Beginning Hands-On Neon
Students will learn the basic introductory skills of neon bending, including cutting, welding, and bending glass tubing to make block letters. Time will be spent over each of the torches used for neon fabrication: the ribbon burner, the crossfire and the hand torch. Instruction on processing the neon tube will be demonstrated, but the class will focus primarily on learning the bending skills.
This is a supervised lab based class where students will watch demos, practice independently, and receive occasional individual instruction by the teacher. Students may reserve time with MONA to use the lab independently free of charge during the duration of the class.
Students will focus on bending with 10mm clear glass but will also have access to 12mm and 15mm and some phosphor-coated glass for additional experience and practice. For ages 18 and up (we recommend taking the Intro to Neon class first, but it is not required).
Each student can process up to 2 complete units, but the class is more about learning the skill and processes rather than completing finished pieces. Materials and supplies are included in the price of the class (tools will remain the property of the museum). If student goes beyond the set amount of materials, an additional $50 fee will be charged.
Instructor: Lyle George learned neon from a UCLA extension class in the 1980s taught by Bill Needham. Afterwards, he apprenticed with Designer Neon, Signal Hill Neon and other sign shops until he was hired by the Larry Albright Studio. As Larry Albright’s assistant through the ‘90s, he did the neon work for films such as Hudsucker Proxy, Con Air, and Ed Wood, to name a few. Currently, he is fabricating neon work for some well-known contemporary international artists.
