Saturday, November 26, 2011

Pre-Vinylite Society Artists' Statement


Artists’ Statement

The name, The Pre-Vinylite Society, is inspired by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of young English artists in the 19th century who were tired of the contemporary trend in art that venerated and imitated Raphael’s classical model. They held that the kind of rote, mechanistic replication that permeated the paintings of their day corrupted art and made it devoid of emotion and humanity. In a similar vein of rebellion, The Pre-Vinylite Society proposes to subvert the recent convention of lifeless vinyl signage as a digression from the time-honored institution and rich history of hand-painted signs.

The craft of sign painting has survived through the tradition of mastery and apprenticeship and The Pre-Vinylite Society Sign Art Show highlights the skills and techniques that have been passed down through the ages. However, though The Pre-Vinylite Society’s signs serve to represent the classic signage of yesteryear, they are nevertheless very much products of the present day. While the signs in this show reflect many traditional techniques of sign painting, such as letter design, gold leaf, and glue chipping, they also push the boundaries of sign making as a solely mercantile art and assert the art of sign painting as a gallery-worthy endeavor. The Pre-Vinylite artists challenge the idea of sign painting as purely commercial by combining fine art mediums such as oil painting and sculpture into their works and employing ironic materials for their surfaces such as polyurethane and vinyl records.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Pre-Vinylite Society Sign Art Demo


Thanks to everyone who came out for The Pre-Vinylite Society Sign Art Opening on Saturday night. It was a huge success and we have a lot of people to thank for helping it all come together. Thanks also to the bloggers who posted photos so quickly after the opening. Here are some links:

If you missed the opening, have no fear! The show runs through mid-December and there will be a sign painting demo/workshop this Saturday, November 19th at 2pm in the gallery upstairs at Orchard Skateshop. Pre-Vinylites Josh Luke and Kenji Nakayama will explain basic sign painting tools and techniques such as basic letter strokes, pattern making, pinstriping, and gold leaf.

Unlike the opening, which was 21+, this event is suitable for all ages! Come by and let the masters show you how it's done!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Pre-Vinylite Society Sign Art Show Opening Nov 12


This unique art show features signs artists and lettering enthusiasts from across the nation who are associated with the Pre-Vinylite Society, a loose network of like-minded letter junkies. The show will emphasize sign art as a gallery-worthy craft, exhibiting the talents of several generations of sign painters in what is quickly becoming known as a Sign Painting Renaissance.

The time honored trade of sign painting has survived through the tradition of mastery and apprenticeship and the Pre-Vinylite Society Sign Art Show highlights the skills and techniques that have been passed down through the ages. 

Curated by Josh Luke of Best Dressed Signs, the Pre-Vinylite Society Sign Art Show is the first of its kind on the East Coast. Among other talented painters from around the country, the show will include artists from San Francisco's New Bohemia Signs, a renowned sign shop owned by the venerable Damon Styer, whose artists have participated in several West Coast sign art gallery shows, including the recent Guererro Gallery show (as seen in Juxtapoz Magazine) featuring Steve Powers and Jeff Canham. Many of the artists in the Pre-Vinylite Sign Art Show will also be featured in an upcoming documentary by Faythe Levine and Sam Macon, titled "Sign Painters," due out in 2012.

Opening at 8pm on November 12 at the Extension Gallery at Orchard Skateshop. 156 Harvard Ave, Allston, MA. Free beer and vegan pizza!