The use of art to add to social discourse is by no means new. Creatives are often seen using their art to highlight, emphasise or encourage conversation around pertinent issues.
However, some such artistic endeavours are far more public than others. Greg Bunbury, a graphic designer from Hackney, has collaborated with outdoor media agency Brotherhood Media with the aim of making his artistic project as visible as possible.
Bunbury’s Black Outdoor Art initiative is plastering original art by black artists on billboards across Hackney and the rest of the capital, to spark conversation about the endemic issue of racism in the UK and beyond.
Bunbury says: “Black Outdoor Art effectively started the week of George Floyd’s killing in the US. When the story hit the mainstream press here in the UK, and the whole country saw the rise of Black Lives Matter, brands and companies started to react.”
After discussing the possibility of collaborating with friends of his at Brotherhood Media, Bunbury realised that “if we could create a space for more discussion, more honest reflection, and more interaction, we could contribute to a shifting of attitudes”.
As a result, Bunbury designed a poster called “I Can’t Breathe” that connected two victims of racially provoked police violence: George Floyd and Eric Garner. The title of the piece is what has been reported to be the last words of both men.
Bunbury says: “That poster went up on billboards across London and overnight the response was overwhelming.
“We decided to continue the idea as a wider campaign, using donated billboard space from [Brotherhood Media], but I wanted to expand it to the black British creative community so we could represent a range of voices.”
Through engaging black British artists, Bunbury wants to inspire discussion, activism and change when it comes to the topic of race in the UK. He says: “While I understand that a poster cannot create structural change in and of itself, I do believe this campaign and ones like it have an important part to play in the fight for equality.”
Conversation around racism has increased massively over the past year, particularly after the rise of Black Lives Matter and the subsequent protests that occurred worldwide. But Bunbury says there is still so much more that needs to be done.
Bunbury describes racism as an “ideology that has been able to endure for centuries as it has been reinforced throughout society at every level, through our institutions, through education, through commerce and through culture”.
In terms of where the Black Outdoor Art initiative establishes itself in the fight against racism, Bunbury says: “Undoing racism must be both structural and ideological. I see Black Outdoor Art as the marketing of anti-racism.”
A point that is continually addressed in the fight against racism and the effort to dismantle the racism entrenched in British society is that it is an ongoing process. Bunbury says: “There is no end point to these efforts.”
As a result, the Black Outdoor Art campaign will endeavour to run for as long as possible. Bunbury explains: “The continuing goal is to keep these issues in the public space and give creatives a platform to connect with their communities.”
Many of the artists and creatives who are involved in the project were already on Bunbury’s radar before the conception of Black Outdoor Art. However, others were discovered through direct submissions and some were also recommendations made to Bunbury. He says this collaborative effort has resulted in a “little community in itself”.
The location of the art is an important factor. Bunbury was conscious to ensure that “if a billboard is done by an artist in say Hackney or Brixton, we’ll make sure it goes up in their ends”.
He says: “The thinking here is to create ownership of our communities and spaces – even if it’s just for a couple of weeks. It’s a big deal for a creative to see their work 20ft in the air, in the area they live in.”
Bunbury stresses he wants the work to “foster that relationship between marginalised communities and their environment”.
Bunbury says Hackney was an obvious choice to display some of the work as he grew up there himself. He says: “What’s interesting about Hackney, is there’s such an intersection of demographics – across faiths, beliefs, ethnic backgrounds, gender identities – it feels like a good space for this kind of work.”
However, although all of the current billboards are located in London, the team behind the project is looking to expand to other cities in the UK, in the hope that broadening the reach of the art will work to reinforce its message and provide greater exposure for the initiative.
Thus far, the response to Black Outdoor Art has been “overwhelmingly positive”, Bunbury says, with supportive media coverage and engagement from universities, schools and communities across the country as well as overseas.
Although Bunbury mentions that there have been some negative responses, he doesn’t seem too fazed by this. “That’s the point,” he says. “Marketing should disrupt. It should ruffle feathers.”
Look out for billboards featuring work by the Black Outdoor Art initiative in and around Hackney. You can follow @gregbunbury and @brotherhoodmedia on Instagram to keep up with the project.
