KEY POINTS:
At various points around the city, usually near intersections, there are large boxes decorated with paintings and what look like photographs. I think they look brilliant. What are the boxes, what is in them, how many are decorated, and who is doing the embellishing?
- David Williams, Balmoral.
There are various types of boxes - very big ones that hold power supplies, medium-sized ones that are traffic-control boxes, and small ones that are usually gas or phone-related. They all come under a blanket label of utility boxes.
The idea to use the boxes as street art has been around for years. It is based on the premise that if the boxes are properly decorated, it reduces the chance of having them tagged or graffitied, or having random posters stuck to them.
There are more than 1400 boxes around Auckland City, and the council, which looks after the traffic control boxes, is not sure how many are decorated, for a variety of reasons.
Several years ago, people began painting boxes off their own bat. This caused problems, with paint dripping through vents and clogging them.
Hinges and locks jammed with paint, while the often-unprepared surface of the boxes caused the paint to crack and peel. It appears some enterprising person had been approaching local businesses, offering to paint a box as an advertisement, without the permission of the council.
When a box was damaged or removed, the business person was understandably aggrieved that their ad had gone, and sought compensation from the council. To reach some happy middle ground, the council developed a set of guidelines for decorating the boxes. When the unauthorised painting continued, an alternative application was found. This involves printing a digital image on adhesive plastic, which is then wrapped around the box. The plastic surface, called a 'gasp', allows the box to breathe, can be cut around the hinges and vents, and is graffiti-resistant.
Local community boards can apply for help to enhance utility boxes in their area. The money comes from the Small Local Improvement Projects (SLIPs) funding administered by the council.
The possibilities for decorating images are endless. Some have been used to "hide" a box by wrapping it in a gasp that blends with the background, and some areas use images of historic significance.
Love 'em or hate 'em, the boxes are a necessary part of the city. We might as well enhance them.
The verandah outside Showgirls in Customs St used to have gyrating figures of Elvis, Marilyn and the Blues Brothers. They have now disappeared. Why?
- Caroline Jones, Parnell.
New council regulations, I'm afraid, restricting the size and appearance of signs in the city. The iconic figures are now in storage, grooving away unseen. But Grant Bugden, of Showgirls, is talking to the council about having them reinstated.
Do you live in Auckland? Do you have a question or problem you want solved? Phoebe Falconer answers your questions every Thursday. Email 'Ask Phoebe' to newsdesk@nzherald.co.nz
