After years of turning blank canvases into colourful announcements, The Sign Man is now sharing his gift with upcoming artists, through an exhibition and workshop.
For over forty years, Bruce Cayonne, better known as The Sign Man, has captivated our attention through his vibrant, bold, distinctive signage.
The Artist is now sharing his journey, and creative process with upcoming creatives through The Sign Man Exhibition.
At the opening, he recalled a fond memory with a new artist.
“When I was all around 12, 13, 14, those days I started break dancing, and there was a graffiti culture in LA and New York, and I used to see it in magazines and so forth, and I was just totally amazed with graffiti, when you could play with letters and do all kinds of things and still figure out if an r is an r or a b is a b”
Every brush stroke is intentional, meticulous in his gifting, calling out to those seeking celebration through his signage.
He explains the ability to craft those messages improved through repetition.
“At one point for me the message was just to look good, and be pretty and for people to look at and be attractive and all that but now, I understand that it’s a lot more than just looking good.”
The Sign Man is now passing on his creative process, of painting on cloth to hardboard, to those interested.
At the exhibition, he will be hosting workshops for adults, kids and creatives.
Original paintings will also be available for commission.
“You can come here and see signs to purchase, sign form actual events that took place sometime aback, you will get painted signs of calypso history month that was done last year, the Kaiso Cut series to be specific, you would have miniature magnets to go on your fridge with saying from what granny used to say long ago, all these local trini saying, what sweet in goat mouth, sour in the bam bam, them kind of thing.”
The Exhibition closes on June 26 at the Big Black Box.
The final night will see live performances from veteran djs, whose events were promoted through the artist’s distinctive sign work.