Floating logos
Photographer, Matt Siber has grabbed my attention with his showcase of floating logos.
“Inspired by the proliferation of very tall signs in the American Mid-West, Floating Logos seeks to draw attention to this often overlooked form of advertising.”
It makes me think about the visual impact humans have on the environment, and how we’re constantly bombarded with signage. That’s one reason why I love living near the sea. Seascapes always look relatively untouched (except on the oversea flight path to Schiphol Airport).
“The Floating Logos project consists of two series. Series I is the earlier set of images that do not include the ground below the sign. Series II is in the spirit of traditional landscape photography and shows the signs floating in context with the landscape below.”
Via Khoi Vinh
Hosted by the excellent 
23 appreciated comments, click here to add one
Mali
Hi,
This is great, and makes something we see everyday become a piece of art. Reminds me of the channel 4 advertising campaign where the signs and building become the number 4.
Great stuff
Mali
Mar 19th, 2009
ewe
Super Cool !
Mar 19th, 2009
Tjeerd van Sas
Too bad about the obvious chops in some of the photo’s. Maybe it’s just me, but seeing these logo’s out of context makes me realise they all look a bit dated.
Mar 19th, 2009
David Airey
Mali,
Those Channel 4 ads are great. I’ve admired their campaigns and branding for some time now.
Tjeerd,
I wouldn’t say they all look dated. For me, a couple do, such as Lowe’s and the Burger King example, but I find the Bank of America, Jack in the Box, and Shell logos to be pleasing amongst the rest.
Mar 19th, 2009
Erik
Very cool. The signage looks totally different when the pole is removed. Isolated from everything. I enjoy the new perspective. Thanks!
Mar 19th, 2009
Jacob Cass
Sadly, this is what I see the future beholding… can you imagine?
Mar 19th, 2009
Tjeerd van Sas
David: sorry, my reaction was to the four previews in your article. At the site itself there are indeed some logo’s who’ll last for a couple of decades I think.
Mar 19th, 2009
Pete Kirill
I think these photos are beautiful! Without the pole attached, the logos looked framed in the blue sky. They look cleaner for some reason and pop.
But I will also say that this also a pretty frightening thing. Imagine the sky line cluttered with ads and logos?
I live in Miami, and ads or posted everywhere. Off I-95 large banners are placed on sides of 30 story buildings, covering one whole side. In some areas you cannot even see the architecture at all… you just see 200 ft tall ads. I think there needs to be a line drawn, and a limit to where advertising can be placed.
Mar 19th, 2009
Sherrie
Sad. Art interrupted. As in the art of the sky and landscape. But this is what actually meets me on drives outside of my town. Sometimes rows of billboards from the same company, and always the tall signage.
Looking at it from the perspective of a field and set of companies/businesses/advertisers/designers/consumers, the signs are heavenly bodies floating with the promise of provision.
Looking at it from the perspective of a human/nature lover/rest&relaxation seeker/”give me land lots of land under starry skies above”er, it makes me want to stop the distractions already. I mean, when does it end? I wish that the aforementioned parties (so everyone) would take the Miracle on 34th Street Principle, and make signage as discrete as possible thereby attracting the attention of consumers in this day&age of meaningless consumption. You know, mesh with the landscape rather than offending it.
Okay, I’m done. :)
Mar 19th, 2009
Sam Van Eman
Striking idea.
I’m hopeful that this isn’t our future though. Power lines are increasingly going underground and the advent of wireless promises a less cluttered sky. Could signage go a similar route?
I’m not forecasting a decrease in advertising, but people like beauty and when enough people want it, they’ll figure out a way to get it. David, maybe you can encourage a more artistic way to place signs – a sort of atmospheric feng shui. :)
Mar 20th, 2009
James Kurtz III
It’s like the future is here! All we need are some flying cars.
Mar 20th, 2009
Donna
Thanks for the share….This site really lifts my day, mind and creativity. Years ago, II was afraid of my work. By that I mean by strangers and friends mocking my work, even giggling. Then not long ago, I began designing, writing copy, and drawing. I am exhilarated ! I have, after many, many years, that one can’t create for exactly what is excepted from someone else. It takes courage and even terror, to show YOUR Original Artwork.
My educated guess is, that the young Artists, learning latest techniques and materials, bringing Modern Art full cycle again, will themselves, be pleasantly surprised at the brilliance of Older Classical Artistic Styles,reflected by their oohs and ahhs, just as they did the first time they saw the “Floatiing” Signs!!
Mar 20th, 2009
Matt Fouty
Wow, very cool. As others have already said, the signs look completely different sans pole. Designer’s impact on the world as we know it is so much bigger than most realize.
Mar 23rd, 2009
Lai
May be off-topic..
I want to know how these things floats. Are they really floating or hanging?
Mar 25th, 2009
David Airey
Tjeerd,
Ah, no worries at all, and no need to apologise. Typed thoughts can often lead to a crossing of wires.
Lai,
I believe Photoshop was used to edit these images, removing the signage support.
Sorry I can’t respond to each of you individually. I took a day off yesterday to attend my aunt’s wedding (the groom volunteered me as official photographer) and have just returned to a daunting amount of emails.
Thanks very much, though, for adding your thoughts.
Mar 26th, 2009
Valerie Rigsbee
I attempted to go a week without reading anything and found it impossible, because logos are everywhere. I was able to avoid reading blogs and newspapers and books and emails, but a logo or brand name would catch my eye and I would have read it before I realized I was…
(It was a fascinating experiment and I highly recommend trying it no matter how dependent you think you are on reading. Your mind does great things when not filled with other people’s words.)
May 14th, 2009
Danny | dannyhinde.com
Couldn’t agree more with what you said David > “It makes me think about the visual impact humans have on the environment, and how we’re constantly bombarded with signage”.
As soon as I saw the first image I shuddered. The thought of having these logos (as good as they are) floating in the air is absurd, who would want to live by such things.
Aug 14th, 2009
Luke Southwell
Great post. These logos / signs are cool on your photos. I enjoyed reading your post.
Keep it up!
Jan 7th, 2010
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