Label
Bill Concannon
Gratitude, 2014
29” x 29” x 19”
Argon-Mercury filled white phosphor tube, transformer, take out bags
Gift of Bill Concannon
This hanging lamp transforms an accumulation of ordinary ”thank you” take-out bags into an organic form. Bill Concannon is known for his experimental use of neon and plastic, from creating very small neon signs and works, to large mixed media sculptures. When neon tubes are electrified, they are not hot to the touch like lightbulbs, which enables Concannon to string plastic around neon tubing without melting the plastic.
According to the artist, “This sculpture uses light and volume to explore issues of consumption and abundance. When I started making a body of work using plastic shopping bags in the early '00s, I cleaned out the drawer at my home where we store those plastic bags. I always think that I live this tidy, restrained, thrifty life. However, as I brought out all those many shopping bags that day I saw in them all those many trips to the store and the ghosts of all the stuff that I brought home on those trips. The 'Thank You' take-out bags in Gratitude are trash. I’ve always liked trash. Let’s face it, on some level, neon is a part of 'trash culture.' One of the few 'reuses' of plastic single-use bags is to hold your garbage. No one loves plastic bags, but when you look at them in this piece they’re strangely beautiful.”
Bill Concannon was born in Iowa City and started using neon in 1973, since then he has maintained a studio practice as a neon sculptor and also makes neon signs and lighting for a variety of customers including the motion picture industry. He was born in Iowa and earned a Bachelors of Arts from the University of California, Riverside. In 1975, Concannon opened his neon fabrication studio, Aargon Neon. He held teaching positions at Academy of Art University and Pilchuck Glass School. He works and lives in Crockett, California.