The Signs Series

Two weeks after I relocated to Los Angeles from San Francisco I moved into a loft on Broadway in Downtown. I marveled at the intricate engineering of the steel frames supporting the huge rooftop signs. Most were built in the early 1920s so how have they not all crashed down in the earthquakes? Who were the craftsmen and women who made their enormous neon signs by hand? One thing I did know for sure, they encapsulated three of my loves; Los Angeles, architecture and typography. In this series, I tried to capture the faded glory of historical LA – leaving the buildings on which these signs stand as blank canvas to reflect the rampant gentrification in the ever-changing historical neighborhood.

Click the images, below, to learn more about the works.

Sign for Hotel Rosslyn with the text '1,000,000 DOLLAR' at the top
Neon sign reading 'Hotel Roosevelt' against a dark sky, with palm trees in the foreground and a modern white building below.
A futuristic architectural design featuring a large sign that reads 'IT'S ONLY TEMPORARY' with a wireframe structure. Below the sign, there is a pink platform with two silhouetted human figures walking.
Architectural blueprint of a building exterior with the word 'Paramount' in cursive, visible on the facade of the building.
A rooftop with a large metal sign mounted on a support structure, displaying the words 'JESUS FAVES' with decorative elements, under a clear blue sky.
Sign reading "Los Altos Hotel & Apartments" against a clear blue sky.
A stylized illustration of a vintage neon sign structure with a red background, showing metal framework and partially visible letters forming the word 'SILVERCUP'.