lettres de caractere, NORMANDIE
After a longish sojourn in Paris a few years ago, I went to Normandy. By chance, I saw some faded advertising signs along the road, usually painted on old stone or plaster, or sometimes wood. I loved the layering of these bygone ads, the same spaces having been used many times over.
Time and weather had turned ordinary commercial notices into fascinating montages, with gorgeous textures and interesting juxtaposition of the various surviving elements.
I have returned to Normandy twice since, searching for and finding more old signs. Enthused, I wanted to create my own letters of character paintings, with modern paints and techniques, and without the assistance of age and climate.
As I drove or rode around, following little lanes, dubious indications, and, of course, whims, I thought about the sign-writers who would have applied each brushstroke by their own hand, long before modern printing and computer techniques. I also thought about the advertised products - mainly alcohol, petrol and chocolate - not too dissimilar to today. And I thought about the old paints, which were almost certain to contain carcinogenic and toxic heavy metals - like mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, copper and chromium.
New thought: a sign-writers career-span may have been very short!