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He found the Bushwick space on Craigslist, answering an ad rendered in all-caps and with no photos.
Johns moved in, to get off that couch.
Soon, Jacques joined, sleeping in a tent.
Im still only now getting used to it being funny, he says.
They found themselves going to a lot of openings.
All it takes is a big white room with something good in it?
I mean, it wasnt that easy, but in a way, it was, says Jacques.
May 1 we moved in and June 1 the firstshow opened.
It was Bennet SchlesingersAltas, blue-painted wood beams canted against the wall.
Jacques, who was a painter, had accidentally interned atMartos Galleryfor three of its early months.
Still they were wet behind the ears.
Signals first shows were all large-scale installations by young artists who hadnt shown much before.
They never asked artists and collaborators to manage expectations.
Signal, which never carried a formal roster, championed many of these artists before they were well-known.
What they have done is set a precedent on how to care for the consciousness-creating capacity of art.
True, they werent really making money, but that was kind of beside the point.
But it was a business: Signal did sellsomework.
But Johns explains that recognition isnt necessarily enough.
It felt more appropriate to end this particular project than transform it into something that would be unrecognizable.
We thought maybe we can leave the party while its still fun.
