How colour affects purchases

Interesting infographic:
(Click to enlarge)

"What if..." Research

General facts

Defintions of 'Graffiti':

"...the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property. Graffiti is any type of public markings that may appear in the forms of simple written words to elaborate wall paintings."
Wikipedia

"One or more letters, symbols, figures, etching, scratches, inscriptions, stains, or other markings that disfigure or deface a structure or thing, howsoever made or otherwise affixed on the structure or thing, but, for greater certainty, does not include an art mural."
City of Toronto Graffiti Bylaw

"...any spontaneous or unauthorized writing or drawing on walls, vehicles, and other public places. It is typically obscene or political in character, but a great deal of humor and wisdom can also be found."
uncp

"is the term that refers to drawings, patterns, scribbles and messages or ‘tags’ that are painted, written or carved on walls and other surfaces."
Bournemouth council

"Illegal or unauthorized defacing of public or private property, from juvenile scrawls to large murals."
defra



Negative effects of graffiti:

• Poses a risk to the health, safety and welfare of a community.
• Promotes a perception in the community that laws protecting public and private property can be disregarded with impunity.
• Fosters a sense of disrespect for private property that may result in increasing crime, community degradation and urban blight.
• Creates a nuisance that can adversely affect property values, business opportunities and the enjoyment of community life.
• Graffiti is a sign of a neglected neighbourhood and is associated with increased levels of crime and the fear of crime. 
• It discourages investment and new businesses from moving into the area.

Statistics & Facts

It is estimated that graffiti costs the UK over £1 billion per year to clean up
http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/News/features/graffiti.asp

Overall Environmental Standards in Leeds City Council
http://www.direct.gov.uk


The partnership organisations have agreed to remove graffiti within the following timescales:
Racist or offensive graffiti - within 24 hours
Other graffiti  - 7 to 14 working days
Exceptional circumstances  - average 28 days except where rail line closures are necessary.  This may take up to 8 weeks to arrange.
http://www.leeds.gov.uk


Those caught causing graffiti can be prosecuted under the Criminal Damage Act 1971. Those found guilty can be fined up to £5000. Young offenders may be given a community service order.
http://www.southwark.gov.uk


Keith Haring was another well-known graffiti artist who brought Pop Art and graffiti to the commercial mainstream. In the 1980s, Haring opened his first Pop Shop: a store that offered everyone access to his works—which until then could only be found spray-painted on city walls. Pop Shop offered commodities like bags and t-shirts. Haring explained that, "The Pop Shop makes my work accessible. It's about participation on a big level, the point was that we didn't want to produce things that would cheapen the art. In other words, this was still art as statement".
http://wikpiedia.org

Between March and April 2009, 150 artists exhibited 300 pieces of graffiti at the Grand Palais in Paris - a clear acceptance of the art form into the French art world.
http://www.rfi.fr


The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 became Britain's latest anti-graffiti legislation. In August 2004, the Keep Britain Tidy campaign issued a press release calling for zero tolerance of graffiti and supporting proposals such as issuing "on the spot" fines to graffiti offenders and banning the sale of aerosol paint to anyone under the age of 16.
UK press release (Wikipedia)


Some councils, like that at Stroud, Gloucestershire provide approved areas round the town where graffiti artists can showcase their talents, including underpasses, car parks and walls that might otherwise prove a target for the 'spray and run.'
http://www.bbc.co.uk

"What if..." Research

1) Graffiti - BBC Inside Out

Graffiti writers may see themselves as artists, but there are many residents in Northampton who would disagree. With £55,000 a year spent on cleaning it up, Inside Out investigates the problem of graffiti.

Subways, underpasses and motorway bridges, to a graffiti writer, it’s a blank canvas, but there’s one man in Northampton who wishes it would stay that way. Bob Newcombe, a Probation Service Officer, along with his team of offenders, works tirelessly in an attempt to rid the town of vandalism. The team works for up to four days a week. In addition Northampton Council spends £55,000 each year cleaning up graffiti. Removing it is far from easy and sometimes even fruitless.

Vandalism or art?

Graffiti is becoming an increasing problem in Northampton. One subway, a particular favourite with graffiti writers, is no sooner cleaned, than covered in graffiti once more. But it doesn’t end with the subways - one man has had his own property vandalised not once, but twice, by the same writers. Vandalism it may be, but to the graffiti writers, it is art. One graffiti writer says;

"Some people are never going to get their art shown in a gallery, so the only way of showing it is on a wall… It is breaking the law, but I wouldn’t always class it as vandalism,"

If some of their work could be viewed in abstract, there would be many inclined to agree that there is a great skill and artistry involved. When viewed on a subway wall, or worse, a private wall - many would also agree - it is nothing but vandalism, no matter how much skill is involved. "I think it’s just sheer vandalism, it disgusts me," says Bob Newcombe.

