Press

Former MoMA employee Abby Bridge used the wonder of neon to draw attention to the employee strike of 2000.

New York Press
Best of Manhattan "Best Neon" September 27- October 3, 2000

And with Refills, You Can Make Bugs Bunny or Bozo the Clown. There aren't too many neon shops in New York. Not nearly as many as you'd imagine. And only a few of them offer workshops designed to teach the novice how to get started. And most of those classes, we're told, aren't very good anyway. Nothing but frustration in the end.

The exception, however, is the course offered by Matt Dilling at his Lite Brite Neon Studio in Williamsburg. In an eight week intro course, Dilling teaches a small group of students safety, materials and theory, lets them blow a little glass and then helps them create a neon piece of their own design. 

Apart from being a fine teacher, though, Matt Dilling's a superior craftsman. He only first started learning about neon art about four years ago, but in that time has taught at several institutions, and, by the age of 20, had not only opened up his own Lite Brite Studios in Boston and New York, but had already made quite a name for himself in the industry. He's one of the very best around. Working with artists and designers, he's created some really remarkable pieces-for both artistic and commercial purposes-one-of-a-kind artworks of glass and color and light. Why, he even made us a "Vidio" sign, just like the porn shops of yore used to have in their windows!

The eight-week introductory class costs $300 (plus a little extra for materials and the finished piece), and is worth every penny, especially for artists and designers who are thinking about employing neon sculpture in their other work. It's also perfect for those of us with no artistic background, who simply love neon, and everything it's come to represent. For those without much spare time, a one-day class is offered on the weekend. And for the merely curious, he also offers a great studio tour. Dilling is smart, talented and nice as can be. he's worth checking out.