Tracing the Illuminating History of Neon

The word neon immediately conjures up visions of lurid dance scenes in stuffy Soho nightclubs or underground speakeasies. It calls to mind advertising slogans, too – the illuminating clash of colours in New York's Times Square, or more simply, the fluoro Lucozade bottle advert that once livened up the M4 motorway. And thanks to a handful of progressive artists during the 1960s, it also became indelibly linked with modern art.

Next week, Neon: The Charged Line…