"A neon sign starts and ends with a line."

May 26, 2014 3:18 PM

"Once illuminated, the line transforms: It mimics and abstracts, glows and flickers, and implores and distracts." An online museum of Hong Kong's neon signs.
posted by spitefulcrow (7 comments total)

When you ignore the cultural baggage, neon is incredibly beautiful. Nice post - thanks.
posted by davebush at 3:24 PM on May 26, 2014 [1 favorite]

But in this case the cultural baggage is awesome and make me feel at home.
posted by Neale at 3:52 PM on May 26, 2014 [2 favorites]

We once used a special pink/peach neon for indirect lighting in a club. It gave everyone a healthy, youthful glow and didn't make the drinks or food look too weird. Just the right shade. Old neon tubes when they start to break down are interesting to watch. The plasma swirls, curls, breaks and then reforms in a shaky colored ribbon. The tube will be dead soon but it's pretty to watch the death throes. I'd never really thought about it but I guess I spent a good portion of my working life accompanied by the hum of neon sign transformers...
posted by jim in austin at 4:36 PM on May 26, 2014 [1 favorite]

In L.A.? Check out the Museum of Neon Art.
posted by benito.strauss at 8:03 PM on May 26, 2014

How is it that neon signs can feel both futuristic and vintage at the same time?
posted by Halogenhat at 8:17 PM on May 26, 2014 [5 favorites]

One of my favorite things to do in Hong Kong was to sit upstairs on a double-decker bus in the front seat going up Nathan Road at night . Some of those signs hang out over the street and just skim the roof of the bus. It's just incredible.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:27 AM on May 27, 2014 [1 favorite]

Vancouver used to be a neon paradise but sadly much of it is gone now.
posted by islander at 8:58 AM on May 27, 2014