I had my copy of ‘Wildfire’ delivered by puzlepress and it has really delivered some gold standard graffiti history from Adelaide. I haven’t really travelled with my graffiti art. I went to Melbourne a handful of times but never really got any work done of significance. I just did some tags and throw ups around Melbourne but only stayed for a short spell and didn’t link up with any local graffiti artists. So Adelaide is a mystery to me. I know of some prominent Sydney graffiti writers who lived in Adelaide and moved between the cities. I don’t know them personally and one of these artists has since passed away. This book tracks the foundations of Adelaide’s vibrant scene. I have a soft spot for the mid eighties. My favourite work from Sydney was by Jive in 1985. The real standouts in Adelaide are ‘Captain Colour’ and ‘Wicky’ for me. I haven’t been through the whole book yet so I am just taking in what I can as I read and look at the images. It really captures a pioneering time when graffiti was imaginative and opening up in different parts of the world. Sydney is ready for a book, it will be interesting to see what has survived. Being a big city there were graffiti spots in many areas from north, south, east and west. I can’t imagine some of the graffiti in Coogee would have surviving photographs. There was also a secret spot for Sydney pioneers in Maroubra beach which I doubt any photos survive. As for Adelaide there are some clear linear progressions in the book. It captures the spirit of the time quite well. Some Sydney pioneer’s work has surfaced on Instagram from the break dance era. That work is rare and it should make it into the Sydney book by Snooze and other early pioneers of Sydney graffiti. The Sydney book is coming soon and I am sure it will create division lines as that is how Sydney operates. I am looking forward to it because I saw little bits of the early eighties work along Kings Cross and then the mid eighties work until a lot of the pioneers left the scene. I hope there are surprises because there is a lot of that era I would have missed, considering I was mainly on the bondi line when I was starting out.

The book ‘Wildfire’ doesn’t disappoint. I have been pleasantly surprised and I hope Sydney’s book can get to the same standard. Regardless it is great to get to see early pioneering work from Adelaide in print. I have never been to Adelaide myself and now I feel a little more enlightened on the scene and work there.