Signs of the Seaside
29 April 2023 to 02 September 2023
Wed - Sun 10:30am - 5pm to Wed - Sun 10:30am - 5pm
From neon signs to painted shop fronts and dazzling pier-side lettering – the typography of the British seaside is about as iconic as fish and chips. This summer, Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft invite you to explore the imagery of our coastal towns in their full illuminated glory! Signs of the Seaside will explore how lettering and typography have evolved to play a fundamental role in our experience of the English seaside providing a historical and contemporary perspective on the role of graphic design in identifying our coastal towns.
The exhibition features research and typographic works from Justin Burns and new commissions from graphic artists, signwriters and illustrators, including Anthony Burrill, Amy Goodwin, Marion Deuchars and Emma Carlow; coastal photography by Rob Ball; textile work from Jenny Steele and a brand new poem written in response to the exhibition by poet and host of BBC Radio 3’s The Verb, Ian McMillan. Never-before-seen draft designs of Blackpool’s Comedy Carpet will be on display, alongside an example of the cast stone type used by artists Gordon Young and Andrew Altmann to create this meticulously detailed piece of contemporary seaside art. A 5-foot letter ‘R’, which once graced the entrance to Brighton Pier, has been renovated and reimagined for the exhibition by neon artist Andy Doig. Ditchling’s rich typographic legacy will be represented by work from distinguished type designer Edward Johnston, including early proofs of his enduring London Underground typeface ‘Johnston Sans’. This vibrant, family-friendly exhibition opens on Saturday 29 April and runs until 3 September 2023. Open Wednesday – Sunday. Under 18s go free.
