Draining aka The-Art-of-Exploring-Stormwater-Drains is a unique Australian past time – made possible due to the fact that unlike most countries in the world, Australia separates its fresh-water drains from its sewerage. This means the adventurous can explore the drains of Australia without worrying about walking through the usual human excrement found in most drains. You may instead, however, have to contend with eels, spiders, birds, bats and the occasional drain-dwelling vagrant.

Whilst humans have been exploring the drains of Australia ever since they were first created, there is one group that turned an erstwhile hobby into a vibrant culture – that group is the Cave Clan. Founded on January 26th 1986 by three young gentlemen by the names of Dougo, Sloth and Woody.

Soon after their founding, The Cave Clan promptly began activities that would come to define the group, win it many fans, media exposure, and the occasional blood enemy. Activities such as holding drain based concerts and parties, hosting large multi-people exploring sessions, spreading their pro-drain exploring propaganda around public places, tricking the Australian media into covering a fake story about gangs of deviant-social-security-receiving-drain-dwelling-menaces, publishing zines, creating art, and engaging in general larrikinism.

Whilst Sloth and Woody have stayed virtually anonymous – ole Dougo quickly positioned himself as a major scene builder and spokesman for the Cave Clan, a position he still holds today; even if he has stepped back a bit lately due to family commitments.

Listing his pivotal life moments, Dougo mentions a childhood filled with dream-time escapes to dark subterranean hidden worlds, the death of his father when Doug was only 7, and the relaxed attitude of his mother when it came to Doug’s childhood exploring.

Commenting on the beginnings of the Cave Clan, Dougo states:

“Google will tell you that the Cave Clan was started on Australia Day, 1986 although co-founder Woody was a socialist so we called it Invasion Day. I had been trying to start a group that explores mines, caves and drains for a couple of years with no luck.

It wasn’t until I’d finished school and I decided to catch up with Woody. ‘Want to go up the darkies?’ I asked, referring to the small pipe that ran under Northcote Tech.

Woody got his torch and a marker AND his brother Sloth. ‘This is my brother Sloth’ and off we went.

The idea of the Clan was always to form a social circle of people that had one main thing in common – exploring the underground. I had always thought that with more members we would also gain local knowledge (hey, there was no Google in 1986).“

(Some recent Cave Clan propaganda below)

With Dougo having stepped back from front-line service in the Cave Clan, but importantly still actively exploring and creating – now is the perfect time to get to know the history of the Cave Clan, and gain some insights into one of the men behind the most unique Australian sub-cultures ever, by reading the Culture Talk below…

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Will King is an Australian creative, who, under his ‘3310er’ moniker releases wild-lined semi-autobiographical comics, many of which deal with his early life as a teenage vandal.

As an adult, Will has also turned his adult talents to illustration, digital art and set design – with a major focus on the aforementioned comics and cartooning.

Growing up in the regional town of Goulburn in NSW, Will moved to Sydney proper as a young adult and has recently relocated once more – this time to a small-town in Northern NSW (location undisclosed).

When asked to explain his interest in all things art – Will thanks his mother, stating:

“My mum would be my biggest influence – She was a graphic designer before I was born and when I was a small child she was making and painting clothes before she got sick…

One things that definitely influenced me with comics was the birthday present I got just before going into year 7. Mum had asked what I wanted for my birthday, I had no fucking clue so I said “I dunno…comic books”. She got me this box of late 90s comics that were all these dark as shit experimental story arcs that just blew my mind.

She’d always buy me art supplies as presents, when I’d stay at her house i’d do tags in my room or in the laundry like a normal fuckwit kid and she never really tried to stop me bless her.“

(Some art below by Will depicting him and his mother hooning around on her mobility chair)

With Will constantly pushing his art, and an appearance in Australian indie comic anthology ‘Hash Brown Comix’ in the works, now is the perfect time to get to know both the man and his art, by reading the Art Talk Interview, below…

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We first discovered the work of J Bux when out exploring an abandoned school on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia. In a place filled with your usual male rage vandal destruction – broken glass, shitty tags and the occasional pretty good throw up – J Bux’s work jumped out. All pop culture, cartoons and girl gang attitude. Her work was everywhere! And we rushed around the place looking for it all. Our favorite being a mural of a smoking home made plastic bottle bong accompanied with the words “billies over willies.” It was and is a perfect image.

(Picture below of J Bux’s weed over dicks work – featuring that classic Australian home made bong)

With work that references animals, marijuana and both American and Australian pop culture – ‘The Simpsons’, ‘King of the Hill’, ‘Blinky Bill’, ‘Ciggy Butt Brain’ to name a few. J Bux can readily be compared to fellow Australian LUSH. But were LUSH is all cynicism, politics and the male gaze, J Bux brings a sense of fun, femininity and sass – A unique vision from a unique artist.

With J relatively new to the art game, now is the perfect time to get to know her, by reading the Art Talk, below…

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There are your run of the mill writers and then there are guys like PEACE.

PEACE does it all: trains, walls, canvases, stickers… hell, he’d write on anything. In any style. In any way. At any damn time. And refreshingly, he is unashamed to both follow the usual rules of graffiti and break them as he sees fit. He will paint a train one night, then host his own art show the next. He will gain major cred through one name, then drop it and move onto another to push himself.

(Picture below of some art by PEACE)

With ole PEACE constantly moving, changing and as discussed, writing; now is the perfect time to get to know the lad, by reading the Art Talk interview below… Keep reading →

Tubby1 is an Australian designer, explorer and artist (though ole Tubs prefers the term ‘vandal’) whose public art is a familiar and welcome site for the citizens of Convict Town.

Most known for his ‘fat guy’ image which can usually be found in drains, secluded areas and rooftops; Tubby sets himself apart from others in the graffiti scene thanks to his proficiency and willingness to reach out and work with others.

Tubby views graffiti and exploring as an endless game, explaining:

“Graffiti is like a game you can never win, but it’s fun along the way.

You’ll never be the most prolific writer, there’s always someone who gets up harder than you.“

(Picture below of a Tubby sticker in the wild)

With Tubby building a solid name for himself in the scene, now is the perfect time to get to know Tubs and his approach to the game, by reading the Art Talk below…

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Henry aka ‘Henros’ is an Australian Photographer, Explorer and artist part of the rising UrbEx aka Urban Exploration scene (photographers, graffitti artists, street artists and more).

He explains his passion and reason for creation,

“This is simple to me, everyone wants to be known even after they die and I find making a mark is expressing yourself to everyone in society, showing the public what you do & what you believe in.

Expression is extremely important, everyone is becoming a slave to today’s laws and crazy policies, expression has to be exercised to remain sane and to do the things that you believe in, expression relies heavily on making a mark in my opinion.”

(Photo by ‘Henros’, below)

Henros has only recently turned his full devotion to photography, after years spent in the street art and graffiti worlds. And with a major buzz surrounding ‘Henros’ and the whole UrbEx scene in general, now is the perfect time to get schooled, by reading the Art Talk interview, below…

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