In a world dominated by technology, Stephen Powers has seemingly revitalized the old school art of sign painting.
It all began when he realized that the hand-painted signs at Coney Island were being replaced by vinyl. Determined to bring back its spirit, he created the “The Dreamland Artists Club” in 2005, which brought together a team of professional artists to help merchants repaint their signs, murals and rides.
Because of his work, he was recently invited to take part in the Brooklyn Museum's Coney Island-themed exhibition. The showcase, called Stephen Powers: Coney Island Is Still Dreamland (To A Seagull), is the ninth installation of his traveling sign shop called ICY SIGNS. It features work from an array of artists, including Justin Green, Mimi Gross and Sean Barton, among others.
While navigating through the show, I had the opportunity to watch him in action. The painting process, though slow and methodical, is very nostalgic for anyone who is familiar with Coney Island.
His colorful body of work is currently on view until August 2016.
