With ongoing new technology, there is always a learning curve in adopting it. In my case, I have been binging podcasts and catching up on over a decade of material that I have not had time to keep apprised of.
Ilona Granet is an example of an artist who isn’t really famous but should be. A set of unfortunate circumstances seems to have conspired against her. One of those circumstances is the advent of digital technology in the production of signs. Granet got her start by making signs which were always hand-made and contracted out individually by businesses and government agencies. In that vein, this artist—objecting to the prevalence of misogyny in public places in New York City—actually got permission to post signs about the city with various warnings for men to curb their libidos in public. They were made to resemble government signs but with a startlingly different content. One of her later productions was a series of signs depicting Little Red Riding Hood. This character is well-known as a representation of innocent girlhood and the menace of adult sexuality which is in line with Granet’s general theme but unusually idyllic for the artist. As expected, it is a kind of dream of a world where girls can frolic freely without harassment.
Ilona Granet – Wander and Giggle (date unknown)
Due to the kind of foliage depicted and the text underneath the English (Katakana), this sign may have been for a Japanese venue.
For those curious, the Japanese reads “uro uro u fu fu”. Uro Uro is slang for wandering, and u fu fu (pronounced more like “u hu hu”, it’s kind of a mix of the F and H sound) is an onomatopoeia for laughing.
Thank you for digging this up; you saved me the trouble. -Ron
Ron, this is Ilona Granet, the person that made the sign. Thank you for your information about the Japanese translation. The way it was written in the sign Ururu Ofufu when I printed it in English for NYC. That was how the translator wrote it. She is a professional translator, although I cannot remember what she translated. She is also a wonderful dancer who sometimes performs with a small performance group. She is a dancer that could be in one of my pieces as they are humble, ingenious, feminist, funny and really delightful, lovable! She was suggested to me by the dancer I have known ever since graduate school, also a brilliant artist. It was a miracle. I had been looking for a proper translation that held the same to similar sense of delight. I am sorry that I cannot recall their names at the moment. I am in the midst of hunting for dates for these signs and I came across this. Thank you. I must get back to work…Ilona
I am always so thrilled when the actual artists reach out. Thank you, Ilona. -Ron
But what about the words on the Little Red Riding Hood signs?
They look to me like Arabic, and then Hindi. Do you know if that is correct?