Monday, 20 February 2012

Blandness of the Bollards is it time for 'Boll-art'..?

From post to bollard...


















I grew up in Kennington/Walworth the Elephant & Castle and part of that process was living on a council estate. At the top of Kennington Lane near the junction with Kennington Road/Newington Butts I came across these posts (blue/sky blue) which quickly evolved into a bog standard set of blue/sky blue soon to become a darker blue bog standard pavement bollard (picture above).

Local councils tend to go a little crazy with colour schemes at times and always create some of the worse. I don't think it's deliberate but I do think an opportunity could be created for tenants and their children and possibly even the local primary/secondary schools even the many art colleges here in the capital. Remember graffiti wasn't just expression or boredom it was a visual statement highlighting the blandness created by those in authority. I'm not a fan of people tagging trains but I do like public art created by those who live and work in the urban environment.

Take a look at the picture below and just think what the imagination of young minds could do livening up these three rather boring bollards with a little 'boll-art'. What are those stone car like looking objects on the well maintained grass area in the background, odd.

What is that on the grass..?
Changing of the colour...






























If you take a look at the final picture (above) you'll notice that the colour of the posts/bollards has changed and in a true soviet style matched the fence/railing behind.

The bollards are here to stop people from parking on the pavements and allow fire access to the estate but I'm more convinced than ever that a little of 'Boll-art' may improve the scene.

Bollards of London (bring on the 'Boll-art')...

2 comments:

  1. In my area the local school children painted the railway bridges and it has completely stopped the mindless tagging I had to look at every day as no-one as defaced the children's work and it's been a few years since they transformed the bridges.

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  2. Well I think 'Bollart' or 'Boll-art' could certainly help and give local children/students a different sort of project to get involved in.

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