As we navigate public space we eventually come up against inescapable physical barriers. Some may be benign and even friendly, such as a velvet rope. Some have a specific use in particular circumstances, such as a gate arm in a parking lot. Some masquerade as something else, as with antiterrorism barricades disguised as planters. Others, like prison walls and concertina wire, are overtly aggressive with an unmitigated hostile presence. These barriers vary in scale, intention and intensity but all have a common underlying goal: to contain, corral and control human behavior that is deemed “unwanted” in a specific context by the powers that be.
Barriers is an animated motion poster series that calls attention to this commonality by exploring the wide spectrum of these public barriers, interspersed with contextual quotes adapted from the civil disturbance handbook Crowd and Riot Control by former army officer Rex Applegate.
Typeface used: Americane Condensed.