Neon-Light Artist

David Ablon is an artist—but not the kind who draws or paints. He creates glowing sculptures out of electrified glass tubes filled with gases that emit light. They’re commonly known as neon lights. These unique, handmade fixtures can be crafted to take on nearly any color and shape imaginable.

Ablon’s creations include a glowing castle inside a fish tank, a fashion show dress that lights up, and neon signs for movies and TV shows. Creating these pieces calls for both artistic talent and scientific know-how. Ablon spoke with Science World from his studio in New York City about how he makes his colorful creations.

I started out making sculptures from ceramic. Then I found out about a neon lab at my college and decided to take a class. The light drew me in, and I never looked back. I started by making neon artwork designed by other artists. Eventually, I began creating my own neon sculptures. Now I have a team of artists that helps me with projects.

First, I draw a pattern on a sheet of paper. Then I use the drawing as a guide to make marks on a glass tube. These marks tell me where I need to bend the glass. Next, I hold the marked spots over a flame to soften the glass and slowly begin bending the tube into the right shape. At the same time, I use a thin hose to blow air into the tube. That keeps the heated glass I’m working with from collapsing.

Once the tube is shaped properly, I connect electrodes—conductors of electricity—onto its ends. Then I use a pump to suck all the air out of the tube to create a vacuum. Finally, I fill the tube with specific types of gases and switch on the electrical current to light it up.

Neon art gets its name from neon (Ne) gas, which makes a bright-orange light. Even though they’re called neon lights, many are filled with other types of gases. To create other colors, we use a mix of gases, like argon (Ar) and mercury (Hg). We put these gases inside glass tubes treated with powdered fluorescent coatings. These coatings absorb light from the gases and glow with their own distinct colors.

By using different combinations of gases and coatings, I can make hundreds of different colors. Certain colors, like brown, aren’t easy to make. But if you’re creative, there’s really no limit (see the article All Lit Up in the 2/13/17 issue of Science World).

Once, my team was asked to help create props for a movie that took place in New York in the 1960s. We made replicas of all these old-fashioned neon signs that were common on theaters, stores, and restaurants during that era. It’s amazing to work with set designers and watch them re-create the past. The best part is getting to see the whole thing come to life—along with your work—on the big screen.

If the lights were manufactured, like bulbs you buy in a store, each piece would come out exactly as expected. But because all of my pieces are made by hand, there’s a human factor that is unpredictable. A project might not turn out exactly how I had originally imagined. But sometimes the surprises are the fun part.