Neon is fucking awesome, but what is it and how do you make it? Who makes it? Why is there less now than before? Is it making a comeback? What’s going down in the world of neon lights? So many questions about this beautiful art, if only there was someone to answer them. And that’s where Cameron Clow comes in. Vancouver’s Neon Demon (almost rhymes) answers some on my ponderings on what it’s like to be working in the world of neon lighting.

Hi Cameron, before blasting into this interview with some deep and powerful questions, let’s learn a little about you! Here are a few silly questions to get you warmed up.

Your favourite concert?

Bad Brains at the Concert Hall in Toronto in…1990? I seriously thought the balcony would collapse.

Favourite drink?

That’s a hard one. Maybe good scotch (neat).

Who would play you in a movie?

Brad Pitt. I’m almost as old. (sigh)

Okay, I think you’re ready for the big ones. Strap yourself in.

Vancouver has had a beautiful relationship with neon lights in the past, but over the last 10, 15 years it has gone a little bit in reverse, but more recently it’s starting to pop up again. Can you explain the dip and rise in the craft?

Starting around 15 years ago, LEDs began to absolutely dominate the sign industry. The focus on energy efficiency has also been growing at the same time. LED companies, as well as some sign companies, have taken the opportunity to demonize Neon as being inefficient and old-fashioned and have steered clients away from using neon. (LEDs can also be installed by lower paid entry level employees keeping production costs down. shhhh) However neon has lasted as long as it has not only because of it’s beauty but also it’s energy efficiency and potential longevity. The truth of this is starting to take hold along with a growing rejection of cookie cutter type signage. Small and large businesses, more and more are wanting to have unique signage that helps them stand out and inspire customers to share pictures on social media. The other reality in Vancouver is that the city has come to realize how wrong it was to discourage new neon projects previously and is now actively pushing companies to use neon in areas such as the Granville Street entertainment district, Gastown and Chinatown. Vancouver is now in the middle of a neon Renaissance.

Has the technology of neon lighting changed over this time period?

What’s amazing is how little the technology has changed over the decades. Neon signs are made, and function, much the way they have since the beginning, in the early twentieth century. The biggest change has been the use of electronic transformers. As opposed to the “magnetic” transformers that are very large and heavy, electronic transformers are amazingly small and light. With this change, window neon signs are even more common on today’s streets and mass-produced neon is taking off like never before. Also, both electronic transformers and modern magnetic transformers now have what is called a Ground Fault Interrupter protection (GFI) as part of their circuitry. GFI protection means that if there is a problem with the neon the transformer will shut down. This makes the transformers much safer and much less likely to start fires. GFIs are now mandatory on all neon transformers.

What drew you to learn this rare craft?

I fell backwards into the neon industry. In 1989 I was accepted to OCA(D) in Toronto after 2 years at a vocational art school and was looking for a job to pay tuition. After much searching I saw an ad for a sign company looking for a “Neon Wizard” and also a Neon Apprentice. (I have never seen an ad for a neon apprentice since) I brought my portfolio I used to enter college and needless to say I got the job. Then I had to make a decision. Do I go to college in September or continue neon training? I decided that I could put off college while I learn more about neon and so I stayed with that company to learn. I never did go to college.

Is there anything that pisses you off when working with neon?

There are so many things that piss me off about the neon industry that it’s hard to choose just one.. (“neon industry” sounds very business-like, I know, but that is the correct term in describing the vast majority of neon being made) I would say my biggest pet peeve is people in the industry who just don’t care…or care enough. Maybe it’s my arts training but I look at neon signs as works of art even when it’s not “Neon Art”. I look at every finished neon piece with an eye as if it was going on my own wall.

I admit that neon signs are not always interesting or particularly creative but that shouldn’t mean that the finished project isn’t of high quality. There are far too many in the sign industry that just don’t care about the finished product. This is, in my opinion, a symptom of an industry that has tried to keep wages low and therefore discourages good people from pursuing a career in the sign industry or to stay once there. Also, since I have been making neon, there have been many changes in the industry that have made experienced people and creative types considered largely unnecessary. These changes include computers, vinyl cutters, off shore production and, of course, LEDs.

Is there any particular piece of neon that you look at and think “I wish I’d have got to make that”?

