"Fluorescent lights use mercury vapor, by the way, which is not a noble gas." -- It is also poisonous as hell, which is why you are theoretically supposed to dispose of them in a very specific way, and not just dump them in the trash. (If one breaks, please wear gloves when cleaning up the glass.)
You know, I would have bet money it was *Nobel* (after Alfred) and not "noble." So even after I looked up "noble gas," I went back and did a search for "nobel gas." It redirected me to *noble* gas. In fairness, it is 50 years since I seriously fooled around with chemistry. (That, at least, is my story, and I'm sticking to it.)
I liked the "Error" image, in part because the art work itself was not overwhelmed by the neon, which was minimal. I don't care for neon, and don't believe I ever have. As an adult, I associate it with Las Vegas, as one among many reasons why I despise Vegas even more than where I'm currently living. I should think about that the next time I'm hating on Johnston City. JC is sad, but Vegas is garish.
When I was a kid my favorite color was red; these days it is more blue. But even as I still like my primaries, even these lean toward earth tones. And therein lies one of the issues I have with neon. Even burnished steel has a more "earthy" sense to it (I resist saying "natural" because that term is loaded and I've got about three days of lectures on the subject) than neon.
Neon makes me think ... no, check that: it makes me *feel* in my gut ... swirling chaos and dissolute corruption. I find the gritty, shadowed underbelly of the city more appealing, even positively appealing (as opposed to the mere absence of distaste) than the light under neon. Here's a rather crazed analogy for you: The Joker revels under neon. The Batman stands tall in the shadows and grit. This is not to suggest that there's any analogy between myself and Batman, god help us. Even a multi-billionaire's wealth couldn't make that happen.
OMG, I love what you wrote here! And hey, I'm with you on Vegas. But the very fact that neon elicits this kind of (admittedly poetic) strong feeling is, to me, a testament to its power. Your analogy was perfect. And Vegas poisons everything it touches.
Stunning. I must admit to having never given neon much overt thought. It's always rested just above my subconscious, where I was aware of it, but it settled just below the level where I could appreciate it. Now that I've been ripped from my stupor, I'm amazed at an art form I barely knew existed.
I know exactly what you mean! Because of its overuse in signage (although that has changed considerably in the past twenty years), we mentally dismiss neon. But it has true artistic purpose.
"Fluorescent lights use mercury vapor, by the way, which is not a noble gas." -- It is also poisonous as hell, which is why you are theoretically supposed to dispose of them in a very specific way, and not just dump them in the trash. (If one breaks, please wear gloves when cleaning up the glass.)
You know, I would have bet money it was *Nobel* (after Alfred) and not "noble." So even after I looked up "noble gas," I went back and did a search for "nobel gas." It redirected me to *noble* gas. In fairness, it is 50 years since I seriously fooled around with chemistry. (That, at least, is my story, and I'm sticking to it.)
I liked the "Error" image, in part because the art work itself was not overwhelmed by the neon, which was minimal. I don't care for neon, and don't believe I ever have. As an adult, I associate it with Las Vegas, as one among many reasons why I despise Vegas even more than where I'm currently living. I should think about that the next time I'm hating on Johnston City. JC is sad, but Vegas is garish.
When I was a kid my favorite color was red; these days it is more blue. But even as I still like my primaries, even these lean toward earth tones. And therein lies one of the issues I have with neon. Even burnished steel has a more "earthy" sense to it (I resist saying "natural" because that term is loaded and I've got about three days of lectures on the subject) than neon.
Neon makes me think ... no, check that: it makes me *feel* in my gut ... swirling chaos and dissolute corruption. I find the gritty, shadowed underbelly of the city more appealing, even positively appealing (as opposed to the mere absence of distaste) than the light under neon. Here's a rather crazed analogy for you: The Joker revels under neon. The Batman stands tall in the shadows and grit. This is not to suggest that there's any analogy between myself and Batman, god help us. Even a multi-billionaire's wealth couldn't make that happen.
OMG, I love what you wrote here! And hey, I'm with you on Vegas. But the very fact that neon elicits this kind of (admittedly poetic) strong feeling is, to me, a testament to its power. Your analogy was perfect. And Vegas poisons everything it touches.
Stunning. I must admit to having never given neon much overt thought. It's always rested just above my subconscious, where I was aware of it, but it settled just below the level where I could appreciate it. Now that I've been ripped from my stupor, I'm amazed at an art form I barely knew existed.
Damn, I learned something. I feel smarter. :-)
I know exactly what you mean! Because of its overuse in signage (although that has changed considerably in the past twenty years), we mentally dismiss neon. But it has true artistic purpose.