Sign Painters Documentary
Midwestern filmmakers Faythe Levine and Sam Macon recently released a trailer for their documentary “Sign Painters”, which explores the lost art of sign painting, and features young and old sign painters from across the country. This 3+ year project, which also has a companion book (available here), looks like a fascinating commentary about these amazing graphic artists who have had their trade overrun by technology: “There was a time, as recently as the 1980s, when storefronts, murals, banners, barn signs, billboards, and even street signs were all hand-lettered with brush and paint. But, like many skilled trades, the sign industry has been overrun by the techno-fueled promise of quicker and cheaper. The resulting proliferation of computer-designed, die-cut vinyl lettering and inkjet printers has ushered a creeping sameness into our landscape. Fortunately, there is a growing trend to seek out traditional sign painters and a renaissance in the trade.”
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/61006621 w=400&h=300]