The first thing that comes to mind is the “Sai Woo” sign installed in Chinatown. It was made to be an exact copy of the original sign that was taken down in the Mass Neon Extinction in Vancouver that began in the 1960s never to be seen again. (Vancouver used to have more linear feet of neon than any other city in North America!!) I won’t say the company’s name that made the new one but they did a great job.

What makes a good neon design?

Hmm, well let’s look at neon signs as opposed to neon art.. There are 2 main aspects to consider when designing a neon sign – the look of the sign and the way it is put together. When considering the potential look of a neon concept, you have to consider the style of the business or group that the neon is going to represent. For instance, the vibe of a carnival sign should be very different than that of a fine dining restaurant. A carnival sign can be flashy, very colourful and have lots going on. That is in keeping with a carnival atmosphere. For a fine dining restaurant, simple is usually best as well as using only one colour. White is always good for restaurants because it feels “clean”. Also, certain colours make food look unappetising so again…white. One thing I often remind clients is that usually people will look at their sign for only a brief moment because they are in a car or just walking by. For this reason simplicity works well because nobody is going to read a bunch of boring text or remember your phone number. Now when looking at the way a sign should be put together, (laid out, wired, etc) it is very important to figure everything out FIRST, before you begin making any tubes or backing or whatever. Thinking about the wiring etc first, helps cut down on visible wires, excessive tube supports and electrical problems that come up when you don’t think the plan through carefully.

Can you briefly explain the process of design to installation?

Oh boy.. ok I’ll give it a shot. The creation and installation of a neon sign can be broken into maybe 5 main steps: The design, the bending, the processing or pumping of tubes, the painting of blocked out areas and mounting, and the installation. I think we covered the design stage already so lets move on to bending.. the tubes used for neon come in 4 foot straight tubes and can be a variety of diameters and colours. Using different types of fires, the tubes are bent to follow a pattern on a nonflammable material. Once the tube has been bent, glass electrodes are spliced (welded) on to each end. These electrodes seal up the tube and also have wires so the tube can be connected to other tubes as well as the transformer (power source). Once the tube is finished, it moves over to the processing station. There it gets hooked up to a manifold (vacuum pump, gas tanks, vacuum gauge) and the tube gets “pumped” with either neon (red) or argon (blue). The tube is then lit up and tested to make sure it is working properly. Once it’s been determined that the tube is working properly, the electrodes and all parts of the tube that are not to be seen are painted with a block out paint. When all the tubes for a sign are completed they can be mounted to a backing or wall and they are hooked up to one or more transformers. The installation of a sign can mean anything from hanging the sign from metal chains, in the case of a window sign, OR all the way to using a crane truck to mount the sign to the side of a building. I left out many details but that’s the basic steps to creating a neon sign.

Neon has become relatively accessible to the public, like having desktop neons or custom neon in small business. For anyone thinking about getting some neon for their “Man Cave” how costly is a custom piece of neon lighting?

The best way to look at neon sign/art pricing is to think of it like art. If you want to buy a cheap print of a painting, you can probably purchase one for pretty cheap. On the other hand, if you want to buy original art, you’re going to pay much more. So the “cheap print” is your mass-produced neon and the “original art” is a custom neon sign or neon art. Mass produced neon like cheap clocks, simple desk sculptures and beer signs can be purchased new online for as slow as $50. Custom neon usually starts at around $500-$600 and goes up from there depending on what kind of shop you are dealing with and how much work is involved. Remember, neon can last decades and custom neon can be very personalised so paying a higher price is well worth it if you want a neon piece that looks like it wasn’t purchased at Canadian Tire.

Do you have any projects on right now?

Well, day to day I work in a neon shop so I’m making neon signs and props for movies all the time. I should add that I’ve never been busier than I am right now.. As far as my personal neon art, I’m working on a bunch of stuff and my only problem is that they tend to get sold before I can display them for the public at a gallery or whatever. The three themes that I’ve been focused on as of late is high detail portraits, Japanese influenced imagery and what I like to call anti-neon art (EVERYTHING IS NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO BE ALRIGHT).

Where can we some of your work?

I would say the best way to see what I’m up to would be to check out my Instagram @cameronclow. Otherwise, come see me at the shop.