Artist created innovative awareness campaigns

WITH Bonfire Night creeping up on us one artist has come up with innovative campaign posters to remind people of the dangers of fireworks.

Chris Dilger, aka Captain Colourblind, of Addison Way, Hayes, has been creating awareness campaigns since the mid 90s.

The 52-year-old said: "I was sick of the Nicorette adverts on television advising people how to quit smoking and I thought I could do something a little bit more interesting.

"I created some no smoking campaign posters and went to NHS Hillingdon with them and they accepted a couple of them.

"The buzz for me was just getting the letter from them saying they would use my work. I just want recognition."

Mr Dilger, who is also a member of Hillingdon Artists, has also created campaigns against the third runway at Heathrow Airport, which have been used by NoTRAG, drink driving campaigns, which have been used by Hillingdon Council, and a poster for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

RSCPA Hillingdon have also just accepted his firework campaign posters.

He said: "Originally I thought to myself it's pointless telling people not to do things, but if you can stick the message into an image it will subliminally tell them. Like the drink driving poster I have created ; you don't need any words with that. If that is on a wall in a pub you can deduce from that everything you need to. I have tried to apply that to all my campaigns."

Mr Dilger wants to get his work recognised more than anything else, but says it is a struggle.

He said: "I could do what Banksy does if I wanted to be illegal and I am a bit mythed that he gets away with it. Tag artists get arrested and he just gets a pat on the back.

"I don't have the funds to support me. It's really difficult but I don't lose sleep over it. I enjoy doing what I do.

"In an ideal world if I had a wish it would be for an animator to walk through my door who didn't want a load of cash, but just a concept and he could use my ideas."