The Art of Neon

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Catherine Ulitsky, Flocks, 2006
Catherine Ulitsky, Flocks, 2006Courtesy of the artist

We're ignoring the shortening days, and celebrating all that is bright with Good Things' ode to neon

In this week's Good Things we banish the impending doom, gloom and 5pm sunsets with an explosion of neon joy. Lots of colour to see you through the hardest of times.

The Memphis Movement masterming Ettore Sottssas dedicated his final collection of furniture to Mondrian. He introduced a decent dose of neon into his architectural cabinets and drawers.


In today's world of shop fronts and service stations there definitely isn’t enough neon. For some type inspiration we recommend the Vintage Neon Signs group.


If you visited the Hayward Gallerys Light Show last year you will be familiar with Carlos Cruz Diez. He transformed a series of rooms into a blast of neon gradients in his work Chromosaturation. It’s surefire way to cure S.A.D.

Angela Bulloch's glowing plywood boxes are like stacking blocks for grownups, or a vertical disco floor.

Catherine Ulitsky created a series a few years back where she stitched together flocks of birds using neon thread. The results resemble an insane polyhedra more than our feathered friends but that’s fine by us.

Russell Maltz has a penchant for building materials and neon paint. In 2012 he painted a bunch of drain pipes in a fluorescent yellow, it cast a wonderful glow around the rest of the gallery.


Finally some neon which you can have in your home, thanks to the wonderful Bec Brittain. Her elegant lights use brass and fluorescent strips and are adjustable, so you can create your own installations on a daily basis.