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#neon

19 posts19 participants1 post today
Public
James Akers

Back in Brooklyn now. On my way back, I stopped at my alma mater- Alfred University in a rural one stoplight town of Alfred, NY.

Nice to see my old sculpture and art school building haunts. While I was there I saw a bunch of old and new professors, sat in on 2 student critiques, and met with a promising young neon bender, artist and glassblower,

@AbbeyfuckingDivens

and chatted a bunch with my former neon teacher, Sarah Blood.

The roll of paper next to the neon bombarder in the neon shop is the "high tech temperature guage". Long a controversial practice in neon nerddom, when the paper smokes and discolors- the glass is hot. I aim for incinerating the paper :).

Exciting things to see at the school as per usual- an its nice to be back home. About to head back in to work as I type this.

A neon wall at Alfred University, with various turquoise, pink, red, and purple squiggles, text and shapes.
A roll of paper kept next to neon processing equipment. A labelmaker label reads "HIGH TECH TEMPERATURE GUAGE" atop a wood table
Color samples, looking exactly the same as when I attended 10 years ago. My original neon and glass mentor wrote and maybe made or supervides the production of these back in 2002. Those tubes have been on, and up, since then. One rainbow of argon mercury donated tubes on the right and the same rainbow filled with just neon on the left, brick wall showing the light gradient.
An Abbey Divens piece dealing with chronic illness and medication. Her handwriting is a little sloppy with some crazy bends and blown out powders- which in this case makes the piece stronger. White neon letters reading "CHRONIC LIFE LONG ONGOING" mounted on a white rectangle with two black, visible transformers on the face.
#neon#college#artschool
Public *
James Akers

My oh my, The Mind Benders class I taught at FOCI wrapped up last night and what a wonderful whirlwind! I had the most amazing students who time and time again, were so hungry for knowledge, and wanted to learn more and more.
We learned to bend neon, make digital vector patterns, blink the neon with programmable microcontrollers and I even showed them how they could work with a glassblower to pull their own tubes.

My TA, @dinkytown was incredible- typically fulfilling the class's needs before I even asked her. I am thrilled that she learned a bunch in the class.
It was able to train two FOCI staff members to bombard (the dangerous process of purifying and putting gas in the tubes)- so now FOCI neon renters can get their tubes filled quicker.
The artist talk and demo I gave was well attended, and now FOCI has the doodle I made during the demo in their permanent collection.

Lila and I, smiling with my show title in the background
A very messy table with some students in the background. Two neon color samples, transformers, digitally drawn patterns, circuit playgrounds, notebooks and beverages covering the table
Students working and bending neon around a big octagonal table at FOCI. Neon torches and fire abound, clear glass tubes scattered around the table.
A class poster to the left, and a show poster to the right. The class poster has a doodle made with colors that can only be bought in california (yellow, turquoise, purple and pink) and the show poster has my Soul Selling Timer with a neon green "DATA DRIVEN" in the forground in an acrylic box emblazoned with big tech logos carved into it and big red button on the top.
#neon#class#roadtrip
Public
Sam at BLAG

Today's exciting discovery while working on the American Sign Museum book.

The 'nightrider' was a vehicle used by workers at Stalcup Neon in Kansas City, KS, to drive around iinspecting their signs for bulbs that needed replacing. It had a generator installed in the boot to power its own neon lights, but no air conditioning.

I can't say if this photo will be in the final publication, but the book is available for pre-order here: 48055.blackbaudhosting.com/480.

Black and white photo taken at night and showing a 1950s car parked in front of a building. The building is adorned with Art Deco style neon signage advertising Stalcup Inc, Electrical Advertising. The car, belonging to the Stalcup company, is also covered in neon decorations, making for a striking visual appearance in perfect harmony with the company it advertises.
#Neon#NightRider#Knightrider
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