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Rathbun's FIRST NEON EXHIBIT WAS OPENED as "OH MY AMERICA" ON Sept. 21, 2002 by Artship in its gallery in South Harwich, Cape Cod. The original exhibit consisted of 17 wall and freestanding pieces by William Stock Rathbun. Almost all those pieces have since been re-thought and re-worked by Rathbun-- and in fact some may be under active reconstruction as you read this-- in the way that all reflective artists have, as his ideas in the medium and about life and his own experience changed. They represent now the most recent level in a 15-year progression of neon expressions, an idea which began on paper, and which can be explored elsewhere on this site (see link at bottom of page). These sculpture-collages light up. Most combine neon tubing with wire, wood, tin, cardboard, glass, tiny figures and other artifacts either collected or constructed. Each piece can refocus a room, and the effect of several in a room is -- to say the obvious-- electric. Rathbun's recorded some thoughts on the creative process of this work on these pages. CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO REVIEW ENTIRE COLLECTION WITH DETAILS AND PRICING |
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| ABOVE: Detail (Bottom) of MAPLE TOWER (detailed on next page) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ABOVE:
MEMORIES OF PEACE & WAR Rathbun's rolling neon sculpture, about 6' high, made of wood and paper artifacts, toys, old family photos, war posters, neon and glass: an emotional statement about the impact of war on the family in America, incorporating images of his own father in the service and the conflicts of patriotism, grief, outrage and the making of myths and icons in wartime |
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Notes on Neon:
William Rathbun, Sept. 22, 2002: "It’s hard for me to think of the practice of art as a career or a profession. The act of imaginative creativity and production is not a job, hobby, pastime or a form of entertainment. It’s more of a spiritual imperative... The artistic process is a communion of minds. It’s a way of exploring the intangible regions of our collective consciousness." |
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| The NEON sculptures -- standing, rolling, or hanging --are from 2 to 10 feet wide or high, and are made of paint, cardboard, cloth, string, tin, toys, antique posters and photographs, neon tubes and various artifacts of paper, wood, glass and plastic.
Many of these pieces are highly, literally, autobiographical in nature. Some strive to capture the mood of a place, or time... either because of or in spuite of the artist's conscious intent. They all speak to the process of living, loving, regretting and grieving; or specifically of war or politics --on the American way of life as lived and remembered by the artist, and to which we can all relate, as citizens in the greater motherland of human experience. You may click on any of the images on these pages to review the entire collection and their prices. Please return often, as new pieces by this amazing and prolific artist are currently under way and will be addeds to this exhibit as they arer completed. |
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__________________________________________ ABOVE, RIGHT: HOMELAND, a 4' x 5' wall-hanging sculpture and BELOW, RIGHT, a detail from the piece.
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SEA TRADE Made of: Pieces of historic black ebony “spirit” sculptures of the Makonde people in Africa, other artifacts found and constructed, wood, glass, paint, newspaper, neon tubing. The artist says: “Few people realize the prevalence , the scope, and the cruelty of the slave trade which fairly dominated sea life for a few hundred years beginning in the 1600’s… or how many times the men, women and children chained in cargo holds went down with those ships… or pause to ponder that in 1775 some of the patriots guiding their fellow countrymen into war to preserve American freedom were themselves slave-owners ready to defend to the death their ownership rights over other humans.” Below: SEA TRADE: Hanging sculpture, 13" x 60"; begin in 2002, completed 2008. At right: Detail from SEA TRADE.
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| BELOW, LEFT: ANATOMY LESSON, a hanging piece 24" x 24" x 3", and BELOW, AT RIGHT: a DETAIL from the piece | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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...or click here for Rathbun non-neon art: |
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