Eric Helin Design • Products > Neon & Argon

NEON & ARGON

Below the information is a link to the neon designs' page. You will also find the neon designs' page by clicking 'designs' on the navigation bar.

"And yet [Europeans] sense somehow that the red neon signs in the dark are America's art. It's an unintentional art form and the best - some say the only - kind of art this land has produced. We [Europeans] gaze in silent admiration as is right." Ciao, America! - An Italian

"Neon is always bold, brash, and in your face! As an art form it's irrepressible - that's why it fascinates me. It's like capturing a solar flare or the Northern Lights in a bottle!" -Eric Helín-Hultquist

Neon has always exerted a mysterious attraction on me. I can remember being transfixed by neon signs as a young child - I would stand staring at them, captivated by the light. I was fascinated by their otherworldly quality in much the same way that I was bemused by the fireflies that we used to chase after on warm summer evenings - except that neon signs were much brighter and far more intense. I also know my attraction borders on an obsession as those who are gripped by it always seem to know -- you either have it or you don't.

My mentor in neon art, James R. White has often said: “There is a kind of sadness that enters, a room when a neon piece is turned off – the warmth that it exudes is gone and a kind of emptiness settles in – it’s as if something beautiful had died.” Every time I turn off a neon sculpture I remember his words – as an instant chill seems to suddenly envelop the room. Jim also believes that light produced by the noble gasses (what a great title for them) neon, argon, and krypton “reacts on the mind like fire.” I know he is right because of the effect a blazing neon sign has on me. It is much the same thing I would experience staring into a fire, except the effect on my psyche is far stronger and more overwhelming - like that of a powerful drug. It borders on intoxication. And yes, I'll actually admit at this point I'm an addict - I'm addicted to neon - to its intensity, to its color, and to whatever visual impression it creates in my mind. I have watched others working in the medium and have talked to them at length and not everyone seems to be affected by this medium to the same degree.

"If an art medium exists that could be labeled gay it would have to be neon!!" -Eric Helín-Hultquist

As an art medium, neon and its cousin argon are necessarily limited to glass and gas. If an artist or decorator remembers this at the outset, he or she will have taken the major step towards recognizing the parameters, the assets, and the limitations of neon as an art form.

It should be kept in mind that light produced by the rare gasses displays a highly invasive quality. For the most part the light and the aura produced by this type of light, with few exceptions, tends to dominate the entire surroundings by infusing them with a garish and brazen glow. It draws away attention from all other objects in the room and causes all eyes to focus on itself. What is more, it essentially alters the colors of any surface on which it casts its glow. If the surface color of an object contrasts with the dominant color of the light, it will turn those surfaces black or gray or muddy. Even when its own colors do not conflict with the surface color, extreme care must be taken not to use too much of the light in a room. Because of this, when neon is present, the artist must pay strict attention to whatever colors he or she selects to incorporate into an artistic work as well as to the surroundings of the room in which the work is to be displayed. Care must be taken, because it takes very little neon to overpower an environment, drawing everyone's attention towards itself at the expense of all other objects in the room. Worse neon can instantly turn the entire surroundings into a garish caricature of outlandish kitsch. It is hardly surprising that most people tend to shy away from using neon.

I remember one show where a piece of mine “Parachute” was so intense that a six foot length of neon in 15mm clear tubing “blew out” the room; even managing to overpower the other argon and neon works that were displayed along with it. The undesirable effect it created was so adverse, that in the end, the gallery removed it and placed it in the foyer – like some unruly and rebellious teenager that refuses to comply with the rules it made its presence so intensely felt the only solution was to display it alone.

Argon “doped” with mercury in clear glass tubing is far softer and much easier on its immediate surroundings. This is why I frequently use argon in my designs. It is “cooler” and has a more calming effect on its environment. However, as soon as a phosphor is added into the tube, all bets are off, and the problems with using argon quickly become as great as those resulting form the use of neon.

Argon or neon may be used in a more subtle way to backlight an object. Here, as well, a halo will spread out from the light into its surroundings. Strict attention must be paid to surface color as well when employing the light in this fashion. Since this form of light tends to be very aggressive, it will easily spread through very small slits and cut outs and so can work very well in a silhouette capacity. The biggest challenge comes in using the light directly.

My Vision of Neon as a Sculptural Medium

When I began working in the medium I had already become fascinated in my typical way with the juxtaposition and contrast between geometric form and organic flow. I was already exploring this in my metal work. Over time, working with neon as a medium, I began to analyze the characteristics of its separate elements – both aesthetic and observable: gas, glass, light, color, electron flow, and form. I eventually decided that the very essence of the medium should give observers the feel of an unconfined freedom – an uncontained exuberance except the glass through which the current is channeled has the effect of constraining the medium and making the light appear confined. The gas often seems trapped by the glass, which of course it is, but I wondered if there was a way to “free” it up so that it appeared to be free of its confinement. In the end, my answer to this, was to make the glass forms appear less rigid. By creating the feel of a more organic “flow” in the glass by using more amorphous shapes. In shaping it differently the neon would seem less “trapped” and less forced to go in predictable directions. The result is, in some ways an illusion, but it is one which essentially works well. As I have continued to experiment with this manipulation of the glass, keeping uppermost in mind the importance of freedom and flow, and essentially keeping the tubes from looking like they confine restrict the light and gas in recognizable geometric forms, I have begun to evolve my own approach to this medium.

Tips on Using Neon as a Decorative Medium

See Neon Designs here...



