbourne municipalities have spent more than $8 million painting over "indiscriminate" tags. In the meantime, they have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars funding commissioned murals, many with the aim of deterring letter-based graffiti.


Those connected with the street-art scene say there is now evidence that many big artworks are being systematically destroyed by alienated graffiti taggers.


Prominent works have been sprayed with slogans such as "commodification of culture", "writers united against street art" and "f--- off and leave it in your studio".