"Neon is emotional for everybody," uttered by the great Tracey Emin, who started working with it as a medium in the 90's. You've probably seen her unique handwritten neon (each one expressing deep thoughts and desires) - I remember being in St Pancras station and being mesmerised by the 20m long pink "I want my time with you" sprawled below the clock (apparently a message to European visitors during Brexit). Neon is both retro and modern, and never seems to go out of fashion (I love it anywhere, from galleries to bars and as home decor).
So when I got an email about a new Yellow Pop neon collection, a collaboration with the studio of 1980's New York graffiti artist Keith Haring, I had to check it out. The collection consists of eight highly collectable pieces depicting his pop art and murals, which have never gone out of fashion. Some of his most famous designs, such as Barking Dog, Dancing Man, his LOVE sign and the Radiant Baby have been translated into LED neon for those who would appreciate a piece of his pop art in their home.
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Dance Love (£250), Barking Dog (£350), Dancing Man (£350) and Radiant Baby (£250) |
Born in Pennsylvania in 1958, Haring moved to the Lower East Side of New York in 1978 to study art. He was heavily inspired by cartoons growing up, and later by Jackson Pollock, Christo (who inspired him to include the public in his art) and Belgian artist Pierre Alechinsky. His instantly recognisable black and white graffiti in New York subways in the early 80s included the Radiant Baby (which he also used as a tag) and Barking Dog. After being featured in numerous exhibitions in New York, his work achieved global acclaim, and he was commissioned to go to a wide variety of countries to share his art (he did a mural on the Berlin Wall, had a solo exhibition in Amsterdam and created murals in art galleries in Australia).
He collaborated with Vivienne Westwood and Grace Jones (amongst others), and in 1986 a shop opened in Soho, New York, commercialising his work by selling affordable t-shirts and posters. Much of his work uses images to advocate for safe sex and AIDS awareness. He was taken too soon at just 31, due to AIDS related complications. His work is still just as relevant, which is reflected in the number of collaborations, exhibitions, documentaries and books which have been created since his death in 1990.
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Twisted Man (£420), Send Love (£490), Radiant Heart (£850), Radiant Love £750) |
Any self-respecting pop art lover will covet a piece from the collaboration with Yellow Pop, which allows you to own a piece of his fun and powerful work and surely impress any visitors. Prices start at £250 for the smaller pieces (Dance Love, Radiant Baby) to £750 for my personal favourite, the larger Radiant Love piece.
Click here to find out more about the collection, but be warned you might end up with some new neon!
Debbie x
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