Solution in sight

So is there a solution? One Northamptonshire policeman, PC Peter Wing, believes there is. The writers use a signature so their work can be recognised by other graffiti writers. This signature is known as a ‘tag’. "You do it for other writers to see… you see other writer’s work, that’s what it’s about," explains one writer.

In Wooton Fields, a new estate on the outskirts of Northampton, tags are becoming a increasing problem, but they may also provide the solution too. If individual writers can identify each other through tags, then so can the police. And their punishment? Bob believes their fine should cover the cost of removal and with expensive chemicals required, that could be pretty hefty!

Could tagging be the solution to catching the culprits? In London, a scheme to identify culprits through their tags has resulted in several arrests. But catching the culprits is not an easy task, particularly when you consider that the police are not just chasing mindless teenage vandal, but fully grown adults who are parents themselves.

So what is the solution? Whether it’s hefty fines, prison sentences or community service cleaning up their own work, one thing is for sure, in Northamptonshire at least, the writing is on the wall for graffiti writers.

Opinions from readers

90% of writers do not care about legal walls. Once a piece is on a permission wall, it ceases to be graffiti. We live in a world where images are forced on us every day by companies advertising, so why complain when you see mine? Most prolific writers don't destroy much private property, and have a couple of do's and dont's. - No writing on churches, houses or cars. Most graffiti is on publicly owned stuff like motorway bridges or walls along train lines, and I doubt a shop's turnover will be affected by a few tags on the wall outside. Writers that destroy private property ie houses and cars, are usually outside the scene, and harder punishments wont deter them.

Unknown

I'm doing gcse art and I think that it is an excellent example of true art. It just needs to be done in the right places with permission from the council or something.

Loo

I used to be an artist, as in canvases and paints. I sold a few paintings but when you're young its impossible to make it so I started to graff - it's much better than the other kinda art and it looks better. Don't go chatting about all this its not art stuff because it really is.

Ks Soldier

Why dont these so called "artists" stick to their own property to show off their "so called talents". One or two may be classed as artistic but what about the majority who just scrawll obscenities all over the place. Why should the taxpayer have to fork out to clear their rubbish. Real fines which reflect the cost of cleaning should be imposed.

Don Taskme

I agree that graffiti in northampton is high, and is too covered in tags every where. However, some of the graffiti artists in northampton are extremely skilled and do is as a passion. Some writers are in their 30's and have kids. Already writers have to resort to finding as many aboandoned warehouses etc in order to get their art done. The council should provide legal walls or legal areas. This might not be the solution to tags but will get rid of big dubs under canals etc.

Andrew Marnewick

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2) Four teenagers arrested over graffiti in Leeds Corn Exchange

Four teenagers – two aged 17 and two 13-year-olds – have been arrested for alleged graffiti attacks on one of Leeds's most historic buildings. A 17-year-old girl was given a final warning for the damage to the walls of Cuthbert Broderick's Corn Exchange and a 13-year-old girl was given an official police reprimand.

But a 17-year-old youth and another 13-year-old girl have been charged with causing criminal damage and will appear before Leeds Youth Court next week. They are prevented from entering the area around the Corn Exchange as part of the conditions of their bail.

The arrests follow increased police focus on the Corn Exchange area after a rise in antisocial behaviour recently. On Tuesday afternoon, staff at premises near the Corn Exchange reported four people spraying and writing graffiti on the walls of the historic building, and four people were arrested.

Chief Inspector Vernon Francis, responsible for policing in Leeds city centre, said: "We're putting in that little extra effort and attention in the area because of the local business community's concerns over antisocial behaviour and issues such as graffiti.

"Arrests like this show that this extra work is paying off and also shows that we take local issues seriously and deal with them as priorities."

(Article here)

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3) Graffiti artist looks to overcome art form’s negative stereotypes



Dusty Gilpin is a graffiti artist who abides by the law. Even so, he doesn’t think that illegal graffiti is a problem. In fact, it’s just the opposite. “Graffiti in its truest form is done illegally,” he said. Still, Gilpin feels that graffiti continues to have a negative reputation, even if it is done legally. Many people see graffiti in rap videos and gang documentaries, and this contributes to this mind-set, he said.

In addition to creating graffiti art, Gilpin, 24, from Oklahoma City, is also a screen printer. He’s the owner of Tree & Leaf Clothing and The Arbor Arts collective, both located on NW Expressway in Oklahoma City. He is passionate about his screen-printing business but that does not keep him away from what he considers the truest artistic expression: graffiti.

