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© PDD Group Ltd 2013 | www.pdd.co.uk Human-Centred Design is an approach to design driven by the needs, desires and context of the people for whom we design Culture and context Culture and design Why graffiti? Context icons To design useful, usable and desirable products we need to understand the context of the humans interacting with the products and services. When we practice HCD we seek to understand different layers of context: Culture is the lens through which we view everything, from language to physical forms Take trains for example - in the UK, where there is a strong culture of health and safety, legislation dictates that the front of trains must incorporate a certain amount of yellow to increase visibility. In continental Europe, this is not the case. Designers of trains destined for the UK must therefore design around this constraint During LDF2013, our pop-up space was located in the heart of Shoreditch, one of the most prolifically painted and tagged parts of London. Graffiti and street art are evolving forms of urban expression, increasingly attracting the attention of tourists, the media, art collectors and galleries. We’ve looked at the work of graffiti writers and street artists in 5 cities through the lenses of culture and context, exploring how the following contextual frameworks impact their work Trains in the United Kingdom Trains in continental Europe ARCHITECTURE CLIMATE CULTURE /HISTORY SOCIO- ECONOMIC LEGAL People Products & services Environments Systems Culture VS. ‘Javelin train at St Pancras International by interbeat’ photo by Ed Webster Velaro Siemens train photo by Illkka Silssalo ‘AGV .italo Napoli side view’ photo by Hoff1980
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Graffiti in context

Jan 15, 2015

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As part of London Design Festival, we collaborated with Karim Samuels, a local graffiti expert, to explore how the culture, environments and systems that graffiti writers and street artists work within affect what they make. Our exhibit, which included the six posters here, showed some key insights into how context impacts the artists and writers across 5 cities spanning the US, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

We hope you enjoy them. Do get in touch at [email protected] if you have any questions or feedback, we’d love to hear your thoughts.
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Page 1: Graffiti in context

© PDD Group Ltd 2013 | www.pdd.co.uk

Human-Centred Design is an approach to design driven by the needs, desires and context of the people for whom we design

Culture and context Culture and design Why graffiti?

Context icons

To design useful, usable and desirable products we need to understand the context of the humans interacting with the products and services.

When we practice HCD we seek to understand different layers of context:

Culture is the lens through which we view everything, from language to physical forms

Take trains for example - in the UK, where there is a strong culture of health and safety, legislation dictates that the front of trains must incorporate a certain amount of yellow to increase visibility. In continental Europe, this is not the case. Designers of trains destined for the UK must therefore design around this constraint

During LDF2013, our pop-up space was located in the heart of Shoreditch, one of the most prolifically painted and tagged parts of London.

Graffiti and street art are evolving forms of urban expression, increasingly attracting the attention of tourists, the media, art collectors and galleries.

We’ve looked at the work of graffiti writers and street artists in 5 cities through the lenses of culture and context, exploring how the following contextual frameworks impact their work

Trains in the United Kingdom Trains in continental Europe ARCHITECTURE CLIMATE CULTURE/HISTORY

SOCIO-ECONOMIC

LEGAL

People

Products & services

Environments

Systems

Culture

VS.‘Javelin train

at St Pancras International by interbeat’ photo by Ed Webster

Velaro Siemens train photo by Illkka Silssalo

‘AGV .italo Napoli side view’ photo by Hoff1980

Page 2: Graffiti in context

© PDD Group Ltd 2013 | www.pdd.co.uk

THE MECCA OF GRAFFITIPhiladelphia may be the birthplace of modern graffiti, but New York is where it took its renowned form. It reached its peak in the 80s, but even today NY codes of conduct, motifs and styles are emulated worldwide.

Strict policing forces writers to work quickly to avoid getting caught, resulting in styles that achieve maximum coverage and impact in a short space of time, such as simplistic letterforms and colour palettes. Stringent policing has also led to anti-police messages

The inhospitable New York winters also compel writers to work quickly, while the rain provides a window of opportunity as New Yorkers head indoors during a downpour, leaving the streets deserted

Hip hop and graffiti grew out of 80s NYC culture, starting out as forms of expression - ‘rocking’ - dancing (breakdancing), poetry (rapping), graffiti (art) and music (turntablism)

New York

Featured image credit: 5 Pointz Jules Antonio @flickr

Featured image credit: NYPD & NYFD Katie Gavin @flickr

Featured image credit: Graffiti seen from Manhatten Bridge www.jelania.ru

Featured image credit: Ket featured @tumblr

Featured image credit: Brooklyne - Bushwick Graffiti Wally Gobetz @flickr Featured image credit: Super Kool 223.

New York www.anotoniodearaujo.blogspot.co.uk

Page 3: Graffiti in context

© PDD Group Ltd 2013 | www.pdd.co.uk

CHOLO-INFLUENCED URBAN SPRAWLAn arresting combination of Latino gang culture and sprawling urban landscape has spawned LA’s distinctive, cholo-influenced graffiti style.

Los Angeles

Cholo-style originated in the 1940s when Latino gangs marked their territories using a Gothic-Baroque ‘Old English’ font to convey authority. When NY-style graffiti arrived in the early 80s, it was imitated and combined with local cholo-aesthetic, giving birth to LA-style graffiti.

LA’s complex networks of highways provides a variety of canvases for writers. The LA river’s 50 miles of concrete banks was home to the world’s largest graffiti piece, by SABER MSK, painted in 1997 and removed in 2009.

