Tuesday, September 08, 2015

You tubes

The sight of design chipping away at art’s domain is a familiar feature of our world, but here's a major leap forward. Artists like Bruce Nauman, Claire Fontaine, Joseph Kosuth, Tracey Emin and Martin Creed (and there’s a lot more where that came from) who've kidnapped neon lettering from the commercial world may have to think about letting it go. Now there's an art/design neon kit available that you can use to construct your own words, letter by letter. Suggested are ‘Light’ (at $650), ‘Love’ (sorry Martin), ‘Home’, and, inevitably, ‘Art’ (the cheapest at $395). And where do you buy one of these art destabilising machines? The Auckland Art Gallery shop, Corner Kitchener and Wellesley Streets.

Image: left Martin Creed Work no. 374 and right the less attractive DIY version made by Seletti on display at the Auckland Art Gallery shop