Animated Neon Eye for Simon Moretti

I was recently approached by the artist Simon Moretti to re-appraise a piece he had previously had made of a single neon eye and he was looking to add an additional layer of neon and animate the two together. Simon sent me the visual below as a guide to what he was looking to achieve.

The glass used was 10mm White 3500K for the lashes and lower eye and 10mm standard green for the iris on the first layer with 10mm White 4500K and 10mm Super Blue iris on the second layer.

The two separate eyes were mounted using 70mm high tube supports for the outer layer, with the same tube supports cut down to 25mm for the lower bottom layer.

In these photos I have rigged the piece up on my bench over the installation drawing to check that it all fits together correctly.  The electrodes and joining pieces of glass were painted out in a grey paint.

This picture shows the two separate transformers and two way flasher unit that was used to animate the two eyes.

 

A short video of the neon piece flashing from one channel to the other to check and adjust the speed of flash.

Blue Neon Cat

10mm clear blue neon cat mounted onto an old neon beer sign frame.

Neon Health and Safety

See no Evil

Hear no Evil

Speak no Evil

All made in 10 mm white 1A with 10 mm standard blue surround. 25m/A electrodes. Waiting to be properly mounted.

Neon Chainsaw

What do you do with the broken body of a chainsaw? Add some neon to it....obviously.
10mm clear glass with 30m/A electrodes filled with argon, running on a 2kV transformer.  Perfect.

Vernon Semper Viret

Alison Carlier,  Vernon Semper Viret, neon and transformers 2016

I've just finished and installed this piece of neon for Alison Carlier at Aspex Gallery in Portsmouth. Alison was awarded the Alexandra Reinhardt Memorial Award 2016 and this piece is the culmination of Alison's 10 week residency at the gallery.

Alison did all of the artwork for the lettering by hand to produce this lovely outline with serif type face.

The neon was made in 10mm white and turquoise with 25m/A electrodes and runs off three 25m/A transformers.

Doug Solyan, Uptown Neon, Richmond VA 23220

I recently had the most enjoyable visit to see Doug Solyan at Uptown Neon, 2629 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23220, for the first time since 1994. Doug is one of the two people, who back in 1988, introduced me to the wonderful world of neon and got me started on my life long career and obsession.

His beautiful neon shop on West Cary Street is an Aladdin's cave for any devotee of neon, with thousands of pieces of old and reclaimed neon sections hanging from the ceiling, numerous neon signs and a collection of neon clocks, the envy of any museum.

Doug got started back in the early 1980's and taught himself glass bending with the help of his friend and mentor, Mr Rudd at Talley Neon. He is now responsible for the vast majority of the neon signs scattered liberally across the diners, shops and restaurants of Richmond. 

Doug's obsession with neon isn't confined to the work place and the front of his house, in the Fan District, is always decorated with a couple of pieces of seasonal neon, hung in the windows of the porch, for the delight of the local residents and passers by. While I was there for three weeks, it went from neon pumpkins to neon maple leaves to neon turkeys.

Click here for a link to a beautiful, short film made about Doug back in 2015

Doug, now 74 years old, has no plans for retiring and enjoys every day that he's in the neon shop. Thank you so much for your time Doug, you are an inspiration to many. I hope to be back soon.

Doug Solyan +1 804 358 6243

Tristin Lowe's Comet: God Particle at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

 Tristin Lowe's Comet: God Particle, 2011, Glass, neon, aluminium 

On a recent trip to Richmond, Virginia, I was lucky to stumble upon Tristin Lowe's Comet: God Particle, on loan to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

A beautifully executed piece of neon sculpture that I had been aware of since it's inception several years ago, it was a pleasure to be able to see the piece full size and close up, in all it's glory.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has a fantastic and varied permanent collection as well as a diverse calendar of exhibitions and is well worth the visit.

Mona Hatoum's "Hot Spot" at The Tate Modern

 Mona Hatoum's "Hot Spot" , stainless steel and neon tube, Artist's Edition 2013

Following the installation of Mona Hatoum's "Hot Spot", at the  Centre Pomidou last year, her retrospective exhibition covering 35 years, has now moved to the Tate Modern in London where once again myself and Pete spent three days in mid April, slowly attaching the forty seven neon sections and wiring up the ten transformers.

"Hot Spot" is one of 88 exhibits that are on show until 21st August 2016, after which it will be travelling to the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki. Get down there and have a look.

I'm In Love With The Modern World

D J Roberts, "I'M IN LOVE WITH THE MODERN WORLD", 2014, neon on steel frame.

Last week saw the installation of D J Roberts latest neon piece, "I'M IN LOVE WITH THE MODERN WORLD" on show at the 99p Stores, 259 High Street, Walthamstow, London E17 7BH.

The letters are 305mm (12 inches) high and the whole piece is 8000mm (26 feet) long. 15mm diameter clear glass was used, filled with neon gas, using 80m/A electrodes and running from three 50m/A transformers. The glass has then been mounted onto three seperate 20mm steel box sections frames, each measuring 2700mm x 200mm. 

The project has been organised by Walthamstow Forest Street Gallery Project and is curated by Ashley McCormick. D J Roberts neon art work is on show until April 2014. Get down there.

All of these beautiful photographs were taken by Charles Milligan. Many thanks.

