Signs By Umberto
A sign writer is a person who delivers typographic outcomes using paint, among other materials. Sign writer is the term generally used across the UK and Europe, whereas the rest of the world use the term sign painter. Pre 1762, one would navigate across a busy city like London safely using maps, denoting the various signs as way markers. These signs were illustrated rather than written, as most of the nation was illiterate at that time. They could guide you to any part of the city to satisfy any need, even if that need was to walk down a street without getting your shoes dirty. In 1762 the paving act sanitised the city of London and as part of this act, the order to remove illustrated signs was put in place, kickstarting the numbering system we now use and the birth of typographic sign written works. In 1874, the term sign writer was disappearing from the English language and had been omitted from dictionaries due to the mass use of illuminated signs. So sign writing as both a word and a job has undergone many beginnings throughout society. In the early 90s, the profession was actually driven almost to extinction due to the introduction of vinyl and the speed of vinyl cutters.
I grew up with three brothers, my Dad drove a truck and my Mum brought us four boys up whilst Dad was at work. On a Sunday we would sit and listen to records together, which was my entry into a wide and varied taste in music. My parents collected vinyl and the turntable was our church, actively seeking out records from a stack of numerically ordered vinyl to play on a Sunday. Our house was at the top of two snickets - a snicket, for anyone not from Yorkshire, is a narrow passage between houses. We lived in a village called Shelf, known for Shelf Pottery, the Stone Chair and ancient wood. I went to Shelf Junior and Infants School. Mum, my brothers and I would all walk together to the school which was roughly a mile away, though back then that felt like ten miles. I had a happy childhood playing on our bikes, building lego and swinging from trees.
My first job was at Shelf pottery, felting pots and wiring lamps. I was paid £2.59 an hour. Shelf is located on the border of Bradford and Halifax, though very much known as Halifax, and was also once Known as the Devil’s Cauldron for it’s smoke-enshrouded days. Halifax is the birthplace of myself, all my brothers, my son and both my parents. My Dad - Jim, grew up in Black Boy House which sits at the head of Shibden Valley. My Mum grew up in Mixenden. At the time it was an aspirational place to live, before it’s reputation changed in the 80s. She loved the youth club and dancing to the Mod sounds of the day. Halifax has a reputation of industry, chocolate, stunning views, architecture that links to Westminster and the wrestler - Big Daddy. We would watch Big Daddy fighting Giant Haystacks every Saturday, he held the entire nation captive with his moves. Though I’m surprised we could keep track of the fight as we stuffed our faces with fish and chips.
The Devil’s Cauldron opened a pioneering road system in 1973 called Burdock Way which, unknown to my family, would play a role in my connection to typography. The brutalist bridge system spans a valley above North Bridge and towers over what was one of the worlds largest Carpet Mills - Dean Clough, now a centre for the arts and business.
It was on these giant concrete legs that I used to gaze from the 681 or the 508 bus window, at three pieces of graffiti by the Halifax crew ‘TA’ - The Alliance. All of the pieces I later found out were ‘dubs', meaning a two colour piece that mostly were silver with a blue, green, red or Hammerite black outline. Those days of looking at letterforms by the local writers started my fascination with these constructive and abstract forms of lettering design.
I became obsessed with The Hall of Fame in Halifax and would visit sites across the town with a film camera documenting the pieces that sprang up. This was all pre-internet and before digital cameras. We found the sites ourselves or via word of mouth. We then shot the piece on a film that could only take 24 or 36 images before paying £5.99 in the early 90’s to have the film developed. 32 out of focus images and four to keep. In today’s money it would cost me £750 just to develop the images I have on my phone.
The Hall of Fame was situated under a factory, close to Siddal in Halifax. My beginnings there were down to prolific writers taking me there at lunch time whilst at Art College in Halifax. I can still remember the excitement building in me as I walked towards the place. As tags and pieces became more and more visible, I’d look out for my favourite stretch and stare at the flow of the lettering. The ceiling was covered in words written by my friends at the time. They all had stories and memories relating to those specific letterings on the wall. My friend Stuart and I put up our first piece together, JTR - Justice Through Reason. A dub with a Car Plan peppermint green and Hammerite black outline. Stuart would shout at me for my drippy outline. We would listen to records while drafting pieces in our teens, mostly drifting on the daisy age to De-La-Soul. I still have the original record we both listened to, we sat in Brooklyn not Bradford in our imagination.
My love for lettering really started at school, drawing band logos and seeking out the lettering scene in Halifax. My school days were fun but on the whole, my ability to make others laugh was hiding the fact that academically I was failing. I left school with two GCSE’s. However I took those two GCSE’s and studied further whilst working a variety of jobs including exhibiting internationally as an artist and designer. With a lot of hard work - within five years I went from the two qualifications to becoming a senior university lecturer, with a Masters Degree and a Postgraduate Certificate in Lifelong Education by passing a BA. In February 2017 I resigned as Senior Lecturer and began my life as Signs by Umberto.
My work always begins with drawing my design. This allows me to get a clear picture of which techniques will work well with the design for the final output. I feel a deep sense of belonging when I draw. A connection between the hand and the pencil, or the ruler. This relationship began when I fell in love with graphic design at art college. The drawing often starts with grid formations drafted on paper before being used as a guide to gild onto glass. Each drawing will be placed on one side of the glass, drawn in reverse. This guide will allow me to know where to place loose gold leaf onto the glass. A process of ‘backing’ up then occurs with the gold, which keeps the gold in place. What I love about using gold is that it dictates to the handler how to handle it, this is a process that can not and should not be rushed.
Gold reached our planet through meteorites that were packed with gold that then bombarded the planet, hence why gold is found on every continent. It’s an extraordinary substance. A single ounce of gold can be stretched into a gold thread 5 miles long. The gold leaf I use has been beaten from a nugget to wafer thin squares. One of the things I love about my work is how many different techniques it uses and how those techniques can be traced back through space and time. One such technique is Glue Chipping; where glue is applied to the lettering before a drying/curing process takes place in which the glue releases itself from its surface taking a piece of glass with it, chipping the surface with texture. Glue chipping originated in Chicago, due to the city’s humidity. Humidity works with the glue drying process and chipping outcomes which helps for a managed yet organic outcome.
Another aspect of my work that I love is how varied my clients are, and the history and stories behind each project that I do. Cadeby Main Colliery has a huge history behind it, being the centre of a community affected by the disasters of the pit. Workers died at the pit, working with their hands to feed their family. I was asked to gild lettering onto the pit wheel’s surface as well as to gild the maker's mark. It was an absolute honour to be asked to commemorate such a vital part of the North of England’s history. Cultural learning involves diverse practice and encompasses the arts, heritage and knowledge valued by all individuals, cultures and communities.
The cultural and historical inspiration for all of my work can be found in our towns and cities, including the smaller villages that seem to have no type reference. I’m realising now who I am and what I wish to do with my time, as well as how important my work really is. I navigate my life through sign writing, and always have. I’m doing alright now. Not bad for a lad who spent his entire twenties feeling he was too stupid to apply for University. I’ve spent my life listening to my gut feeling and if it feels right to change direction and adapt then that’s what I shall do. So many people have made my life an incredible path so far, and who knows who I’ll meet tomorrow.
Rob Walker