When award-winning Online Marketing and Web Design company Optix Solutions decided they were bored with their working environment they took a radical step – bringing the art of the street into their office.
Optix web programmer and designer Paul Brophy is a keen follower of all things street art, and when he saw a tweet from leading Bristol street artist Richt – part of the Bristol-based WHAT street artists’ collective – last month appealing for blank wall space to work with he persuaded his bosses that it was a perfect opportunity to liven up their Exeter headquarters in New North Road.
Not that they took much persuading. “We thought it was a great idea as we were all agreed that our surroundings had become a bit dull,” explains James Dawkins, Optix’s Creative Director.
“We like to think our success as a company is down not just to the fact that we are good at what we do but are creative and innovative with it. Our workspace didn’t reflect that. It was just an office; a perfectly decent, comfortable office, but an office like so many others.
“It has been another excellent year for us, with lots of exciting new clients and projects to work on, and this was a chance to do something different, something a bit special.”
Richt, who like his world famous Bristolian counterpart Banksy, likes to keep his personal identity secret took up the invitation to make his unique mark on the length of the formerly blank back wall of the office.
But first the wall was lined with MDF so that the art work could be removed in its entirety should the company continue to grow and need to relocate in future.
The artwork, which took about six hours to complete, is completely spontaneous, with no narrative or corporate theme, although Richt did incorporate things that came up on the day – for instance the camera used to film the work as it unfolded, see http://www.optixsolutions.co.uk/richt-what/
With the Optix team working around him spray-paint wasn’t an option, so Richt, who works freehand, used a brush to apply acrylic paint and a special liquid acrylic marker pen for the detail. The end result has already proven a big draw.
“We all think it’s great,” Dawkins adds, “and everyone who comes into the office remarks on it, from clients to the window cleaner. People who spend lots of time visiting different offices won’t forget visiting ours!”
The inspirational office artwork is also a celebration of Optix’s 12th year in business, a year that has seen it continue to defy the current economic doom and gloom and recognised as one of the top 100 creative companies in the South West.
Recent additions to company’s client portfolio include Exeter and Plymouth universities, The Eden Project and industry leading companies, including The Chord Company, Olives Et Al and Pipex px.