Footscray-based illustrator Oslo Davis has turned his sharp wit towards the city which has been his home for about two decades in his new book, ‘Oslo’s Melbourne’. From having four seasons in one day to the camaraderie of fellow dog owners at local dog parks, the book is full of humour and insight into what makes the city tick. Matthew Sims speaks with him about why laughter can be the best medicine.
A disgruntled Footscray milk-bar proprietor, a remote control car racer in Keilor Park and a quiet mid-COVID day in Footscray Park.
A mix of disillusionment, plain beauty and the mundaneness of the day-to-day activities to be found in Melbourne’s western suburbs is captured in Footscray-based illustrator and artist Oslo Davis’ new book,’Oslo’s Melbourne’.
Launched at The Sun Bookshop in Yarraville in November, Davis said he is surprised with the popularity of the book.
“I had no idea if anyone would turn up,” he said.
“Looking over it now with a degree of distance, it’s still a mystery why those editors and art directors asked a non-authority to draw about Melbourne.
“I’m willing to trust their judgement and hang around this city for a while longer, even if it’s because living somewhere else is too frightening.”
Davis has been drawing and writing for various publications and projects worldwide for a number of years, including The New York Times, The Guardian, The Monthly, SBS and Readings.
His weekly cartoon series, Overheard, has been published in The Age since 2007.
Davis is also the author of the This Annoying Life colouring-book series and he is a Walkley Award and American Illustration Award finalist.
Davis, his wife, two daughters and Australian terrier Pluto have fallen in love with Footscray since moving to the area in the early 2000s.
“I grew up in Tasmania,” he said.
“I’ve been in Melbourne almost 20 years now.
“We’ve spent most our lives living in Footscray.”
Davis said the book aims to find a middle ground between an acerbic and a compassionate perspective on Melbourne.
“I wouldn’t consider myself a miserable cynic,” he said.
“It’s [Melbourne] obviously not perfect.
“I just try and restore a little bit of balance.”
The book also acts as a look back at how Melbourne survived the long lockdowns of COVID-19, with Davis’ crediting his walks through Footscray Park as a soothing escape from isolation and paranoia.
“During COVID, I spent a bit of time in Footscray Park, mostly walking my dog, tossing the frisbee with my wife and drawing trees on big sheets of slightly toothy paper from the comfort of a camping chair,” he said.
“I drew there to use up the dull days, but also to create simple drawings of nature that might inspire others.”
Davis said there were some positives he saw which emerged out of the pandemic.
“The post-apocalyptic malaise that drowned our city kind of opened our senses to other stuff,” he said.
“In locked-down Melbourne, I was still able to order in the goat biryani from Dosa Hut or get a socially distanced delivery of books from the Sun Bookshop.
“Of course, nobody fully misses those 262 days in lockdown, but I could handle a one-off day of surreal city serenity every now and then.”
Visit our website tomorrow to read the second part of Star Weekly’s chat with Oslo Davis.
