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 Art at Big Deal - Sexy 100

Karen Ay, yesyesohhyes, 2011. 10mm 1505 pink neon, cable and transformer.

Karen Ay  has just commisioned this piece for the BIG DEAL - SEXY 100 exhibition at 8-9 Spring Place, Kentish Town, London N5 running from the 9th - 30th September 2011.

Participating artists include Maria Arceo, Eleanora Arkeolli, Sophie Aston, Karen Ay, Nadia Ballan, Kety Balogh, Nicole Barclay, Sassie Bare, Ingrid BBerthon-Moine, Anna Bo, Flora Bowden, Laura Buckley, Gail Burton, Tracey Bush, EA Byrne, Gill Calvet, Elisa Cantarelli, Samara Couri, Elisabeth S Clarke, Emma Croft, Davina Divine, Valerie Driscoll, Elisabeth Earley, Silke Eberspächer, Sadie Edgington, Lucy Evetts, Yordane Gaudenzi, Maria Theresa Gavazzi, Ludovica Gioscia, Rebecca Gould, Katie Govier, Oona Grimes, Isabel Haase, Aly Helyer, Alice Herrick, Sue Hester–URBAN XXX, Susie Hondl, Natuka Honrubia, IHTGW Continent, Lisa Ivory, Caroline Jenkins, Marie-Louise Jones, Miyuki Kasahara, Joannie Kernan, Tabitha Knight, Suki Koma, Olga Koroleva, Kate Kotcheff, Naa Teki Lebar, Linda Lencovic, Kate Lyddon, Lee Maelzer , Mercedes Magrane, Tiziana Mandolesi, Rafaela Marcos, Soren Mayes, Rebecca Meanley-Eyre, Kit Merritt, Christina Mitrentse, Sian Kate-Mooney, Joanna Morgan, Indra Moroder, Anna Niman, Heather Niman, Joanna Nowek, Ohne TiteL, Beatriz Olabarrieta, Haruka Ono, Anne Pigalle, Esther Planas, Emily Player vs Johnny Borden, Yapci Ramos, Pippa Ridley, Louise Riley, Kristyan Robinson, Italia Rossi, Geraldine Ryan, Louise Sayarer & Eva Knutsdotter-Isik, Rebecca Scott, Vanessa Scully, Liz Sheridan, Elle Sheppard, Kumiko Shimizu, Lisa Slominski, Rose Smith, Heather Sparks, Sofia Stevi, Susan Stockwell, Lucija Stojevic, Lula Stone, Anita Sung, Geraldine Swayne, Emily Taylor, Jennifer Taylor, Inesa Vaiciute De La Roche–Dark Theatre, Petra Varl, Jelena Vico, Jessica Voorsanger, Nina Vukelic, Sue Watt, Dahlia Westmoreland, Georgina Wesley, Jo Wilmot, Kimi Wylde, Ingrid Zee


More information can be found at Big Deal  photograph by Paul Tucker

More Art In Empty Spaces

Here are some more photographs of the Dan Attoe neon's that I installed last week for The Shape We're In exhibition, organised and curated by the Zabludowicz Collection, at 56-58 Leather Lane, London EC1N.

Across the country, local councils, with help from landlords, artists and community arts projects have been using empty shops and office spaces as temporary exhibition space for a wide variety art works and arts projects. A Camden Council-led initiative currently encourages the occupation of unused properties in the borough, to act as a revitalising presence in economically depressed areas of the city.

Initially funded by grants from The Arts Council of England as a response to the effect of the recession on the arts, Art in Empty Spaces has already transformed many empty and disused retail spaces across the whole of the U.K. into a variety of creative spaces from pop up galleries to theatre and music venues. The funding was intended to enable artists to connect their work with a wider audience of people in new and imaginative ways.

Although funding from the Arts Council has now stopped they have set the wheels in motion and the role the arts can play in economic regeneration can already be seen across the country, where the innovative use of empty shops is already helping to prevent high street decline. To see the effects for yourself visit Leather Lane, London EC1N and remember "You have more freedom than you're using".



Someone Loves Me...Neon Hearts

Lots and lots of lovely neon hearts...

Dan Attoe And Tracey Emin, Art In Empty Shops

On Wendesday, I had the pleasure of installing two neon art works by Dan Attoe and another one by Tracey Emin, in two seperate empty shop spaces located within the borough of Camden in London for The Shape We're In (Camden), curated by Elizabeth Neilson and Ellen Mara De Wachter. The two Dan Attoe pieces have been installed at 56-58 Leather Lane, London EC1N. Here are a few photographs to wet your appetite.

The Shape We’re In, is a series of three exhibitions focussing on recent sculpture and installation by 22 emerging and established contemporary artists, including some of the most original artists making work today, organised and presented by The Zabludowicz Collection. Of the 22 artists, ten have been commissioned by the Zabludowicz Collection to make new works for the exhibition.

Tracey Emin's I Kiss You can be seen at 46 Malden Road, London NW5

The three neon pieces will be on display from 10.00am-10.00pm, 7 days a week for the next 8 weeks, 28th. January- 14th. March 2011

Say It With Neon This Valentine's Day.

Neon Heart, 12mm purple/violet with Mode power supply.

If you're struggling to find the perfect Valentine's Day gift for your loved one look no further, say it with a neon heart. Unlike cut flowers neon can have a life span of between 50,000 - 100,000 hours and although possibly more expensive as an initial outlay this is a bespoke, handmade gift that should last for many years to come.