I love a good repurposing. SoCal-based artist David Joseph-Goteiner uses old street signs to create art and furniture, rearranging them into beautiful sculptures. I got the chance to speak with him to learn more about his Character Approved work.

When did you discover that old signs are a good material for creating?

Freshman year of high school I was enrolled in an introductory metal fabrication course. Our final assignment was a welding project, which required us to use a limited amount of material to make something functional. There was, however, a way to get around some of the size restrictions: by using recycled materials. I remembered having a few signs laying around--ones I'd salvaged from city dumpsters and a few from flea markets around the Bay Area--so I gravitated towards those. Once I realized how versatile, strong, and aesthetically appealing the signs were naturally, I began experimenting even further in subsequent classes.

Why are you attracted to using sign material?

I'm attracted to signs because they are sustainable, beautiful in their simplicity, and fun to work with. Because I am using used or "unwanted" (poorly spelled and rejected signs from my warehouse source) material, I am conserving other materials which take energy to make. The signs I use could just as easily be thrown away or melted in an industrial process, so I feel like the product of my work is actually eco-friendly. I also see the beauty in signs: their simple lines, direct messages, imagery, and imperfections. And finally, I wouldn't be doing it if I wasn't enjoying myself. Using such a rough, hard material can be frustrating, but in the end I'm smiling after overcoming the challenges of designing and fabricating the pieces.

What is the biggest challenge about using it?

The greatest challenge in my work is actually showing and selling the finished pieces. Being a young artist/designer comes with a kind of affliction: being self-conscious about the final product. I'm not a master craftsperson or a designer by trade, so I often worry about how I will be received by those communities. I think this is starting to change, since I'm taking a few visual arts classes at UCSD and gaining exposure to more design and art work.  

Have you ever tried repurposing any other materials?

I have tried my hand at repurposing materials other than signs. I remember driving with a friend in my neighborhood and spotting a set of white drawers on the curbside. I stopped the car, to my friend's surprise, jumped out and went straight over to inspect the wood. I ended up spending a few nights painting the drawers with two friends of mine and making a table. I have a lot of ideas floating around though, of taking remnants of urban decay and debris and transforming them into something people want to make space for.

Are there any other materials you'd really like to use or try in your work?

I've been meaning to work more with the wood. I spent two weeks as a master woodworker's apprentice as part of a scholarship from the Baulines Craft Guild, and that sparked my interest in possible future combinations.

Thanks, David! See more of David's work here and in the slide show below.

[Images: David Joseph-Goteiner]