{"id":579,"date":"2009-08-18T01:36:02","date_gmt":"2009-08-18T06:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fredhatt.com\/blog\/?p=579"},"modified":"2014-12-14T21:38:39","modified_gmt":"2014-12-15T02:38:39","slug":"ruined-signs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/fredhatt.com\/blog\/2009\/08\/18\/ruined-signs\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruined Signs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Id,

Id, 2005, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

The city is a forest of signs, words and pictures vying for attention.\u00a0 Most of them are highly transient, quickly posted over, vandalized or damaged.\u00a0 They’re usually more interesting in their ruined state.<\/p>\n

The cluster of pasted bills above is an example of a recent trend in advertising of using images that are eye-catching without any clear relationship to the product being sold.\u00a0 Maybe the one above is about sweat socks, as those are the boring element juxtaposed with the iridescent butterflies and the child grotesque, but I really don’t know for sure.\u00a0 I do think the weathering and paint stains absolutely enhance the collage.<\/p>\n

There is something about the ruined signs that suggests that no voice can prevail and no rule can overcome the power of entropy:<\/p>\n

\"Authority,

Authority, 2002, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

A bulletin board that has been cleaned retains fragments of all the messages it has borne:<\/p>\n

\"Stripped

Stripped Bulletins, 2003, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

Some signs have been up for so long those responsible for them have long ago stopped noticing that they have deteriorated to the point of illegibility:<\/p>\n

\"Saint

Saint Anthony's Market, 2005, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

This one was on a Polish candy store in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.\u00a0 Isn’t that candy irresistible?:<\/p>\n

\"Wedel,

Wedel, 2005, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

Perhaps you’d prefer a flavored Italian ice?:<\/p>\n

\"Water

Water Ices, 2008, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

A sticker on a glass door is subject to the effects of the sun:<\/p>\n

\"Cards

Cards Accepted, 2006, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

Rust has an almost camouflaging effect on this sign:<\/p>\n

\"No

No Parking Driveway, 2003, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

Layers of peeling paint blunt the danger, or at least the sign:<\/p>\n

\"Danger

Danger Illegible, 2005, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

And this sign has fallen off the wall, leaving an intriguing calligraphy in dried glue:<\/p>\n

\"Sign

Sign Glue, 2008, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

If you love decay and erosion and ruined things, as I do, this mat will make you feel very welcome:<\/p>\n

\"Welcome,

Welcome, 2005, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

Here’s a fluorescent backlit poster, starting to go to seed in January:<\/p>\n

\"Your

Your Spirit Guide, January 2007, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

And the same sign six months later, in a magnificent state of deterioration:<\/p>\n

\"Your

Your Spirit Guide, July 2007, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

Some classic signs are worn down in a way that’s perfect.\u00a0 This sign matches the building, and would hardly be improved by being spruced up:<\/p>\n

\"Joe's

Joe's Tavern, 2006, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

Destroyed words and letters can be an aesthetic demonstration that “Time is an artist”.\u00a0 Wrecked pictures of people have a more shocking effect:<\/p>\n

\"Sean

Sean John, 2006, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

They also tend to invite tampering in a way that verbal signs don’t:<\/p>\n

\"Gum,

Gum, 2003, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Reality

Reality Show, 2008, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n

A great smile makes you want to buy what’s for sale.\u00a0 This one makes me want to run out and gather up some void!:<\/p>\n

\"Lipstick

Lipstick Smile, 2009, photo by Fred Hatt<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The city is a forest of signs, words and pictures vying for attention.\u00a0 Most of them are highly transient, quickly posted over, vandalized or damaged.\u00a0 They’re usually more interesting in their ruined state. The cluster of pasted bills above is an example of a recent trend in advertising of using images that are eye-catching without […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[192],"tags":[82,70,28,27],"class_list":["post-579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-photography-signs-and-displays","tag-nyc","tag-signs","tag-snapshots","tag-urban-landscape"],"yoast_head":"\nRuined Signs - DRAWING LIFE by fred hatt<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/fredhatt.com\/blog\/2009\/08\/18\/ruined-signs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ruined Signs - DRAWING LIFE by fred hatt\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The city is a forest of signs, words and pictures vying for attention.\u00a0 Most of them are highly transient, quickly posted over, vandalized or damaged.\u00a0 They’re usually more interesting in their ruined state. 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