Guerrilla Public Service

Design Process

Richard Ancrum's meticulous approach to designing a freeway sign in Los Angeles was nothing short of an art form. He studied existing signs, using Pantone swatches to match paint colors and measuring dimensions with precision. Richard even downloaded the MUTCD, the manual on uniform traffic control devices, to ensure his sign met official specifications 1. His goal was to create a sign indistinguishable from those made by Caltrans, the California Department of Transportation.

I tried to match everything as close as I could so it wouldn't be obvious Caltrans didn't do it.

--- Richard Ancrum

To achieve this, he sprayed a thin glaze of gray over the sign to mimic the dirt and smog accumulated over decades 1.

   

Installation Risks

The installation of Richard's sign was fraught with challenges and risks. He had to ensure that no tools or the sign itself would fall onto the road below, posing a danger to drivers traveling at high speeds 2. Despite these risks, Richard was determined to proceed, enlisting friends to film the installation from various angles. The operation was planned with the precision of a bank heist, complete with disguises and a strategically timed execution on a quiet Sunday morning 1.

That was the scariest thing of the whole project, is if somebody got hurt, you know, I'd have to live with that.

--- Richard Ancrum

Unexpectedly, Caltrans workers were also present that morning, but Richard's assumption that they would think he was part of another crew allowed him to complete the installation without incident 2.