And so it goes. Yet another bit of cultural, California uniqueness has gone by the wayside with the recent shuttering of Colby Poster Printing Company. Perhaps not a name that is instantly recognizable to most, but their bold, DayGlo event and political posters have graced lawns, fences & telephone poles city-wide for the 60+ years the company was in existence. There was a simplicity and directness of message underlying all of Colby’s output. Combined with the (probably-now-considered-archaic) letterpress method of printing, their look was unmistakable, bold and became a subliminal, ever present fixture of the L.A. urbanscape.
“In the Good Name of the Company” is an exhibition of art works and ephemera produced by or in tandem with the Colby Poster Printing Company. Curated by Jan Tumlir, with Christopher Michlig and Brian Roettinger.
The exact reasons for the company’s closure at the end of 2012 are unknown, but it’s safe to assume Colby fell unfortunate victim to advances in technology and a gradual move away from physical advertisements in favor of more direct, internet/web messaging.
A local show has been put together at ForYourArt to pay homage to the unsung artistic output of Colby and its owners, the Hinman family. The show runs thru March 23, 2013 and should not be missed. (*A special black light showing will be happening on Friday March 22nd along with a listening party for Scott Benzel’s sound piece “String Quartet No. 2”).
Photos by: Devin Sarno
