ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Concrete Poetry posits that homelessness does not define a person; it is a state that one experiences. The cast concrete letters read “HOMELESS NOT HOPELESS” and can be moved and built upon. Inexpensive concrete was chosen as a medium for its durability and because it alludes to construction and building foundations.
Concrete Poetry is set in Clarendon, a slab serif with a bold, sturdy structure. It was created by Robert Besley for Fann—later Thorowgood and Co.—type founders (U.K.) in 1845 and exists today in modern iterations. Haas Clarendon was introduced as the U.S. National Park Service standard by Chermayeff and Geismar in 1975 and was in use on park signage until 2000.
