Clet Abraham studied art at the Fine Arts Academy in France. Before he moved to Florence and opened his studio, the artist restored antique furniture and was a carpenter.
Now he is most known for his sticker art and more precisely, his art on street signs. He shares his wok on Instagram where he now has over 90k followers. Sometimes the revamped signs are just fun and creative pieces but most of them have a deeper meaning behind them and are often related to current events.
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Bored Panda reached out to Clet to find out why he was attracted to street signs and he explained that road signs are a simple way of communication and he likes the directness of them, “I don’t want an art for learned professors but instead for those who do not usually compare with culture.”
He continues, “Road signs are also the symbol of a constant presence of authority, we are in a democracy and I think we must have the opportunity to question the rules, to discuss them, with the ambition of being able to improve them. I mean, we’re not just here to obey.”
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When talking with Agata from Guide Me Florence, Clet explained that he is not against rules, but he is “against unjust impositions. Sometimes the rules aren’t just or justified.” Clet also says that even if he doesn't agree with some street signs or rules, he won;t go and destroy them but rather built something out of it.
He told Bored Panda, “I claim the concept of improving road signs, people look much more at them in my work, creating empathy instead of rejection of authoritarian and obtuse character. I think there is an educational character in my work that could also be of use to road safety.”
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I call it, "CAREER SYNDROME":
So when a public service employee destroys this work, there is no longer any consideration of public safety but only respect for orders.
So there is no longer a real public service but above all a service to one's own quarry.
And this with the taxpayer's money.
Particularly for civil servants, the duty of reserve and obedience to orders is a formidable obstacle to the improvement of society.
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But even if he doesn’t destroy the signs and sees his activity as art, not everyone accepts that. The authorities often consider the stickers on the signs as vandalism. The artist says that it actually depends on the country and on the city, sometimes the stickers can be removed the day after and in some places they stay for years and years.
Clet told Huck, “Where the authority or the power has some auto-criticism, my work remains, if not it disappears. The most violent and close-minded reaction came from Japan. In Europe I had some trouble in Brest (France) and Pistoia (Italy).”
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After 10 years in Florence, I thought it's time to pay homage to the Florentines who support me.
When you look through the photos on Clet’s Instagram, you quickly realise that he really likes the access denied street sign. The imagination never seems to lack new ways of seeing it.
We asked how the artist keeps coming up with new ideas when there is a limited amount of street signs. And we found out that it is the thing that inspires him, “I think that it is the limits that stimulate me, I do not tolerate the imposition a priori and seeing it generates in me the energy to seek an alternative. Our modern society is increasingly full of rules, I would rather encourage the sense of responsibility of each one.”
What are your thoughts on this kind of art and what do you think of the message that the artist Clet Abraham tries to send? Have you ever seen these signs in real life and what was your reaction? Tell us all about it in the comments and upvote the signs that you thought were the most creative!
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Behind the cold rigidity of the authoritarian and conservative spirit, warm humanity, in its tolerance shines for all of us.
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-Is it legal what you're doing?
-This is not the good question I said, but rather: is it good or bad what you are doing?
Then he told me: -okay, but what does this design mean?
- it means that it should be forbidden to die in the Mediterranean sea just because you try to escape poverty or war.
I agree he says, but as long as there is misery and oppression somewhere in the world there will be those who try to escape, and we are all responsible even if this poverty seems far away.
Welcome to Oslo!