Richard Irwin - Photoblog
Know Students ???
Posted by Richard Irwin (Belper, United Kingdom) on 17 November 2007 in Abstract & Conceptual.
Graffiti Days
To be honest, this image is foxing me. I came across it in a side street in the city of Derby, in a poor neigbourhood which has recently been 'developed', where student apartments are being built in old warehouses.
I just can't work out whether the intention was to be a clever pun on words, or whether the graffiti artist really should return to education, or should at least learn a little English grammar begfore tagging a wall.
Anyway....What do you think?
Images by KC Photography from Redmond, United States
To me it looks like someone had painted "No Students" and then someone else came along and painted the K and the W afterwards. They look smaller than the other letters.
LOL OR maybe I'm just reading into things! ;o)
17 Nov 2007 5:31am
@Images by KC Photography: Good detective work, maybe you are right, the letters 'k' & 'w' do appear to be slightly different. LOL
Rebecca from Leicester, United Kingdom
Heh heh, it's really been sometime now since I was a fulltime student, but I sure am glad we didn't have to face vitriol to any such degree back in those days when we were all just trying to learn. Personally, I think the "artist" here probably hasn't yet learnt that in life we all need to cut one another a bit of slack. Students are no exception.
OR maybe this poor soul had had just about up to his eyeballs enough of some particularly irresponsible and uncaring 'student' types...
Either way, my heart goes out to this picture. Superb find, Richard! :)
17 Nov 2007 5:58am
@Rebecca: I think the location of this particular student accomodation was always going to cause frictions. Its one of those gated compounds, with CCTV and so on. To the locals it looks like a case of the privileged moving in on their area, and so tensions rise. I guess this is happening everywhere.
e. from Washington DC, United States
Wow, this graffiti really provides some food for thought. Great share.
17 Nov 2007 6:22am
Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada
I love this...maybe it's meant as an existential thing you know as in : (do you really) know students? Although KC's supposition is pretty smart LOL Great find Richard :)
17 Nov 2007 6:26am
Soodabeh from Yazd, Iran
Nice one you found! I agree with KC. Poor students there!
17 Nov 2007 6:51am
Zing from Hamilton, New Zealand
LOL, I think KC's right. Love the wall's texture, very cool.
17 Nov 2007 7:24am
Alireza from Tehran, Iran
good job for a graffiti day photo. I've tried my best to do the same but no hope yet!
17 Nov 2007 7:55am
Sidonie from Sydney, Australia
Hysterical! Somebody's idea of a pun, and a punt both ways! How did you manage to drag yourself away?
17 Nov 2007 10:12am
Bron from Canberra, Australia
I think I agree with KC Richard - the k and n are a bit darker! Interesting puzzle though!
17 Nov 2007 10:24am
Viewfinder from Bradenton, United States
I agree with KC; somebody defaced the grafitti defacements with their little k and w. Nice and simple, straightforward grafitti (whatever it intends to say).
17 Nov 2007 12:22pm
Alfredo J. Martiz J. from Tokyo, Japan
I agree with the comment of KC, I think that is a possibility, when I saw the photo I thought about the same, then I found that he had already posted this idea, nice finding, =)
17 Nov 2007 12:48pm
Craiger from Vacaville, California, United States
Now this is conflict at its best: one graffiti artist defacing another! Great shot!
17 Nov 2007 12:48pm
Gary from United States
Graffiti that makes you think. Great find!!!!! Nicely done.
17 Nov 2007 1:38pm
Martine from Québec, Canada
I like the treatment that you did with this picture. Beautiful :-)
17 Nov 2007 1:59pm
@Martine: Thanks. I have heavily pushed the tone curve to increase the contrast, ramped up the colour saturation, added a little unsharp mask, and then used the dodge & burn tools to balance the image. I wanted that high contrast, high colour effect that you see on TV whenever graffiti/skateboarding/parkour and the like are featured.
MaryB from Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Looking at it, I think that the K and the W were added after, The No Students, by someone against them moving into the area, then a reply from a student, perhaps suggesting that people get to Know Students, before they comment.
17 Nov 2007 5:04pm
MaryB from Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Errrr! I've just read KC's comment it seems like we both have the same idea LOL :D
17 Nov 2007 5:05pm
@MaryB: Thanks, I think that this idea seems to be the one most people are going with. I think I tend to agree too.
amy from Rocky Mountain House, Canada
Ok, I'm late getting my two cents in but Mary has articulated it very well for me... Great find and love how you've punched it up a bit with the pp!!!
18 Nov 2007 12:44am
Weekend Warrior( LV) from Kamloops, Canada
Hmmmm I am undecided. maybe the artist really doesn't want students around or does it mean students really do not know life yet? Heck....I do like the way it is presented!!!
18 Nov 2007 3:24am
