For Beyond Breaking Point artist Paul Shortt has created a series of seven printable signs that aim to encourage rest, avoidance and doing nothing.
Over the past five years, Paul has been exploring the language of street signs focusing on texts that he creates and develops from observations. This investigation has led to print and sign based public artworks that explore topics such as time, authority, public space and adulthood. With the majority of these works existing as multiples, he hopes that ideas of questioning authority and the status quo can spread to different audiences; creating agency, multiple meanings and disruptions that ripple out into daily life.
In Signs for Doing Nothing, Paul uses phrases such as: “Gently and Carefully Rest” and “Avoid it all” to question our relationship to work and productivity. The black and white signs have been designed to be printed and coloured in, offering a personalised poster, or reminder, that celebrates having breaks and shutting out external pressures.
The posters are available to download as PDFs here, with both UK and US versions for standard home printing. If you don’t have access to a printer, head down to your local library, or have a go at digital colouring.
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This collection subverts typical motivational poster focus on sayings about reach goals and continuously succeeding. Instead, Paul offers prompts to alleviate pressure and prioritise slowness.
Just as in his installations, print and public works, this digital, printable collection aims to reimagine and start arguments about what signs are, and the environment and actions they seek to control.
If you want to share the results with us we would love to see them. Tag our accounts on social media, use the hashtag #signs4nothing, or email them to us here.
We will be sharing elements from this exhibition, and the rest of our programme across our digital platforms, so follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to make sure you don’t miss out.
Webpage best viewed on desktops.
