Dave Alsobrooks

Co-Signed

I lived in the Appalachian mountains between Banner Elk and Boone, NC for about 2 years. At the time, I was doing freelance design work for a host of clients back in the Triangle. I was also making art and enjoying enough free time for the occasional road trip. Between these trips and visiting clients, I spent a considerable amount of time on more than my share of winding backroads.

There’s a lot to see on these two-lane roads. Large billboards and corporate logos are noticeably absent. That’s not to say these areas aren’t subject to marketing efforts. What I found fascinating was an abundance of home-grown advertising. Hand-crafted signs proclaiming just about anything were proudly displayed where every passerby would see them. I took the words from these signs and re-purposed them in mixed-media paintings. I thought it would be interesting to see these unique declarations outside of their original context. The paintings became the Co-Signed body of work. They’ve been exhibited in both Carolinas and featured in national magazines.

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Check out the paintings (click to enlarge):

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Here’s my artist statement for the series:

The Co-Signed paintings are a partnership between myself and scores of nameless, unsuspecting individuals. I troll the countryside for evidence of these people, most often found in handmade signs. These manifestations of thought also occur in the forms of more formal signage and conversations, although the latter are a little tricky to document due to their spontaneity.

Typically, the signs are marketing ploys to advertise a host of offerings such as puppies, spare parts, salvation or produce. Or they may be a directive on where one can park one’s car — or even a philosophical statement. Whatever the intent, an individual takes it upon himself to arrive at the proper wording for his message. And then he expresses it in the world at large.

I collect these expressions. I find it vastly interesting to place these words into new contextual environments to explore whether new definitions and sentiments arise.

Throughout the re-purposing of these found messages, I assign meaning through the painting process. In a sense, I’m steering the conversation around these newly appropriated phrases based upon my opinions. These opinions are often influenced by the environment of the original expression. Ultimately, the intent is to leave the narrative open-ended to allow the viewer the freedom to create their own personal narrative through associations with materials, textures, color, etc. Each piece becomes a trip to a different place complete with new or recurring casts of characters.

These paintings would not be possible without the ingenuity of those who create the original expressions. While I recycle the wording, I don’t attempt to replicate the original signs themselves. In general, the paintings have nothing in common with the appearance of the original expression. In a sense, the artmaking process is reliant on both ends of this spectrum. The paintings are collaborative — they are Co-Signed.

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And some information about the fonts used for the paintings:

Pintor, the primary font of the Co-Signed paintings, was designed by Carlos Segura. He based the font’s design on a sign he encountered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Segura is a prolific designer. Check out Pintor and Carlos at T26.com.

Scrapt, the secondary font of Co-Signed, is a freeware True-Type font. It’s available for download at acidfonts.com.

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Here are several views of the Co-Signed work installed in Columbia, SC (click to enlarge):