In early 2020, following extensive renovation and a change of name, St Andrews’ Wardlaw Museum prepared for opening. The museum’s newly built wing planned an exhibition with an expanse of vinyl wall graphics.
Philip Colbert’s ‘The Death of Marat & the Birth of the Lobster’ is a carnival of pop art and wild imagination. The artist’s iconic oil paintings feature everyday objects, together with a multi-coloured lobster.
The new gallery was partially wrapped in vinyl and became a part of the artists’ display. At the same time, vinyl graphics around the University of St Andrews’ library advertised the exhibition.
Curator, Claire Robinson asked me to wrap three walls with Philip’s artwork. Claire e-mailed the artwork containing Philip’s hand-drawn lettering. I checked the files and tiled the scaled artwork into vertical segments. Each segment was approximately 1100mm wide, including overlaps.
The walls’ surface, as well as the exhibition’s term influenced the type of vinyl selected for the graphics. I contacted Morgan at Signature Signs in Dundee, who advised which material would be suitable to use on the plasterboard walls. Morgan recommended a low tack vinyl.
The vinyl’s bond has an indefinite interior lifespan but can be removed easily and leaves no gum residue. This reduces risk of paint peeling on the gallery walls.
I provided Claire with the vinyl’s specifications, as well as my quote and lead time. My quote was approved before Signature Signs digitally printed and matt laminated forty square metres of vinyl. Like wallpaper, thirteen vertical segments were ready to apply.
I travelled to St Andrews in early March 2020.
The first three segments were tacked into position to ensure the vinyl would fit and the overlapped graphics match. The overlapping vinyl edges join the expanse of artwork and prevent vinyl shrinkage.
Applying the large segments over the walls’ corners proved tricky. The unlevel walls’ corners pushed the vinyl in different directions and created wrinkles. With perseverance, the vinyl was gently heated and moulded into position.
Each piece was gradually squeegeed over the walls, with edges tucked and cut into the ceiling and floor. Electrical sockets were neatly cut around too, then heated to secure the bond.
Lasting over twelve hours, the wall graphics were complete and the gallery was transformed into Philip Colbert’s canvas.
Due to the pandemic in 2020, the museum’s opening was delayed with Philip’s exhibition postponed. Months passed and I wondered if the wall graphics would remain bonded in the empty gallery.
It was Autumn 2020 before I returned to St Andrews. The walls’ graphics were as good as the last day I saw them.
Claire and her team at Wardlaw were evaluating when to open the museum. At this point, more vinyl graphics were ordered for advertising the exhibition.
University of St Andrews library’s gardens is often busy with students and visitors and a short distance from Wardlaw Museum. Eleven large windows were chosen to serve as billboards promoting Philip’s exhibition.
Claire sent me the window graphics’ artwork, as well as dimensions for each window. This time, the artwork was loud and vibrant, injecting colour onto the library’s exterior. I visited the library early one Sunday and checked measurements.
The artwork was then revised for print set-up. Each window graphic was digitally printed onto exterior grade vinyl before lamination. The laminate protects the ink and lengthens the ink’s exterior durability.
In the depth of autumn and equipped with stepladders and buckets, I travelled to St Andrews.
Each window was cleaned 2-3 times, removing all debris before thoroughly dried. I applied the graphics dry, as the damp air would hinder a wet application. One by one, the graphics were tacked up, squeegeed and cut neatly around each edge.
Marat the lobster grabbed lots of attention. The change was welcome and signaled life happening around campus again, after months of lockdown and uncertainty.
Not only was vinyl used as part of an art exhibition, but the material also advertised the show. With constant advances in materials and printing, almost every surface can be wrapped with vinyl.
Interested in vinyl graphics in St Andrews for promoting your project?
Get in touch to find out more.