Walls with Paint: Traffic Lights

In 'Walls with Paint', Eindhoven local, photographer, and art fan Lukedaduke shares the story behind a special street art project in Eindhoven. This month: traffic control cabinets painted by three local artists.

For a couple of weeks, the traffic light control cabinets looked slightly different than you're used to; they've got a brand spanking new coat of paint. 

It's a test by the Eindhoven municipality to analyze the influence of graffiti in the streets. Eindhoven has been testing this for several years already, such as with their Tunnelvision-project where artists redecorate tunnels. 

Three local artists got to work for this test: Wladimir Manshanden, Harold Straatman, and EROSIE. All three have a past in the local graffiti scene.

Wladimir keeps himself busy with many things: copy and typography (and their impact) and the city's visual environment. Just try to find the surprising names some of the bridges or overpasses have.

Harold Straatman, or ZIME, is working at Vlisco but regularly shows off his graphic work in the streets. During high school, graffiti caught his eye, and during his graphic follow-up study, his graffiti work became more and more abstract. His work on the traffic light control cabinets adjusts to its environment; on one of them, you can find the pattern of the floor at the Parktheater. On another one, you will spot the colors and history of the local soccer club PSV. 

The work of EROSIE is inspired by graffiti but primarily by his research after letter shapes. These shapes keep moving and changing into abstract figures, but you can still recognize the form of letters if you look closely. The work of EROSIE is almost like a written language of its own that finds its way on walls and canvas or printed matter.

Right now, the three artists have painted about twenty control cabinets. Reason enough to get on your bike and try to find them.