Chain Letter: Serge Nidegger, Lowrider Sign Co.

At the printers to see Issue 04 of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine) coming off the press.

Now over to this week's bl.ag online post, and the latest instalment in our Chain Letter series...

Chain Letter invites a sign painter or lettering artist to share a piece of lettering that has influenced or inspired them, before passing the baton to someone else, in a never-ending chain.

In the last one, Nicolai Sclater, aka Ornamental Conifer, nominated Serge Nidegger at Lowrider Sign Co. (@sergelowrider), a sign painter and screen printer in Fribourg, Switzerland.

What have you selected?

The mixture of traditional sign painting and graffiti which caught the attention of Serge Nidegger in Paris.

I found this sign discarded in Paris, so kept it; I must have had it for over 20 years now.

How did it inspire you?

I was first drawn to the panel by the juxtaposition of the two worlds: sign painting and graffiti. But, soon after, I started to appreciate the quality of the letters and the layout.

Details of the palimpsest arising from graffiti tags written over the hand-painted signs.

I was struck by its simplicity, and the efficiency of the work from that period. There are so many little details that have inspired me in my work, from the variety of lettering styles to the brushstrokes that can be seen close-up, and which are absolutely incredible.

Brushstrokes visible on different elements of the original hand-painted sign.

The sign painter who lettered this simple panel had years of experience and the Sans Cesse [incessantly] headline chimes with what we're trying to convey with sign painting.

Lettering details from the upper portions of the hand-painted sign.

Who would you like to see next in the Chain Letter?

I'd like to pass the chain to Marie Pressmar (@mariepressmar) in Hossegor, France.

Serge Nidegger, Lowrider Sign Co. / @sergelowrider

Past Chain Letters

Chain Letter: Ornamental Conifer

Ornamental Conifer shares the inspiration he’s taken from the 1950s ‘Fabulous’ Hudson Hornet.

BLAG (Better Letters Magazine) •Better Letters

Chain Letter: Etienne Renard

Etienne Renard, co-founder of Enseignes Brillo in Paris, shares some lettering that has inspired him.

BLAG (Better Letters Magazine) •Better Letters

Chain Letter: Alex May Hughes

Alex May Hughes is inspired by these two advertising mirrors.

BLAG (Better Letters Magazine) •Better Letters

Chain Letter: Mike Meyer

Mike Meyer shares the work of his idol, Don Springer.

BLAG (Better Letters Magazine) •Better Letters

More People

Sign Painter Profiles on Better Letters Magazine

Interviews, films, and profiles of sign painters past and present.

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