To the average person, sewer systems do not carry a positive connotation. However, to certain creative individuals, they beget a bounty of inspiration. It’s not the sewer system itself which inspires them, rather their manholes, or openings which typically have a round metal cover and allow city-workers to access the underground world from the streets above. It is not uncommon for these covers to have intricate designs on them but it is very common for them to go unnoticed by passerby in everyday life. A select few artists and designers have decided to use that unrecognized potential to create contemporary prints from these age-old forms. Considering the fact that these prints are often lifted directly from the manhole cover itself, the question arises, where does one draw the line between mere inspiration and blatant plagiarism? This paper will brief the history of manholes and address the topic of plagiarism while examining three different creators in order to gain a better understanding of the unanticipated art-form of manhole prints and give credit where credit is due.
Roman Empire manhole cover 1st-4th century CE
Sewer systems can be traced back as far as 3500 BC meaning there is nothing proprietary about manhole covers themselves. Originally, they were made of stone slabs or wood planks. In the 19th century, the more modern cast-iron versions were introduced due to their strength and durability. (Sewer History, n.d.) In order to make them, the design must first be made of wood or aluminum. Then a mold is made from the model and molten cast iron is poured into it to form the final cover. Present-day covers are typically impressed with waffle patterns or concentric circles in order to provide traction for those who may walk over them. Prior to their commercialization in the 1950’s, it was common for them to have custom designs which differed from city to city (How Manhole Covers Are Made, n.d.). Contemporary artists and designers who admire these variations have commenced using them to make collections of prints.
raubdruckerin
The first and most crude printer worth discussing is Berlin-based artist Raubdruckerin. Her street-name translates to “female pirate printer” in German. She uses manhole covers and other surfaces of the urban landscape to hand-print designs on paper, fabric, and streetwear as a footprint of the city. She starts by applying a single color of ink directly to the surface she wishes to print and then presses her textile onto it in order to transfer the image. This type of on-site relief printing is low-tech, sustainable, and offers an alternative viewpoint on mass-production (Raubdruckerin Project, n.d.). In addition to selling her prints online, she also hosts “street printing” workshops in order to help people become a part of the project themselves.
Ralph Brancaccio
The next note-worthy print-maker is Ralph Brancaccio who is a conceptual artist from New York. He began his body of work known as “A Visual Travel Diary” in the 1990’s. He has printed in over thirty countries but only makes three prints per plate. He deliberately applies multiple colors of inks to select parts of the surface in order to amplify the narrative image. He then presses paper onto the cover and controls an embossing effect by altering the pressure of his hands. The technique leaves a unique combination of ink and ghostly impressions. When he signs and dates each piece, he makes sure to include the exact street address, city, and country in which it was printed. He believes that by putting himself at peoples’ feet, he brings the beauty up to their level and causes them to look down (Ralph Brancaccio: A Visual Travel Diary, n.d.).
Pentagram
Finally, I would like to introduce Pentagram’s rendition of manhole prints. Since 1975, the internationally-known design firm has produced a series of annual documents known as the Pentagram Papers. They distribute the booklets to their clients and colleagues with the hopes of captivating them with a specific area of design. The Spring 2016 issue, titled Overlooked, focused on the hidden beauty of manhole covers in the city of London. The designers made rubbings from the metal plates which they scanned, enlarged, and converted to neon colors. By juxtaposing the industrial designs with a feminine color pallet, they were able to accentuate the nuances of each one. (Pentagram Papers 45: Overlooked, n.d.). Their booklet won the self-promotional category at the 2016 Design Week Awards. Ultimately, it was so successful that Pentagram Partner Marina Willer decided to expand the project into a screen-printed poster series which is available for sale to the general public.
It is clear that the unexpected art-form of manhole prints is gaining popularity, and with it, so are the artists who create them. However, it begs the question, who deserves the credit for these seemingly “one of a kind prints” that were replicated from other peoples’ original designs? In order to comprehend this, two questions need to be answered: what is plagiarism and who owns the designs to begin with? Plagiarism is defined as stealing and passing off the ideas or words of another as one’s own; using another’s production without crediting the source; or presenting something as a new and original idea or product derived from an existing source (Merriam Webster, n.d.). The source in this case are the manhole covers which are often owned by city-run water companies, deeming them public property. The original creators often waive their rights when they hand off their designs for production. It turns out, offering the locations of the sources is as close as the print-makers can get to crediting the original designers. The artists who make the prints have never feigned sovereignty of the original designs. Contrarily, their intention has always been to honor and illuminate the fine art of industrial design which is so frequently ignored.
In conclusion, manhole prints are a contemporary art form inspired by age-old forms. While the creators produce prints directly from someone else’s design, the final composition and application is open to interpretation making each print unique. By altering the medium in which the designs are presented to the public, creators from all over the world are beginning to gain recognition for the under-appreciated industrial art of manhole covers.
Sewer History. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2017, from http://www.sewerhistory.org/grfx/components/mhcvrhist1.htm
How Manhole Covers Are Made. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2017, from http://www.madehow.com/Volume-7/Manhole-Cover.html
Raubdruckerin Project. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2017, from https://raubdruckerin.de/en/project/
Ralph Brancaccio: A Visual Travel Diary . (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2017, from https://www.ralphbrancaccio.com/manhole-cover-printing/
Pentagram Papers 45: Overlooked. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2017, from https://www.pentagram.com/work/pentagram-papers-45-overlooked/story
Merriam Webster. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2017, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarizing