SHE BENDS -
MUSEUM OF NEON ART - LOS ANGELES
She Bends is the largest, most inclusive all-female neon exhibition ever put together. Curated by neon artist Meryl Pataky, She Bends features 29 artists who not only use neon as their primary medium, but have deliberately chosen to dive into this male-dominated trade. Each woman works intimately with neon, either bending the tubes herself, or at the very least designing, installing and assembling with her own hands. Some of these women have their own neon shops or work in a shop; some share their knowledge through teaching the craft.
Neon has traditionally been a men’s field, yet today we see a growing number of women picking up the torch and bending glass for themselves to create artwork as well as signs. Originally known for its commercial applications – including seedy depictions of the female figure – neon is now appreciated for its conceptual content. Women’s influence on the medium has proven to further neon's role as an art form and thus prolong its survival as a trade. She Bends spotlights women working in neon while also highlighting the fact that neon is hand-made. The exhibition title itself relays an action: that of bending. What starts as an act of skill progresses into a devoted lifestyle for the artists in this show and for all neon benders across the world.
Artist Exhibiting: Sarah Blood, Teresa Escobar, Shawna Peterson, Linda Bracey, Emma-Kate Hart, Linda Sue Price, Dana Caputo, Michie Hongo, Lily Reeves, Anika Chasuk, Eve Hoyt, Lisa Schulte, Robin Clason, Kate Hush, Valerie Shusterov, Krista Davis, Koko Jamison, Olivia Steele, Eve De Haan, Kacie Lees, Megan Stelljes, Linda Diec, Stephanie Sara Lifshutz, Mary Voytek, Lily Erb, Leticia Maldonado, Romily Alice Walden, Meryl Pataky.
RUNNING UNTIL 11th of FEBRUARY 2018
MUSEUM OF NEON ART -
216 S. Brand Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91204
photography by brock blake and tom pu
