NO SIGN
The empty signs along our highways and in our neighbourhoods are easy to ignore; obviously there is nothing to look at. The original messages gone, but closer contemplation reveals an abundance of stories. Perhaps it stood in front of a family owned restaurant for decades, or a small retailer fell because of a changing marketplace, or a new gas station is being built.
The post, frame and electrical wiring are left intact in hopes of a new proprietor to use again. These signs are a landscape in flux; they represent a clear point of transition. It was an old business changing, a new business coming in, a name change, new logo, end to a traditional meeting spot or the beginning of a new one. I began photographing these silenced proclaimers in 2005. This series is a collection of some my favourite empty signs.
The empty signs along our highways and in our neighbourhoods are easy to ignore; obviously there is nothing to look at. The original messages gone, but closer contemplation reveals an abundance of stories. Perhaps it stood in front of a family owned restaurant for decades, or a small retailer fell because of a changing marketplace, or a new gas station is being built.
The post, frame and electrical wiring are left intact in hopes of a new proprietor to use again. These signs are a landscape in flux; they represent a clear point of transition. It was an old business changing, a new business coming in, a name change, new logo, end to a traditional meeting spot or the beginning of a new one. I began photographing these silenced proclaimers in 2005. This series is a collection of some my favourite empty signs.
