Wandering the streets of Melbourne’s Central Business District, I stumbled upon a collection of hand painted signs. Harking back to the mid 20th century, they bear testimony to a diverse range of trades that once populated the area. The ghost signs remain from Robert T. Martin, a celebrated furniture maker who started his business in the 1930s, and Neeter & Briggs, furriers who began their venture in 1953– a time when hand painted signs were the popular approach for wayfinding. The letters were created with a flat brush which gives their form a particular character. The slight outward flairs at the top and bottom of downward strokes are such an example. I started with the letter R and then adapted the DNA from that letter to another 6 or so letters. From there the alphabet started to fill itself out.
