Put a disgruntled tenant and a stubborn landlord together and you’re in for a unique visual delight.

A Little Scandal in the Street | We are so unused to seeing a typographic dialogue in a public space (a laneway in North Melbourne) that I found its honesty alarmingly captivating, refreshing and honest. This was not an exercise in professional seduction through image to further consume a product or service, but rather a tale of a landlords tale of woe about the maintenance of his building. Exactly what the aim of this extraordinary visual expression is open to conjecture; is it a public announcement of frustration, an attempt at a libellous attack or just a resignation that unless this tale is aired to the passer-by the experiences of the author will never be uncovered to a wider audience. What it certainly is however is example of the perfect choice of medium for the intended message. Unlike the filtered worlds of the printed page or a website outlining the dispute, the direct painting of the text upon the wall of the building in question carries a necessary humanity, and directness that forms an immediate connection with the viewer and brings us closer to the narrative itself. This form of typographic intimacy is a delicate and rare thing that seldom emerges in the work of professional graphic designers. This is not a call for designers to go and paint on walls so much as a recognition of the importance of the relationship between content and the typographic medium it takes. Or in short, you can learn a lot more walking down the street than you think.

A Rough Translation: The actual content of the dialogue reads as follows: (keeping the original but technically incorrect grammar)

FIRST DOOR
the woman told me I had to repair the pipe because they has the power to force me to fix it. my tenant told them, he saw the man with a scoop working on 4.1.95. the woman hire a chinese to scare my tenant. My tenant scare move out 3 day later.

SECOND DOOR
the woman told me they can see the water leak by look at little hole after I criticize them they advise the builder to cover the damage or leave a small hole for you to look at. the woman told me the hole for the storm water. the pipe rust through. the wall cave in by itself on 4.1.95. the woman hire a chinese to scare my tenant. my tenant so scare to move out 3 days later.

THIRD DOOR
B…. should call me to see the damaged spot in the front of the women, why after build the wall to cover the damaged spot then bring the women to help you.

WALL
the 2 women create a new unequal justice by help the builder. they cracked my toilet pipe, damaged wall. the builder not only refused to repair. he brought 2 women to help him. they told me they has the power to force me to pay for the repair & also sue me $10,000 after I argue how the toilet cave in they immediate retreat & say the demolition digging foundation & load the rubbles by hand. the toilet wall cave in. crack pipe because too old.

The title ‘A little scandal in the street’ was originally derived from an article by F.H.K Henrion on the artwork of French Poster Designer JM Cassandre (Penrose Annual 63 / 1970)