I first spotted this graffiti two years ago in Abbotsford, Melbourne. I’ve seen it many times since then so I actually went out of my to photograph it today given that it’s Valentine’s Day.

On a wall set back from a pathway that goes down to the Yarra River, it vividly stands out from the concrete and fading graffiti tags seemingly scrawled long ago.

I have no idea who created it, or why they chose to put it in this rather out-of-the-way spot, but that’s probably the reason why it’s survived for so long. Usually street-art, no matter how good, disappears over time when other graffiti covers it, or when it simply fades away.

I’ve found a few pictures of this piece dating as far back as April 2013, which is an age in street art terms. Maybe the artist returns now and then to freshen it up a little, keep it vibrant and alive, or maybe it’s just established and standing the test of time because it’s somewhere solid and safe? Either way, it’s still there enduring the years which might be an ironic twist given the subject of the picture, or maybe that’s the point?