I sign my work. I always have. My design heroes signed their posters, book jackets, and ads. It’s not done out of an inflated ego, at least not in my case. I do it to express confidence in my work.
I have an English pal, David, whose dad was an electrician, or a “sparky,” as they were called. As a kid, David occasionally went out on calls with his father. Once, while he was finishing up a large fuse box, his dad reached in and signed the inside of the box. “Why did you do that?” David asked. “Artists sign their work,” came the reply.
The point here is about taking pride, ownership, and responsibility for your work. If it’s a good job, “I did this.” If there’s something amiss, “I did this.” Our reputation is all we have, and our signature should be a mark of that excellence.
Today David runs Hiut Denim out of Cardigan, Wales. Every pair of jeans that comes out of their small factory is signed by the master craftsman who made them—because artists sign their work.