Graffiti was not Gilpin’s first trade or art; he started with drawing cartoons and had an interest in sculpture and ceramics during college. His father and grandfather were both graphic designers so his influence of fonts and letter styles has been with him since birth. He also attributes classical graphic design, when it was not “commercial art,” the evolution of graffiti and screen-printing as huge influences.

Gilpin did his first piece of graffiti his sophomore year of high school without knowing any other graffiti artists. He calls his first pieces “terrible.” “Not until three or four years ago did I actually start meeting other graffiti artists,” Gilpin said. “My technique, style and ability have gotten better at an exponential rate since I met other artists and watched people paint.”

Gilpin is paid for his graffiti work sometimes, even though he said, “Commission graffiti isn’t the most enjoyable, but sometimes you’ve got to pay the bills.” He has done graffiti on many church youth rooms, offices, houses, skateboards, hats and shirts and has also done graffiti for backdrops of the Baptist General Convention and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Gilpin feels that graffiti art is becoming more accepted by the general culture. "Like all things, graffiti has acquired positive and negative stereotypes. The negative mind-set will change as soon as the ambiguity is taken out of graffiti. Every time I’ve done a live paint demonstration I’ve been overwhelmed with the positive feedback. When graffiti is not threatening and in a safe location, people are very open to the idea.”

(Article here)

"What if..." Research

Graffiti art inspires young people to feedback on NHS mental health service

An NHS mental health service in Leeds has been using graffiti art to receive feedback from young service users. Their work will now be officially unveiled at a celebration event at Little Woodhouse Hall on Thursday 16 July from 12 noon to 4pm.
Celebration event - graffiti having a positive effect.  A worthwhile cause celebrated through the use of graffiti art by young people in Leeds.

Young people showed off their creativity to feedback their thoughts on NHS Leeds Community Healthcare’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). The work was commissioned by NHS Leeds, the health trust responsible for ensuring that the people of Leeds have access to the health services they need.

To encourage participation from young people, NHS Leeds’ Patient and Public Involvement Team enlisted the help of three professional graffiti artists. The artists worked with 16 different service users over three days to create three distinctive pieces of art.
Three professional artists contributed the cause in order to entice potential young creatives. They obviously view graffiti as an art form which can encourage those of any age to be creative.

Each day started with facilitated discussion around their experiences of using the services at Little Woodhouse Hall. There was much debate and participants were then able to highlight what an ideal service would look like. Two of the final pieces of art represent the young people’s experiences of the service. The third is a welcoming piece of art that the young people want hung at the entrance to the unit to greet patients, carers and staff.
Negative connotations of graffiti have been diminished as young people now want one of the pieces of art created through this event to act as a 'welcoming piece' to the unit.

In addition to the feedback from young people involved in the arts project, views were sought from other children, young people, their carers and families. Information was also gathered from staff in the service and from NHS Leeds’ Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).

The event will give commissioners, patients, staff, health professionals and the wider public a chance to hear about the future plans for CAMHS. Speakers at the event include Richard Chillery, Service Manager, Ashley Wyatt, Commissioning Manager and Emma Ross, Team Manager as well as a someone who uses the service.

Ashley Wyatt, CAMHS Commissioning Manager at NHS Leeds says: "We decided that to get a truly reflective view of the service we needed to adopt a more innovative approach that would appeal to young people. We are delighted with the information we have received. We would like to congratulate the service users for producing some really inspiring pieces of art. In addition to this we would like to thank the families of service users,members of staff and the Patient and Public Involvement Team for their help. The information we gained will help us to meet new national requirements for Tier 4 CAMHS services – which deals with the most severe, complex and enduring cases. We hope that by working with our partners we can ensure that our service continues to meet the needs of our patients."

People attending the event will be provided with a buffet lunch. In addition to this the family-orientated celebration will include a bouncy castle, a creative corner, tombola and more.
Bringing communities & every generation closer.

Article found here

Graffiti in Leeds

For the 'What If...' brief, our group decided with a problem based on the statements we devised individually (mine being 'Leeds has a diverse visual landscape'. Our problem was: "How to make graffiti more socially acceptable." due to its existing negative connotations (explained on the design practice blog). The following information can be found on the Leeds government website which explains their views on graffiti and how they propose to remove the graffiti.

Graffiti Removal Service

(found here)

Leeds city council has zero tolerance towards graffiti. One of the key aims of our strategy is to work in partnership with organisations to ensure that graffiti is being removed from their property, for example bus stops, telephone booths, walls etc.

