The Neon Cloud
In 2014, Eileen Hassi, owner/CEO of Ritual Roasters approached me about creating a lighting installation for her flagship cafe’s remodel. The interior concept by architects Sagan Piechota was a compelling starting point to work from, and an amazing ‘container’ to fill with neon light. I created the shapes of the Neon Cloud from both the achitects’ layout of the main service bar and later, adjusted to the as-built survey of the beating heart of the cafe. The arcs of the Neon Cloud are aligned with the exposed beams of the 100 year old structure. Oakland based neon Tube Bender Shawna Peterson worked closely with me to bring this 3D suspended neon glass sculpture to life. We were thrilled when the piece seamlessly survived a 6.0 earthquake the morning after glass install was complete!
Considering how different sightlines change the piece, from all angles including across the street and up the block, was a critical part of the creative development of the Neon Cloud.