Before you pay a visit to this wonderful spectacle, be sure to listen to Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, "Roadrunner" (1974)

And when you've listened to that, listen to and watch this... the Modern Lovers, "Roadrunner" (1972)

Like An Enormous Yes

D J Roberts "Like An Enormous Yes", 2014, neon, cable and transformer.

Occupy My Time Gallery at Enclave 9 Resolution Way Deptford SE8 4AL presents D J Roberts new show, Runnin' Down A Dream running until 15th February 2014

Transposed from D J's original drawings the neon was made from 10mm clear glass with 25m/A elecrodes and filled with neon gas and running on a 7000/25 transformer

Phillip Larkin - For Sidney Bechet

That note you hold, narrowing and rising, shakes
Like New Orleans reflected on the water
And in all ears appropriate falsehood wakes

Building for some a legendary Quarter
Of balconies, flower-baskets and quadrilles
Everyone making love and going shares

Oh, play that thing! Mute glorious Storyvilles
Others may licence, grouping around their chairs
Sporting-house girls like circus tigers (priced

Far above rubies) to pretend their fads
While scholars manques nod around unnoticed
Wrapped up in personnels like old plaids

On me your love falls as they say it should
Like an enourmous yes. My Crescent City
Is where your speech alone is understood

And greeted as the natural noise of good
Scattering long-haired greif and scored pity

The Birth of Neon Stars

Neon Sculpture, "Flow" at The Old Fire Station, Oxford

Last week saw the installation of "Flow", a three dimensional neon sculpture at The Old Fire Station, Oxford.

"Flow" is the culmination of many months of work for Mary Branson and Jono Retallick, collaborating with the homeless charity Crisis Skylight at their Oxford headquarters in The Old Fire Station Arts Centre, Oxford.

The initial breif was to produce a small, four metre long, three dimensional neon sculpture, made up of two, two metre sections of neon to hang in the entrance hall of The Old Fire Station, Oxford. After some early discussions the overall length of the piece was increased from four to fourteen metres and comprising of seven, two metre sections of 15mm White 6200K 1A glass.

One and Three Joseph Kosuth

Sara Hurley's new solo exhibition "Talking Concrete" is on at the 5th Base Gallery, 23 Heneage Street, London E1 5LJ , open to the public from 4th. October until 9th. October, 12.00pm to 6.00pm.

Sara is presenting a series of works including an installation inspired by the artist Joseph Kosuth and called "One and Three Joseph Kosuth", made from her imaginary drawings of Kosuth in neon and a series of recordings of face to face interviews with members of the public, looking for today's societal view on art.

The neon piece itself is made up of six sections of 15mm White ID glass with 30m/A electrodes and running on a 6000volt/25m/A transformer with open circuit protection. 

Colin Booth's "Jesus Wept"

 

Colin Booth's "Jesus Wept" 2012, neon and steel

 

Jesus Wept, Colin Booth's neon text installation, located in The SPACE, King's Road, St. Leonards on Sea, East Sussex TN37 6DY and on view from 14th December 2012 - 8th January 2013.

 

Jesus Wept is the shortest verse in the King James Bible, describing Jesus' sorrow at the death of his close friend Lazarus and the pain of his greiving sisters, Mary Magdalene and Martha. Arriving too late to save him and deeply moved by their despair, he wept for the fate of mankind and chose to raise Lazarus from the dead.

 

With a lower case cap height of about 260mm, Sign-Tec 10mm White 1D was used with cut down 50R90 electrodes and then filled with blue gas.

 

All the neon was dipped rather than hand painted to provide a thicker and more even paint coverage and then mounted onto a 20mm steel box section frame. The whole piece runs on two 25m/A transformers totalling 13Kv.

 

 

Neon Love Heart With Wings

8mm White HP20 and Pink G2 tubing with right angled electrodes. All three sections of glass were broken on this piece and had to be completely remade. The pink tubing was hand coated due to a shortage of pre-coated 8mm tubing in this country, while the white tubing was left over from one of the last glass deliveries from the mighty Masonllite. Turned out really well I thought.

Everybody Needs A Neon Ray Gun

You never know when you'll need a neon ray gun, keep your eyes on the skies.

The Humble Neon Aircraft Obstruction Beacon

Spare a thought for the humble neon aircraft obstruction beacon. As seen on many a tall building, mast or crane the 12mm diameter coiled neon tube is not much larger than a modern domestic CFL bulb (compact fluorescent light) but thankfully produces enough light to warn off planes from some considerable distance.

Many of these bulbs were originally produced in the Oldham Claudgen factory in Wembley during the 1980's and early 1990's. Using a process known as electric bending, clear glass tubing was placed inside a metal braided sheath, which in turn was heated by passing an electrical current through it. Once the correct glass temperature was reached, the glass being maliable enough to bend, the whole thing was quickly wound onto a spiral former, where it would be annealed over a short period of time before being removed to be electroded and pumped.

The tubes were electroded using large shelled electrodes (120m/A plus) and neon resevoirs were added to enable the tubes to be run on a higher milliampage for a longer period of time.

Sadly now being replaced by the LED, this one war repaired by myself a while ago, a thing of beauty, now rarely seen.

Neon Sculpture from UK Artist Jonathan Parsons

Jonathan Parson Folklore 2004 neon and argon fluorescent tubing with electrical attachments tubing: 45 x 55 x 48 cm