48 - Signatures

I've got mixed feelings about signatures on art works. If every mark matters, how can you suddenly just plonk your scrawly name in the mix?

But then, if a person wants to buy the work and wants it to have a financial value, they may want that authentication. But if I want to create really ace work, the commercial transaction is tangential. Unless the work is about the financial transaction. 

I think if I'm going to sign, then initials are better.

It can be pretentious. This is such a great artwork, I'm going to sign it off with the flourish of Bob Ross (we're not even going to mention Rolf Harris).

I photographed a couple of signatures on artworks which included them, at the MAC and around about in Marseilles. Not many works at MAC had them. I like the one with the thumbprint. Signatures really are an art in their own right. A calligraphy of the ego.

Once, I went around a private view, offering a visitors book. On the first page, there were several names signed. I noticed that each of the arty attendees signed slightly larger than the person before. The final signee swallowed a whole page. 

I guess graffiti took the signature and ran away with it.

Graff in Marseilles. Does it say Adie Fifioni?

I say play tag.

Of course, now there's an online database of artists signatures.