Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
I NEED these on my street...
How is it possible to have utility cabinet envy?
When you've seen what Turnpike Lane Art Group have done with the ones around Langham Road, you'll understand...
So, are there any local artists out there interested in forming a Harringay (Passage) Art Group along similar lines?
I'm not an artist so couldn't lead the artistic direction of a group like that but am happy to enlist the help of the Friends of Harringay Passage group in looking at funding, permissions, talking to TAG etc about how we go about things.
Next FOHP meeting is May but you can contact me beforehand if you're interested.
Tags for Forum Posts: utility cabinets
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ant on
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You're quite verbose Alan. I'm not hostile, if you'd be more comfortable having some permission from someone before you go off decorating some patch of the neighbourhood then fine, but i don't think you should put others off from doing things themselves by suggesting they need some sort of permission first, especially when getting that is time consuming.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Thanks for explaining your point, Ant.
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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Brighton got in there first (other towns are available). I often wonder how these were decided on - open competition? Free-for-all? Just imagine what you'd get round the warehouse district.
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Liz I'm surprised you haven't mentioned my posting here last October. Flickr is in the process of pissing-off its longstanding customers like me by making a mess of the comment pages. But if anyone's interested please persevere trying to read the links I gave - including some great stuff which had been done in Brisbane.
London phone cabinets with roofs this shape are owned by Virgin Media. They have in various places responded positively to requests to have them painted. Often with complex and interesting designs. Some at least of the ones mentioned by FPR in Islington (using New deal for Communities EC1 money) were done with the involvement of students from local schools - which I think is especially welcome. (Zena knows Liz Kessler who worked on various EC1 arts/playground and design projects, if you want to get in touch with her. Or maybe FPR's artist friend has more information.
There was a councillor in Uxbridge who championed a similar scheme. Link to YouTube video here. Zena and I went there to have a look but didn't have time to follow up by contacting them.
Maybe in June if there is a wholly fresh leadership in Haringey Council with imagination, energy, curiosity and a disposition to learn, then such schemes can happen.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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Permalink Reply by 1rk254kmc0kqw on
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That would be lovely on every N4, N15 and N8 street. Who should I contact on this?
Only concern is that it may encourage some to graffiti the utility box and spoil this stunning piece of art. How do we ensure that every utility box in the area has this (but authentic designs) and the message is made clear that you must not graffiti.
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Permalink Reply by Sharon on
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FPR, an example of this might be the Beautiful Huge Snail painted on the side of a house and visible from Seven Sisters Road on the estate just after St Anne's road. It always looks well cared for and has been there for as long as I remember...
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It may not be either/or, FPR.
Don't Artscape Brighton and the artists in Brisbane point to a possible third way for interested artists or arts groups to run with these ideas? Without necessarily waiting for our own council or any other council to take the initiative?
If you haven't come across it, it seems that in Brisbane art on traffic signal boxes is still going strong. Led/managed by an organisation called Urban Smart Projects. Here's the link. With a link to another initiative called Artforce. Urban Smart Projects manages a similar project in Hobart Tasmania where they call it a "drive-by gallery" Seattle does it. So does Tampa Florida. And Missoula. And here's a similar project in Toronto.
Maybe, FRP, the real question is why this hasn't happened in Haringey? Or why Virgin Media, TfL and other utility companies haven't grabbed this win-win-win idea across the country?
Or maybe I just haven't noticed? Because of clever design?
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That's a danger, yes, FPR.
I haven't yet seen these adverts. But yes, the marketing department of a company - or a political party - may see the potential to use a "drive-by gallery" of street cabinets for advertising. Just like any other space they can get their hands on. "Papa, papa, what is the moon supposed to advertise?"
There's another obvious danger if the art painted on the cabinet becomes popular, too well known and often viewed. Some caring thoughtful experts will have sleepless nights worrying about a "valuable" artwork left out there in the street in wind and rain. Suffering the cans and sparrows' birdshit of outrageous passers-by, leaning, sitting or throwing up on it.
Luckily for posterity, a few of these works - the most famous ones by the artist Boxy - will be salvaged, removed, sensitively restored to their former glory, and auctioned.
So what's the solution? Banning unlicensed art and reverting to tasteful shades of grey and green?
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