SIGNS ART

Signs Art

Signs art is unique in that it is one of the oldest forms of communication, predating even the printing press of Gutenberg. Hand-drawn signs advertising where to eat graced the walls of the Colosseum in Rome, the agora marketplace of ancient Greece and no doubt the caves of the cavemen, though these properly were called pictographs. A sign of the times of these modern days needn’t include words.

When is the last time anyone was confused over the universal signs for men and women on the doors of a restroom? Iconic images change and even the newest sign for a euro, unheard of a score of years ago, evokes the signmakers’ talent for choosing a simple, no-frills symbol for the European currency. So we see that a sign must be simple and geared to attracting attention first of all and being memorable second, because the goal of a business is to be remembered not only once but more than once. A metal sign lasts longest outside in the elements and there are websites and brick-and-mortar stores that offer metal signs with memorable historical designs, such as the Texaco gasoline station star or the Sinclair dinosaur logo. Of course, the original metal of these antique signs has most likely long since succumbed to the wearing out of rust, but recreations of these signs with new enamel and metal guarantee that the spirit of the original advertising genius comes through well. From metal signs to wooden ones, from wooden ones to neon, the artistic development of the sign translates well into signs art, because the general rectangle shape of the sign can be reproduced in the form of a painting for a wall.

The signs art that an abstract artist seeks to reproduce may be commissioned by you, the customer, based on your needs: Are you looking for a cheery “Eat At Joe’s” sign for your kitchen décor? Or are you looking forward to decorating the gameroom since you recently purchased a pool table? A “8-Ball Challenge” sign would add so much to the fun! Think of what signs mean in your life. You are driving along, looking for entertainment on a Saturday night, and spot a movie theater. It shows that the latest hit movies await just inside. Now picture your date, ready and eager to see a movie with you. It wouldn’t take much to develop this picture and want a souvenir of the beginning of a big romance such as this. Why not commission a painting of that particular theater marquee and have a solid souvenir of that memorable evening? An abstract artist can even leave out the movies that you two did not see and concentrate his effort on displaying the movie that cemented your romance.

Moving along to the kids’ rooms, a simple sign adds so much to their childhood experiences. Say, for example, that your career calls for a move to a new neighborhood or even a new city or state. How comforting it would be for your child to have a reproduction of his old street sign hanging upon the wall of his new room in his new home. Makes the move lots easier, doesn’t it? Even a small gesture like this one looms large in your child’s life, because of the thought you put behind a gift such as this. Show how caring you can be by giving a piece of signs art to your loved one or even yourself.