BLOG CROXFORD: SIGN LANGUAGE PART 1

Friday, November 19, 2010

SIGN LANGUAGE PART 1

Oh, hi there. I am just sittin' here, relaxing and listening to some smooth smooth jazz, and thinking about what inspires me. Ok........by relaxing - I mean web-surfing.....and by smooth smooth jazz - I mean the broadway cast recording from 'A Chorus Line'. Nonetheless, I AM thinking about what I should blog about that is inspiring for me.
Truthfully, I feel like I could put anything here and it wouldn't much matter - because I only have 3 people who check back at this blog. So, for example, I could say: I am inspired by the sounds of people harassing the elderly, or I find inspiration in making prank phone calls and cheating on my taxes.......No one is reading this, so maybe I find inspiration by copying other artists work and selling it to chinese sweatshops for mass production. Wait.....if you have gotten this far, you probably know too much already......NEVER MIND!!!
Ok, for reals.....something I love is good retro signage. Whether it be neon or metal or painted.....I LOVE ALL SORTS. Here are some sign reference that I have collected over the years. I constantly take pictures as reference, I have painted a couple already, and it is part of my plan to paint more of them, I just haven't gotten to it! Here are 2 that I have completed...and sold.....

Both of these are taken from photos I took at the Las Vegas Sign Boneyard in 2005. For those of you who don't know what that is, let me tell you all about it. Every neon sign in Vegas was made by one company. Every time they rip down an old casino, they try to save the signage. Most of these signs went to a graveyard to rot. In the last decade they started to refurbish the signs...but it is very costly

"The three-acre Neon Boneyard houses more than 150 historic, non-restored signs. As part of our guided tours, the signs are available to be viewed at ground level and up close. Each has been donated or loaned by individuals, businesses and sign companies such as Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO).

The Neon Museum is in the process of rehabilitating the historic La Concha Motel lobby for use as a visitor’s center. In 2006 the building was saved from destruction and moved to the Boneyard site, and in 2007 the structure was reassembled. The La Concha, a swooping curvilinear example of mid-century modern architecture, was designed by famed African-American architect Paul Revere Williams. The building is on the City of Las Vegas Historic Register."

Check out their website fro more info:

NEON MUSEUM, LAS VEGAS

When I went, it was not open to the public, so I had to jump a HUGE fence! It was exhilarating.....but I was nervous because I was trespassing. I would have liked to spent more time. Here are some of my reference photos from the site.