Grocery Sign Projects
2010-2012. Appropriated sign material on panels
Since 2010 I have carried out related projects based on my interest in the Chicago-specific tradition of hand-painted, block-letter grocery signs which have come to be associated with Hispanic markets. By exaggerating the expressive colors and gestural rhythms of the original signs, I aim to build patterns that simultaneously attract (fluorescent colors, bold shapes) and conceal (by undermining legibility). In this sense I see them relating both to natural camouflage and bright plumage used by animals to attract mates, or broader notions of visual stimuli to affect or sculpt behavior.
This project began as a series of storefront installations and now includes a set of large scale panel collages. This project is partially supported by a Community Arts Assistance Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
