Hasta La Ideas

A 22 metre-long, hand-painted typographic mural in Walsall town centre combines wayfaring information and facts to tell the story of the West Midlands town in numbers

Manchester-based United Creatives worked with Urbed and the regeneration team at Walsall Council on the project which, according to United, covers a “previously dull stretch of concrete” on a shopping centre.

The consultancy says that “The new artwork aims to engender civic pride via a series of positive local facts” (such as Queen Elizabeth the First spending a night there). It also has a functional aspect, providing directions and walking times to local attractions such as Walsall’s arboretum.

The artwork was created using laser-cut stencils and micro-porous paint.

If the artwork is well received, it is hoped that it will be succeeded by a permanent, ceramic mural.

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The August Olympic Special issue of Creative Review contains a series of features that explore the past and present of the Games to mark the opening of London 2012: Adrian Shaughnessy reappraises Wolff Olins’ 2012 logo, Patrick Burgoyne talks to LOCOG’s Greg Nugent about how Wolff Olins’ original brand identity has been transformed into one consistent look for 2012, Eliza Williams investigates the role of sponsorship by global brands of the Games, Mark Sinclair asks Ian McLaren what it was like working with Otl Aicher as a member of his 1972 Munich Olympics design studio, Swiss designer Markus Osterwalder shows off some of his prize Olympic items from his vast archive, and much more. Plus, Rick Poynor’s assessment of this year’s Recontres d’Arles photography festival, and Michael Evamy on the genius of Yusaku Kamekura’s emblem for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

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