“Signs of the Times”; Paint and vinyl on utility box; 32″W x 24″D x 65″H; Emeryville, California
“Signs of the Times” was conceived in direct response to the location and function of traffic utility boxes, and uses the pedestrian stick figure in order to present a series of poetic vignettes. This site specific project utilizes a context familiar to the viewer, in order to present situations that are funny, accessible and engaging. Each artwork aims to be read as a sign, which asks one to reflect on some of the issues surrounding the nature of our lives as human beings.
The project was first conceived in 2007 and consisted of a total of 17 boxes. I worked in collaboration with eight students from Emeryville High School, (Taruna Aggarwal, Brittany Drummer, Alonzo Gomez, Lisa Kuma, Sanjeshni Lata, Kevin Lazo, Jose Martinez and Ashlee Sentman) over a period of two months, to develop the design for each box.
In 2009, the City of Emeryville expanded the program and eight more design were created, bringing the total number of boxes to 25. In 2017, I was commissioned to update the boxes with new designs. The above images are a selection of these most recent designs.
With special thanks to Kathy Crow, the dedicated art teacher at Emeryville High School, and all the students for their participation and hard work.