As you may know, I have a thing about neon signs, and most especially if they are Chinese characters buzzing in neon! This says "tokai" in Japanese which means Eastern Sea (coincidentally, it's also the name of the bank I used when I lived in Nagoya). In Chinese, it's "dong hai." I like the sound of the Japanese better. But that's just me.


Dong Hai, glass tubing, inert gases and clear plastic, 39th Street between 6th Avenue & Broadway, New York, NY

Alas, this neon sign is no longer with us. But the memory lives on. I have an equal obsession with shoe-shaped neon and sewing machine-shaped neon. Go figure. Lady's Pump to come. If I can find it in my image files.


Gentleman's Shoe, glass tubing, inert gases and clear plastic, 40th Street near 6th Avenue, New York, NY

provided by: www.glittertools.com

If this works the way I think it works, you can enter text and convert it to a neon font with this widget. I'll have to do a little figuring to get this to work.

provided by: www.glittertools.com

Okay, I figured it out. You have to go to this link to enter text, play with backgrounds, control glow, blink speed and size. Pretty neat. If you want the full interactive tool on your blog, you have to pay. Otherwise, display your results for free by copying the code, and make your font posters here. I would rate this one fairly fontastic.

Mother's Day Window, Cole Haan, Madison Avenue & 61st Street

I particularly like neon signs advertising neon sign makers. It is so meta. Eden's canvas is your store window. Think of the creative collaboration.


Neon Artist's Palette, glass tubing, inert gases and clear plastic, Jackson Avenue (23rd Street), Long Island City, NY

[image from design sponge]

Of course a day of blogging devoted exclusively to chandeliers and the designs they inspire could not be complete without a post from the neon enthusiast herself (me) about this incredible paired-down no-nonsense version from Brooklyn-based Lite Bright Neon. Little did I know, until I wrote this post and started to investigate, that Lite Bright Neon does custom work for retail! Look at this piece they did for Bergdorf Goodman! I am in heaven.

In fact, the very chandelier which I love seems to have made quite a prominent debut in the Bergdorf window. Of course, this makes me want it all the more. Although this neon chandelier has inspired strong reactions against, I still maintain that it is a totally wonderful, humorous and clever work of art. I take many a design friend to visit the chandelier at The Future Perfect on North 6th in Williamsburg where it is for sale; and I remain the only one in my group who wants desperately to own it. Alas. What do they know.

Imagine the dining room table that could complement this piece. And the napkins! And the chairs! I am conjuring up an amazing room in my mind.

How could you resist the five-color neon puppy? With tongue hanging out and expectant gaze, his face is so alluring. I can't look away.


Puppy, glass tubing, inert gases and clear plastic, 15th Street (7th & 8th Avenues), New York, NY

As many of you may be sitting down to breakfast at this moment to read my blog, I wanted to bring you this beautiful breakfast neon for your dining pleasure. As you know, I have a neon thing happening on this blog. Everywhere I go in New York City, I see fantastic examples of neon. This deli has spared no expense for this elaborate 4-color sign with header and footer. The jaunty depiction of the steaming mug of coffee, the sunnyside-up egg, and of course, the donut, pleases me each time I pass it.

By the way, this is where I get my egg sandwich and iced coffee.


Breakfast, glass tubing, inert gases and clear plastic, Manhattan Avenue and Calyer Street, Brooklyn, NY

Everywhere you turn in New York, the Commerce Capital of the World, there is yet another neon sign advertising its little heart out. This example uses just two colors, but makes the most of its verticality and detailed line art. It is one of the tallest neon signs I have seen. I love the bold text which complements the glowing vacuum, shouting its claim at an upward angle like a trumpet, catching the attention of the passersby on the busy street.

I would like to offer this:

If Paris is the City of Lights, then New York is the City of Neon.

~elaine

Vacuum Cleaner, glass tubing, inert gases and clear plastic, 14th Street and 6th Avenue, New York, NY

I wonder how many different models of sewing machines are depicted in neon in New York? I aim to photograph them all. (Please note, I am prone to hyperbole.) Once again in this example, the needle is included, highlighted in a separate color. But there is no stitch selector. Which leads me to believe that this model is an early Singer. Hey, if I find a T-Shirt (which I actually already have), and a Dressform, I can do a NEON version of my logo above! I am excited at this thought.


Sewing machine, glass tubing, inert gases and clear plastic, 9th Avenue and 39th Street, New York, NY

Of course I was drawn to this neon sign. It is so boxy, so self-assured. It just screams, "Let's go sew!" Well to me anyway. It think it's a Juki. I also liked that the needle and stitch selector are included in the design. The use of tone-on-tone colors are quite unique in the neon aesthetic (or is that the reflection in the window? I don't remember). As you know, neon is a custom game, so the talented individual with some design sense can really stand out in this format.

Sewing Machine, glass tubing, inert gases and clear plastic, 10th Avenue and 23rd Street, New York, NY

You will have to bear with me: I am launching a new series on the blog about neon signs, using the premise, "Who doesn't love a good neon sign?" If you do not share my enthusiasm for neon, try browsing my series about The Greek Cup. Or Fire Call Boxes that look like Kannon. That's a really good one. Who doesn't love a fire call box that looks like the Goddess of Mercy.


99 cents, glass tubing, inert gas and clear plastic, Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

Here is the new and improved neon cupcake for Bruce's Cupcakery. Recently unveiled. So new, it is not even turned on. Tell me this neon sign doesn't dazzle you.


Cupcake, glass tubing, inert gases and colored plastic, 1st Avenue and 57th Street, New York, NY

Who doesn't love a good neon sign? I would imagine there is a font design called NEON where all the letters are connected in an unsightly way. That is precisely what I like about neon. That and the buzzing.


Chicken, glass tubing, inert gases and clear plastic, 8th Avenue and 39th Street, New York, NY

Have you been noticing more and more skull-and-crossbones popping up everywhere? I mean, they are even selling skull-and-crossbone cute little sweatshirts at Rainbow (below). When it hits Rainbow, the last link on the fashion chain, it is time to change your collection. Luckily that was never my thing.




I am liking the skull-and-crossbone parodies, though.* There were lots at the Renegade Craft Fair, which thinking back, I should have photographed. But this post idea just came to me yesterday as I was taking a walk in Williamsburg and noticed yet another something-and crossbones at a cafe on Bedford: a coffee cup-and-crossbones blinking neon sign. I'll have to go back and get a picture for you today [up now, above]. For now, this heart-and-crossbones necklace I found on Notcot.



*This type of 'replacement parody' reminds me of a genre in Japanese art called mitate. A very funny mitate is by the eccentric painter, Jakuchu, my thesis subject, depicting the death of the Buddha; only the Buddha is a giant Japanese radish lying on an overturned vegetable basket, and the throng of mourners are likewise various types of vegetables, including eggplant, lotus, two kinds of mushrooms, red pepper, three kinds of melons, bamboo shoot, and the like. So anyway, I rather like parody.