Graffiti artist Alex is boosting businesses

Exposure in their local newspaper like the Ipswich Star is a must, of course, including advertising.

Then there is the need for a keen web presence.

What else can you do to make new retail premises stand out when there is so much competition?

How about graffiti art?

Graffiti artist Alex, from Ipswich, has taken on commercial work for a variety of local businesses, giving them the benefits of his unique talent.

I met up with him at Reva Diva’s the clubbing dress shop in Tacket Street, where he had produced a design around the theme of a club dancer for the window space and has since been asked to decorate the walls in the changing rooms as well.

Tracey Colley and boyfriend Steve Swain opened Reva Diva’s in May specifically to offer outfits for the club crowd, dresses, leggings and tops witha bit of pizzazz.

“We wanted to offer something you couldn’t find in Ipswich. We don’t compete with the national chain stores.

“You don’t want to go out for the night and find someone else is wearing the same dress,” she said.

She asked Alex to use the dancing woman image from the shop carrier bags as part of his design and then he completed it free-hand.

“It looks absolutely amazing,” she said, “Everbody comments on it who comes into the shop.”

Business partner Steve Swain: “I was painting the shop and Alex came past on his bike, and offered to do a design.

“He had his portfolio with him and I said I wanted a gold design with a female in it.

“It was so good we asked him to do the changing rooms too.

“He is very skilfull at what he does. You need to nurture people with talent, to encourage them and get it out there.”

Tracey added: “He also did the changing rooms and a lot of people comment about them when they see them for the first time.”

Alex has completed a number of commercial commissions recently, including shop front covers for Bootique in Norwich Road, Ipswich (opposite Coes) and a London skyline design for a youth club in Leiston.

There is also a wall design with a sporting theme he has painted inside a new Ipswich club which is opening shortly, That is still under wraps.

He said: “I want to do more commercial commissions - it gives me a chance to do my work and stop being arrested for it!

“I have done a wall for a new Ipswich bar as well.”

Artist Alex has a distinctive `pocket watch’ tag, which can be found in his work.

He doesn’t just do graffiti work but other artistic projects too, he added.

“I have always done that, since I was at school. I have just customised a bass guitar, in blue and gold, for a friend who is in a band and I have designs for acoustic guitars too.”