Neon-concrete sculptures color within the blurred lines of art and science

[Image above] These bright and fun neon-concrete sculptures combine science and art, the perfect mix of cement and creativity. Credit: Esther Ruiz

Given all the materials news out there, sometimes it’s hard to find focus in a crowded sea of press releases, papers, and promotional emails.

Other times, however, the perfect post falls into focus and into your lap—a story that is the perfect blend of timeliness, relevance, and beauty.

Esther Ruiz’s neon sculptures is one of those stories.

We know the lines between art and science are blurred, and her work colors well within those fuzzy lines.

I bookmarked it a couple of months ago and just now circled back, only to find that it was coincidentally (or not-so-coincidentally?) timely given its current showcase.

The Brooklyn-based artist creates hydraulic concrete art that incorporates not just neon tubing, but also glass (forged and otherwise), Plexiglass, paint, marble, and rock. Ruiz’s symmetrical and colorful cement work, inspired by her surroundings in the concrete jungle of NYC and the neon materials she works with daily, is currently on exhibition in Columbus, just a few miles from ACerS headquarters in Westerville, Ohio.

If you’re in or near midwest Ohio, or will be anytime before February 22, check out her solo show “Neon Dreams” at the Kennedy Gallery at Glass Axis, 610 West Town Street.

(Glass Axis has a pretty cool story of its own. Click here to read about the history behind this “non-profit glass center dedicated to making and learning.” For some related reading, click here to read fellow editor April’s amazing story on the art and science behind glassblowing.)