KELSEY FERNKOPF | OUTSIDE: IN
Looking Glass (Big Circle), argon gas glass tube lamp, 72 x 72 x 5 inches. Pictured behind are Gold Ventana and Big Red Frame.
As part of the second annual Art + Culture Week, Foster/White invited local neon sculptor Kelsey Fernkopf to create an installation in gallery. Fernkopf's Outside: In features a collection of eight neon sculptures, alongside Steve Gilbert's collaborative photographs of Fernkopf's work. Outside: In is on view until Thursday, October 23.
Blue Wave, argon gas glass tube lamp, 78 x 84 x 12 inches
As a master neon glass tube bender and craftsperson, I create neon sculptural forms from glass tubing and noble gas. Using innovative methods, I create neon forms of extraordinary length and size, challenging the medium as I contrast the fragility of glass with bold design. I then transport my glass sculptures to unexpected sites and situations, placing them in unique landscapes, studying the visual effects of luminous light, line, color, and form on each chosen environment.
My light art installations in both urban and natural settings are site-specific and temporal, documented by photography, video, and digital media. Whether a single element or a large installation, I let the medium be the message. Framing the landscape in light, my neon forms alter perception and create worlds of their own, offering fresh perspectives on our surroundings. - Kelsey Fernkopf
Primary Forms, argon and neon gas glass tube lamps, 50 x 94 x 12 inches
Seattle based artist Kelsey Fernkopf’s BIG NEON sculptures highlight the linear and luminous qualities of neon glass tubing using a single continuous tube technique uniquely his own. His BIG NEON work manifests the gigantic while contrasting the fragility of glass with bold design. Illuminated line and curve emanate dynamic strength and interact with their environment both as freestanding sculpture or in play with the architecture of walls and floors around them. Often creating single continuous tubes reaching 30 linear feet in length, Kelsey Fernkopf’s BIG NEON challenges the boundaries of the luminous tube medium.