LLC-Storefronts

Taking a good long look at what people buy; how they like their shirts starched, hair cut, roots straightened, collards served, and the ends to which will go to obtain it all. They are the first steps a self-starter - an entrepreneur - takes toward creating a business. In that spirit, I introduce LLC- Storefronts, a series of 100 businesses crafted from wooden vegetable crates and found objects, creating a ubiquitous message within their unique aesthetic.

The Storefronts’ origin lies in the business vernacular itself: Small businesses, those tiny operations that rise in our communities, regardless of economic conditions. They are the fruition of ideas hatched by proprietors confident in their wares or services. Historically, in most societies, business owners enlisted painters and carpenters – fellow merchants – to make signs for their storefronts attracting passersby and promoting what was inside. They became the business’ calling card, an early art form connecting people with products. Brainstorming among craftsmen and merchants most likely led to the catchy, creatively lettered phrases that stretched across the front of buildings, on shingles, and that two-sided sign about the lunch deal worn by the man walking the boards of his town. In many cases, those signs unearthed talents previously unrealized, and some of the carpenters and painters began to explore and maximize their skills as artists.

 

This series, in a way, pays homage those who stumbled upon opportunities to create and enlighten in much the same way I happened upon the crates that became the medium for my collection. My Storefronts carry themes and titles containing a vernacular message. None of the Storefronts are identical. The expressive shop owners and customers featured in the works have their own personality, befitting the business name and slogans you see.