Design

The Bodega Signmakers of New York

How these curbside canvases came to be, according to the men who make them.
Miguel Ventura (left), Mohammed (no last name provided, center), and Johnathan David Bautista (right) share there perspectives on what it takes to promote a bodega through design.Chris Maggio

New York City is covered in advertising, but nothing appeals so directly to the carnal desires of its denizens more than the tantalizing imagery adorning the exteriors of its corner markets and bodegas.

Within these magnificent collages, immediate satisfaction is promised through a cacophony of deli meats, sodas, cigarettes, and toiletries. It’s a ubiquitous art form in New York that embodies the id of the five boroughs: big, bold, loud, and infused with all kinds of innuendo.