Artist Stephen Powers is leading a forty-painter team on an ambitious project called “Love Letter”. The project includes 50 rooftops in West Philadelphia PA, between 63rd and 45th street on Market Street. Stephen Powers is a well known graffiti artist who goes by the tag name ESPO. As he says, people do not like graffiti, they prefer advertising signs. So he made a move into sign painting. “The materials were essentially the same, (enamel on metal), the colors were similar,( bold and garish are best) but the effect was totally different.” His main inspiration was the traditional signs of Philadelphia. Love letters express a love letter from a guy to a girl.
The plan involves a documentary film with scripted elements, a sign school and shop that will provide training for area youth, free signage for businesses on the market street corridor and 2 books documenting the project. One of the books will be a small paperback which will be distributed to area businesses free of charge. The other book will be a larger hardcover that will document not only the artwork, but the neighborhood and the inspirations of the Love Letter Project. There is a website created for this project where you can follow it as it unfolds.
