Festival of Lights Berlin

The Festival of Lights is one of the largest illumination festivals in the world. Every year for twelve days in October, Berlin’s world-famous landmarks and monuments are dressed in spectacular light. German and international artists and lighting designers present extraordinary illuminations, light art and creative designs. The festival is accompanied by numerous cultural events, all exploring the theme “Light”. The festival is an admission-free, top artistic event for an audience of millions. It generates massive media interest worldwide, and as a result, promises real sustainability.

Time guards by Manfred Kielnhofer



The constant struggle with concepts of space, sculptures and installations as well as the engagement of mysticism and primal religions led the Austrian artist to create “timeguards“. The first timeguard was built in 2007 and is reminiscent of a withdrawn monk. Kielnhofer likes to present his sculptures at exciting locations. They appear and disappear. You can never anticipate where they will show up next time, reminding us that we are never unobserved. Every one of our actions is seen by the guards and evaluated. They were already in existence a long time before humans populated the earth.

 

 

Neon Vancouver Ugly Vancouver

The Vancouver Sun reports that the Museum of Vancouver is currently holding an exhibition entitled "Neon Vancouver Ugly Vancouver" with a selection of neon signs from Vancouver's past.

Did Vancouver’s flashing neon signs signal glamour, excitement and big city living? Or was neon part of a tawdry display that disfigured Vancouver’s natural beauty?

People were of two minds in Vancouver in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Neon signs that are now loved were, at that time, objects of deep civic controversy.

The exhibition runs from Thursday October 13th 2011 - Sunday August 12th 2012, giving you plenty of time to have a look.

Neon Sign, Merton Road SW18

If you need  Tyres, Exhausts and Batteries, then purchasing them from Sothfields Tyre & Battery Service, 288 Merton Road, SW18 will afford you this wonderful neon vista. Why shop elsewhere ?

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 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