Exploration of Graffiti Typography in the UK.

ANNA HUMPHREY

ANNA HUMPHREY

EXPLORATION OF GRAFFITI TYPOGRAPHY IN THE UK

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ANNA HUMPHREY

TABLE OF CONTENTS –

1 – LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 – EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 3 – GLASGOW, SCOTLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 4 – MANCHESTER, ENGLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 5 – ALNWICK, ENGLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 6 – BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 93

FOREWORD –

In the summer of 2019 I took a class called Art and Controversy in Dalkeith, Scotland.

During that class we talked a lot about graffiti, and spent hours running around various cities looking for tags, murals, and other forms of street art.

As a graphic designer, I was particularly interested in the forms created by the quick tags scrawled across random places throughout the cities. I began noticing these forms everywhere; behind stores, in little cut throughs, and especially on transportation.

That was one of my favorite classes I ever took. Near the end, I made my own tag based of the research we had done.

For this booklet, I took six of my favorite tags that I found throughout the summer, and began exploring the forms. Some I made new letterforms in a similar style, and others I simply explored how changing the visual language affected the forms.

ANNA HUMPHREY ADDING MY OWN TAG TO THE BELFAST PEACE WALL, THE ONLY PLACE IN THE CITY WHERE GRAFFITI IS LEGAL. 5

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LIVERPOOL BUS STATION, JULY 2ND, 2019.

RAB - LIVERPOOL

FOUND THIS SCRAWLED ON A BUS STATION WALL NEXT TO A TESCO.

THE DIGITAL RENDERING...

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ANNA HUMPHREY SIMPLE LETTER FORMS LIKE THIS ARE OFTEN USED IN ARTIST TAGS.

ENLARGED COUNTERS TO GIVE THE LETTERS A MORE SUBSTANTUAL FEELING THAN BEFORE.

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RAB - LIVERPOOL

HUMPHREY, A. TRIPTIC OF RAB. MAY 2020.

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ANNA HUMPHREY WHAT DOES RAB LOOK LIKE??

MANY ARTISTS REMAIN ANONYMOUS.

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EDINBURGH, HIGH STREET JULY 4TH, 2019.

IRIS - EDINBRUGH

FOUND IN AN ALLEY OFF HIGH STREET. APPEARED MANY MORE TIMES IN THE CITY.

WHY IRIS...

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IRIS EDINBURGH

HOW DO ANGLES CHANGE A LETTER...

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ANNA HUMPHREY COULD BE A DOUBLING AS A HALO AND THE SECOND I.

A HALO IN GRAFFITI PAYS T RIBUTE TO AN “ANGEL” OR A GRAFFITI ARTIST WHO IS DECEASED.

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GLASGOW, QUEEN ST. STATION JULY 6TH, 2019.

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URBAN - GLASGOW

FOUND WHILE WAITING FOR THE BATHROOMS.

INK PEN OR SPRAY CAN NOZZLE...

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ANNA HUMPHREY THICK LINES WITH CLEAN EDGES ARE OFTEN CREATED WITH WHAT IS KNOWN AS A “FAT CAP”

WHY QUOTES? RESEARCH INCONCLUSIVE.

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A CROWN IN GRAFFITI REPRESENTS A “KING”

A KING IS AN ARTIST WHO IS WELL KNOWN AND RESPECTED IN A METROPOLITAN AREA.

ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS KINGS WHO TAGGED HIS ART USING A CROWN WAS JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT.

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ANNA HUMPHREY THIS GRAFFITI WAS FOUND IN A TRAIN STATION. ONE OF THE MOST COMMON PLACES FOR TAGS.

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MANCHESTER TRAVEL CENTER JULY 3RD, 2019.

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PESO - MANCHESTER

TAKEN IN A CUT THROUGH IN A MANCHESTER SHOPPING CENTER NEXT TO A NANDOS AND A BATHROOM.

LIKE THE MEXICAN CURENCEY?

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DRIPS ARE A POPULAR PART OF GRAFFITI

A TAG WITH LOTS OF DRIPS IS CALLED A “MOP” 29

ANNA HUMPHREY LOOKING FOR A PESO?

SPOTTED.

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ALNWICK ICE CREAM PARLOR JULY 16TH, 2019.

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SEOR - ALNWICK

FOUND WHILE WAITING FOR ICE CREAM.

IS THIS ANOTHER TRIBUTE?...

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ANNA HUMPHREY ANOTHER HALO. IS THIS A TRIBUTE TO SEOR?

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SEOR - ALNWICK

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ANNA HUMPHREY TAKE A KNEE FOR THE FALLEN ARTISTS.

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BELFAST RESTURANT AUGUST 3RD, 2019.

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SANO - BELFAST

FOUND BEHIND WHAT WOULD SOON BE OUR NEW FAVORITE RESTURANT.

WHY THE CROSS IN THE O?

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SANO - BELFAST

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ANNA HUMPHREY READY TO FLY AWAY?

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MEET THE CAST

*THE APPENDIX

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RAB - LIVERPOOL

RAB.

LIVES IN ENGLAND.

LOVES POPCORN.

FAVORITE SODA = MELLOW YELLO. 49

IRIS - EDINBURGH SCOTTISH LAD OR LASS. ALWAYS DOES THE CHICKEN DANCE AT WEDDINGS.

IRIS.

CAN SWIM?

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URBAN - GLASGOW

URBAN.

LOVES BURGER KING

GETTING TOO OLD FOR THIS S**T.

CITY BORN BUT LOVES NATURE.

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SANO - BELFAST

HAS THE POWER OF FLIGHT.

LOVES TO SEW

SANO.

LIVES OF A DIET OF IRISH POTATOS AND WHISKEY.

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PESO - MANCHESTER

ASPIRING FASHION DESIGNER

ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A LUCKY COIN.

LIVES OFF NANDOS AND SMOOTHIES.

PESO.

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SEOR - ALNWICK

SEOR.

WORKS IN THE ALNWICK GARDENS.

LOVES HIKING

MAKES HOMEMADE WALKING STICKS.

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ANNA HUMPHREY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR – (& MY TAG) BORN IN IOWA

EYRE AFTER THE BOOK JANE EYRE

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EYRE - MENOMONIE

EYRE = “AIR” LOVES DOGS.

JANE EYRE BECAUSE MY MIDDLE NAME IS JANE.

SURVIVED THIS SEMESTER.

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ANNA HUMPHREY CREATED BY ANNA HUMPHREY IN 2020.

5 7 YEAR OF ONLINE LEARNING.) (THE