ExtInked in Salford (2009)

Solitary Bee (2009) extInked. The Ultimate Holding Company

My friend Chris had decided to have a tattoo. His first. On that same day I heard about a gallery in Salford that was looking for volunteers to be tattooed. They had commissioned designs of the different British flora and fauna that have become endangered species. Chris drove over to meet the people responsible, check the tattooist and choose an animal, bird insect, plant etc. One hundred people, one hundred species, one hundred designs. Everyone who was tattooed became an ‘ambassador’ for that particular rare breed as well as going home with a simple and unique design on their body. A fantastically succinct and pertinent idea, just wish I wasn’t so squeamish about needles.

One year later, whilst washing up, I had a sudden flash of memory and got Chris to show the result. A beautiful Solitary Bee.

Details, follow the extInked link (!) at the Ultimate Holding Company

Millennium Walk

Bill Richardson
Linen Services Supervisor
Brighton Health Care NHS Trust
December 1999

Last week I was visiting the Maternity Unit in the hospital. It is on the 14th floor of a tower that has very wonderful views over the sea. I got the lift up, but there was a long queue to come back down. After a period of grumbly hanging around reluctantly I decided to try the stairs. A hidden delight. All the way down the stairwell  was a display of photographs of staff members and patients. Some going about their jobs, some displaying pieces of equipment, others in regular portrait poses. Below each were detailed descriptions of people roles that were clear and interesting. It took me an age to get down but I was gifted a very uplifting portrait of the hospital, and by association the National Health Service. 

Fabrica, Brighton September 2010

This pastiche of a Pierre et Gilles photograph was on the outside of Fabrica last weekend as part of wedding (civil partnership) celebrations. Unexpected and unexplained, it really got a lot of positive attention from shoppers, tourists and night time passers by. It is so bold, I even like the white frame. Pierre et Gilles pictures are so attractively done and look great on a drab grey church front. Instant positive vibe. 

Whistles (2010)

I live in the town centre. Over the past few weeks subtle graffiti has blossomed on the pavements around my home. Very fine, almost screen printed images that advertise the new Whistles store. Whistles (2008/9 turnover £35.2m, loss £5.1m) are in the process of being remodeled by TV ‘Style Genius’ Jane Shepherdson (ex Topshop, Burton) in an attempt to return to profitability. They were one of the chain stores badly mangled in the recent banking crisis. According to the Guardian they want to leave their ‘yummy mummies’ image behind and appeal to ‘more fashion conscious shoppers’. This probably accounts for this print outside the gates of the local primary school. Link for the Guardian article here and Whistles website here. 
Note to self: look up whilst walking.

Brighton August 2010

Grafik Warfare (2005)

You can still see this A5 sticker around the centre of Brighton. There’s one just at the entry to the Laines off North St, but I have spotted others. It must be at least five years old, and probably stuck up then, cunningly placed and missed by successive clean up campaigns. I like it’s simplicity. Something about it stirs strange (aggressive?) emotions in me. It has a punk, b/w photocopy, sixties graphic type effect yet the cap has a clone, leather club type feel. I can’t figure who it is aimed at and what it was for, if anything. The type down the side says ‘GRAFIK WARFARE street art collective’ so I have to presume it is a tagging thing.

Alexandra Palace. London (1980)

When I was at college the building we were housed in burned down. It was during the summer holiday, few people were around, so no-one was hurt. I was there to finish off cutting huge stencils for the outside wall of a local milk distribution factory. Whilst everyone was being evacuated this person from the council gave me my own personal, outdoor exhibition of one of the paintings he had rescued from the blaze. Sadly my stencils, all my hard work and precious tools were lost.

IMBUE

Holy Bible. imbue (2010)

One of my dastardly habits is photographing flyposters and stencilling. If it’s bold, bad, makes me laugh or evokes in me strange emotions I’ll photograph it. I also pick up flyers for anything. From these you can learn more about what is going on in a place, and it's mental health. Better than any spangly radio station, thrusting website or direct marketing campaign. My flat is a tip of ad hoc promotional material. 

To ban the distribution of flyers and flyposting, as they did in Brighton  a couple of years ago really makes me laugh. Initially I thought the ban was Pure Evil. I became upset,  denuded, fidgety. It was an insult to ornament, creativity, to music and design. Another closing down of communication. The final nail in the coffin etc. 
But what has happened is that then ban has meant that people have used more ingenious means. Facebook etc obviously but graphics, stencilling, stickers have become more interesting again. My current favorite is the down beat branding exercise being carried out by IMBUE. Bus shelters, shop fronts, no-entry signs, police head quarters, the station, whatever. Imbue is claiming responsibility for it all. This version of the bible is currently next to the swimming pool.