Cafe P

There’s a long tradition of taking photographs of lettering and signs – Walker Evans is one of my favourite exponents of the art, he also collected signs themselves.  What is the fascination with these static, everyday presences?  Maybe just their strong graphic quality; maybe the wish to make what is transient transcendent.  Or maybe an obsessive collecting behaviour, like train spotting.

Photo: Hastings, 16th January 2012

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2 Responses to Cafe P

  1. Dave says:

    Nice sign, Brian.Does remind me of W Evans-must take another look at his stuff.
    Collecting old signs is big in the US.My favourite tv programme “American Pickers” is all about 2 guys who go around searching out and selling old Americana, and signage goes for big bucksThat’s a job I would have loved.I really love the hunting diamonds in the rough thing.Maybe photography relates to that.

    • brian human says:

      Hi Dave,
      Thanks for comments. I’m a great fan of WE – one of the photo books I go back to regularly is ‘Walker Evans at Work’. Note that, like the Pickers, he also collected real signs. What a great way to spend time. Maybe we could become English pickers – money in ephemera.
      Brian

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