ICONEONIC  |  New works by Kym Bloom

I’ve always loved old neon signs. I’m drawn to the bold typography, bright colors, unusual shapes, and especially the personality they give a place. A great sign can become just as memorable as the business itself.

Iconeonic is my way of recreating some of those signs and preserving a little bit of their history. The pieces in this show come from restaurants, theaters, motels, bars, amusement parks, roadside attractions, and other places that caught my attention. Some are still standing, some have been restored or preserved, and others are long gone.

I make each piece by hand using layers of laser-cut wood and acrylic, then paint and assemble them to recreate the original sign as closely as I can. I use rhinestones to mimic incandescent bulbs, along with glow-in-the-dark and UV-reactive materials to bring some of the original neon back to life.

Some of these signs are famous landmarks. Others are wonderfully weird things I happened across and simply had to make. What they have in common is great design and a sense of character that deserves to be remembered.