The silversmith

With this piece of work, what you see is what you get. There's no ironic sub-text here. There's little to analyse or deconstruct. It gets straight to the point, and the point is simple: overwhelmed by an irresistible urge to spray the word knob in silver paint on the shutter of a lock-up on Calton Road in Edinburgh, the perpetrator succumbed. Word sprayed, point made, job done.

The technique here is admirable. Look at the lettering. Little if any paint has run. Whoever carried this out handled their mission skilfully. It seems they're no stranger to such tasks. They've done this before. They have form. They've got previous.

If they knew what they were doing, they may have gone so far as to use some protection. Something along the lines of a spray vapour respiratory mask, perhaps. Wearing one would greatly reduce the risk of inhaling the tiny droplets of paint that are dispersed into the air when the nozzle of the aerosol is pressed. They may be tiny, but they can be dangerous. And, if inhaled in large enough doses, over a long period of time, possibly even carcinogenic. An experienced sprayer would see it as just another risk though. Occupational hazard. Comes with the territory.

Mask or no mask, we do know that at least one of the instructions on the spray can was followed to the letter - the product was used in a well-ventilated area. You can't get better ventilation than using it al fresco, can you?