Billboards, or ‘heaven spots’, are a favoured target, with some pieces recognised as works of art, via projects such as Public Works, by LALALand.

The pleasant Californian weather gives writers and artists more time to work on their pieces.

Featured image credit: F13 LRS Mgs TagsofLA1986 @flickr

Featured image credit: Seventh Letter Crew Cathy Cole @flickr

Featured image credit: 5 Pointz Jules Antonio @flickr

Featured image credit: Nov 2012 B 006 Lord Jim @flickr

Featured image credit: Graffiti and Wading Birds Down LA River www.varley.net

Featured image credit: Rodeo Coolcat - carnagenyc @flickr

Featured image credit: Florentia ‘71 KID DUECE @flickr

image credit: Ca#2657 Amayzun @flickr

Page 4: Graffiti in context

© PDD Group Ltd 2013 | www.pdd.co.uk

PIXAÇÃO= ‘TO STAIN’Pixação, which began in the 1960s in response to political slogans on billboards, is today more of a ‘a loud assertion by the city’s youth of their existence and self-worth’; its visual style is influenced by the fonts used by 80s metal bands.

São Paolo

In Brazil, pixação (“staining”) is a way for the youth and those living at the margins of society to protest against the increasing gulf between the rich and poor by tagging São Paolo’s skyscrapers — the physical symbols of wealth and inequality

Pichadores (graffiti writers) aim to paint as high up in the city as possible, usually by abseiling or climbing multi-storey buildings, and much kudos is given to those who tag the highest, most dangerous place

There’s a high level of respect among the pichadores. Pixação tags are often seen stacked up on top of each other - avoiding conflict by not painting over other tags

Featured image credit: PICHAÇÕES Segunda-Feira www.betaolemela.blogspot.co.uk

Featured image credit: Pixo Escurocinza @tumblrFeatured image credit: PIXAÇÃO-SP, por Choque Fórum Latino

Americano de Fotografia - São Paulo @tumblr

Featured image credit: PIXAÇÃO Thais Ibarrondo www.corventanapredio.wordpress.com

Featured image credit: Sao Vito Windows @wikipedia

Featured image credit: Fotógrafo Leandro Mantovani retrata a pichação e a rua (5) www.subsoloart.com/blog

Featured image credit:Pixacao Pablo

Trincado @flickr

Page 5: Graffiti in context

© PDD Group Ltd 2013 | www.pdd.co.uk

EUROPE’S MOST ‘BOMBED’ CITYConventional graffiti first appeared on the West side of the Berlin Wall in the early 80s, when it was subject to a new type of ‘bombing’ (tagging). Like many other cities, Berlin’s graffiti still emulates that of 80s New York.

Berlin

Reflecting Germany’s social and political history, the work of today’s street artists and graffiti writers embodies themes of conflict and protest, calling to reclaim the city from the advancing gentrification

An abundance of vacant buildings provides the canvas for expression without fear of reprisal, contributing to the volume of graffiti in Berlin

While much graffiti and street art is illegal, police rarely make arrests, as the work attracts tourists and contributes to the perception of Berlin as an edgy, modern “City of Design”, a moniker bestowed by UNESCO

Featured image credit: We Don’t want no yuppie flats, we are happy with our rats Aesthetics of Crisis @flickr

Featured image credit: Yuppies Auslachen -Prost! Urban Artefakte @flickr

Featured image credit: Pixo Escurocinza @tumblr

Featured image credit: Street Art BLU - carnageNYC @flickr Featured image credit: Graffiti and Reflection Wolfgangfoto @flickr

Featured image credit: Berlin Street Art Marek Isalski @flickr

Featured image credit: Graffiti Martin aka Maha @flickr

Page 6: Graffiti in context

© PDD Group Ltd 2013 | www.pdd.co.uk

‘KAWAII’ (CUTE)GRAFFITIJapan’s culture of respect for authority doesn’t mean that Tokyo is devoid of graffiti, but it’s not as ubiquitous as elsewhere. While Japanese writers often emulate Western graffiti styles and much of the work in Tokyo is by Western writers, ‘Kawaii’ - the quality of cuteness - adds a uniquely Japanese flavour.

Tokyo

Japanese pop culture and cartoons, such Hello Kitty, Tarepanda and Manga comics contribute to a ‘Kawaii’-influenced style.

Japan’s culture of law-abiding politeness means that many writers and artists in Tokyo gain permission for their work and aim for it “to act like nature”, not intruding on people’s lives, but rather harmonising with their surroundings.

Anti_Nuke, whose work is politically-charged and controversial, is the exception, using paste-ups to protest against government corruption after Fukushima disaster and is likened to Banksy as no one knows who he, or she, is.

Featured image credit: Graffiti - Harajuku TimKirman @flickr

Featured image credit: Art Shibuya Christian.Ryan @flickr

Featured image credit: Graffiti - Unnamed Yuichi Hirasawa @flickr

Featured image credit: Graffiti - Hello Kitty is street-wise Kleemo @flickr

Featured image credit: Hiroshima Nagasaki Fukushima Daniel Rubio @flickr

Featured image credit: Graffiti - Tokyo - Street Art

Isobrown @flickr

Featured image credit: 281_Anti Nuke Trevor

Dykstra @flickr

Featured image credit: Shibuya #4 Graffiti Ken Lee @flickr

Page 7: Graffiti in context

© PDD Group Ltd 2013 | www.pdd.co.uk

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