Christian Kenny is a multi-disciplinary designer living in Kildare. While experienced in a diverse range of disciplines, Christian is particularly passionate about typography, print and editorial design. His method of design is driven by experimenting with different techniques, outputs and viewpoints, where the final outcome is often very different to what was first imagined. With a love for design that originates from watching his mother create and design throughout his childhood, Christian has been surrounded by visual communications and creativity his entire life.
This installation focuses on portraying how signwriting and signage has evolved in recent decades. The piece aims to show how the art form, knowledge and skills are removed from cultural systems through the introduction and mass adoption of technology, and to advocate a revival and preservation of the original art form we know as signwriting.
Each modern letter is 3D printed using a basic 3D FDM printer, as a testament to how the accessibility of modern technology allows the quality and character of lettering found on signage to degrade over time. Using the 3D printer, anyone can throw a typeface into the software without the care or consideration of a signwriter, and print a sign at any size for a fraction of the cost.
The degradation of quality and character of lettering can massively impact not just the aesthetic appeal of an area but also the emotions and behaviour of a person. Bright LED and neon signage have been found to needlessly create excessive light pollution, leading to sleep deprivation, fatigue, headaches, stress and anxiety.
The arrangement of the layers depicts how traditional signs are replaced or covered up with modern signage, as business owners feel the need to keep ahead and stand out of the neighbouring competition in a non-existent race rooted in consumerism, despite eventually blending in with every other business and their soulless neon or LED plastic signage.