Organisations in the partnership

• Leeds city council
• West north west homes
• Aire valley homes
• East north east homes
• British Telecommunications
• Network Rail
• British Waterways
• West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE)
• Yorkshire Electricity Distribution Ltd (YEDL)
• Southern Electric Contracting (part of the Tay Valley Lighting Consortium)
• Virgin Media

Each of these organisations have arrangements in place for graffiti removal from their property and welcome reports from members of the public. Leeds' ALMOs (West north west homes, Aire valley homes and East north east homes) are responsible for the removal of graffiti from all the properties they manage. Leeds City Council is responsible for all other council owned property.  Contact details for each organisation that can be found on the download.  

Timescales for graffiti removal

The partnership organisations have agreed to remove graffiti within the following timescales:

Racist or offensive graffiti - within 24 hours
Other graffiti - 7 to 14 working days

Exceptional circumstances - average 28 days except where rail line closures are necessary.  This may take up to 8 weeks to arrange.

Leeds City Council graffiti teams

We have six graffiti teams. One covers the city centre and is a fast response crew who aim to remove any hate graffiti within 24 hours. The other five crews each look after a wedge of the city. Leeds city council will carry out graffiti removal on private property on request but there will be a charge for this service.Where organisations fail to tackle graffiti on their property, the council will take appropriate enforcement action. 

Collection 100 - Elliot Erwitt

Elliot Erwitt is an advertising and documentary photographs known for his black and white candid shots, described as 'phototoons' on his website. He shot photography projects around the world, choosing iconic and absurd situations to be his primary focus.

Collection 100 - Garry Winogrand

Garry Winogrand was a street photographer known for his portrayal of America in the mid 20th century. Many of his photographs depict the social issues of his time. "I like to think of photographing as a two-way act of respect. Respect for the medium, by letting it do what it does best, describe. And respect for the subject, by describing as it is. A photograph must be responsible to both."

Collection 100 - Richard Evedon

Richard Avedon was an American photographer whose portrait photographs "helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century", as quoted in the New York Times. He also photographed patients of mental hospitals, the Civil Rights Movement in 1963, protesters of the Vietnam War, and later the fall of the Berlin Wall.

This particular photograph reminds me of Henri Cartier Bresson's 

'Behind the Gare St. Lazare':

No News is Good News Part 2

For the second part of the brief, I found several examples of existing creative mail shots for other brands and companies. I did not want the design to consist solely of an envelope and one sheet insert but instead had an innovative factor which made it unique. This would not only convey the intended message effectively but also engaged and enticed the recipient into reading more and finding out more information.

I first looked at mail-shots in relation to burglaries as inevitably, this was the main basis around my concept/message - that the new 'places' feature advertises your current whereabouts to burglars. Alongside this, I looked into various mail-shots covering a wide variety of topics.

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/dm/adt_security_system_box

ADT Security

To encourage home-owners to install an anti-theft system, ADT hand-delivered flat boxes which would become upright and 3D when slid under the door. The cardboard box was lined with rubber bands which when released would expand, forming the 3D box. This gives the impression that someone was able to get into their home and plant this box infront of their door. This is an innovative way of advertising as it is intended to shock and therefore immediately engages the recipient.

This is similar to the previous example as it gives the same impression that someone has been able to enter the recipients house and place, in this case, a balloon without them knowing. 

http://iloapp.burosamen.nl/blog/inspiratie?Home&page=3

Mercator Insurance

Inside the envelope was a folded, life-size impression of a burglar showing how easily a burglar can enter your home. The text, in my opinion, states a similar reason in order to persuade the recipient to sign up with their company for home insurance.

http://www.behance.net/Gallery/DM-Grants/52864

http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Hello-Monday-Direct-mail-poster-(new-website)/213651

http://www.behance.net/Gallery/mailing-Peugeot-308/242889

Use of lock 

Breaking and entering

Security, privacy etc

Could incorporate a unique way of opening the envelope

http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Mailing-Marketing-Direct-Esic/296524

http://jinfei.deviantart.com/art/da-Vinci-code-direct-mail-87343091

Da Vinci Code influenced mailshot

Unique way of opening the envelope and seeing the contents

Would engage some recipients but put off others

Could relate to security issues in my concept

- Anyone can break in with the right information

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathryn_bro/3530668805/

Visual Language - Anamorphic Illusions

I posted examples of anamorphic illusions recently therefore I will re-post some of these as we created anamorphic text in today's visual language session. They are images that can only be truly appreciated from a certain vantage point. 

http://www.typographyserved.com/Gallery/Anamorphic_Helvetica/330746

http://designtaxi.com/news/32655/Anamorphic-Typography-Plays-with-Architecture/

Visual Literacy

Example of a visual synecdoche, metaphor and metonym (Liverpool):