			NEON & ARGON Below the information is a link to the neon designs' page. You will also find the neon designs' page by clicking 'designs' on the navigation bar. "And yet [Europeans] sense somehow that the red neon signs in the dark are America's art. It's an unintentional art form and the best - some say the only - kind of art this land has produced. We [Europeans] gaze in silent admiration as is right." Ciao, America! - An Italian "Neon is always bold, brash, and in your face! As an art form it's irrepressible - that's why it fascinates me. It's like capturing a solar flare or the Northern Lights in a bottle!" -Eric Helín-Hultquist Neon has always exerted a mysterious attraction on me. I can remember being transfixed by neon signs as a young child - I would stand staring at them, captivated by the light. I was fascinated by their otherworldly quality in much the same way that I was bemused by the fireflies that we used to chase after on warm summer evenings - except that neon signs were much brighter and far more intense. I also know my attraction borders on an obsession as those who are gripped by it always seem to know -- you either have it or you don't. My mentor in neon art, James R. White has often said: “There is a kind of sadness that enters, a room when a neon piece is turned off – the warmth that it exudes is gone and a kind of emptiness settles in – it’s as if something beautiful had died.” Every time I turn off a neon sculpture I remember his words – as an instant chill seems to suddenly envelop the room. Jim also believes that light produced by the noble gasses (what a great title for them) neon, argon, and krypton “reacts on the mind like fire.” I know he is right because of the effect a blazing neon sign has on me. It is much the same thing I would experience staring into a fire, except the effect on my psyche is far stronger and more overwhelming - like that of a powerful drug. It borders on intoxication. And yes, I'll actually admit at this point I'm an addict - I'm addicted to neon - to its intensity, to its color, and to whatever visual impression it creates in my mind. I have watched others working in the medium and have talked to them at length and not everyone seems to be affected by this medium to the same degree. "If an art medium exists that could be labeled gay it would have to be neon!!" -Eric Helín-Hultquist As an art medium, neon and its cousin argon are necessarily limited to glass and gas. If an artist or decorator remembers this at the outset, he or she will have taken the major step towards recognizing the parameters, the assets, and the limitations of neon as an art form. It should be kept in mind that light produced by the rare gasses displays a highly invasive quality. For the most part the light and the aura produced by this type of light, with few exceptions, tends to dominate the entire surroundings by infusing them with a garish and brazen glow. It draws away attention from all other objects in the room and causes all eyes to focus on itself. What is more, it essentially alters the colors of any surface on which it casts its glow. If the surface color of an object contrasts with the dominant color of the light, it will turn those surfaces black or gray or muddy. Even when its own colors do not conflict with the surface color, extreme care must be taken not to use too much of the light in a room. Because of this, when neon is present, the artist must pay strict attention to whatever colors he or she selects to incorporate into an artistic work as well as to the surroundings of the room in which the work is to be displayed. Care must be taken, because it takes very little neon to overpower an environment, drawing everyone's attention towards itself at the expense of all other objects in the room. Worse neon can instantly turn the entire surroundings into a garish caricature of outlandish kitsch. It is hardly surprising that most people tend to shy away from using neon. I remember one show where a piece of mine “Parachute” was so intense that a six foot length of neon in 15mm clear tubing “blew out” the room; even managing to overpower the other argon and neon works that were displayed along with it. The undesirable effect it created was so adverse, that in the end, the gallery removed it and placed it in the foyer – like some unruly and rebellious teenager that refuses to comply with the rules it made its presence so intensely felt the only solution was to display it alone. Argon “doped” with mercury in clear glass tubing is far softer and much easier on its immediate surroundings. This is why I frequently use argon in my designs. It is “cooler” and has a more calming effect on its environment. However, as soon as a phosphor is added into the tube, all bets are off, and the problems with using argon quickly become as great as those resulting form the use of neon. Argon or neon may be used in a more subtle way to backlight an object. Here, as well, a halo will spread out from the light into its surroundings. Strict attention must be paid to surface color as well when employing the light in this fashion. Since this form of light tends to be very aggressive, it will easily spread through very small slits and cut outs and so can work very well in a silhouette capacity. The biggest challenge comes in using the light directly. Back to Top My Vision of Neon as a Sculptural Medium When I began working in the medium I had already become fascinated in my typical way with the juxtaposition and contrast between geometric form and organic flow. I was already exploring this in my metal work. Over time, working with neon as a medium, I began to analyze the characteristics of its separate elements – both aesthetic and observable: gas, glass, light, color, electron flow, and form. I eventually decided that the very essence of the medium should give observers the feel of an unconfined freedom – an uncontained exuberance except the glass through which the current is channeled has the effect of constraining the medium and making the light appear confined. The gas often seems trapped by the glass, which of course it is, but I wondered if there was a way to “free” it up so that it appeared to be free of its confinement. In the end, my answer to this, was to make the glass forms appear less rigid. By creating the feel of a more organic “flow” in the glass by using more amorphous shapes. In shaping it differently the neon would seem less “trapped” and less forced to go in predictable directions. The result is, in some ways an illusion, but it is one which essentially works well. As I have continued to experiment with this manipulation of the glass, keeping uppermost in mind the importance of freedom and flow, and essentially keeping the tubes from looking like they confine restrict the light and gas in recognizable geometric forms, I have begun to evolve my own approach to this medium. Tips on Using Neon as a Decorative Medium Back to Top See Neon Designs here... home • biography • about us • designs/products • neon work • art furniture / functional art • music • gallery • contact us • sitemap • faq Copyright © 2005-2007 Eric Helín Design. All rights reserved. This page was last updated on September 16, 2007 .•ºadd this web site to your favoritesº•.