THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS CASINO

LED lights, thermoplastic, resin clay, acrylic, wood, extension cords, power strips
2018-present
Dimensions vary
 

I started making my own plastic light signs since moving to New York as a way of commemorating where I’m from and connecting to where I am now. My earliest neighbors of Queens, NY hung illuminated 99-cent store decorations all year round. Each apartment displayed their own flashing symbols and hues to distinguish themselves from the rest. I felt at home in these lights not just because of their piercing warmth, but also from nostalgia of my Vegas roots. 

I grew up near the Las Vegas Strip. My mom––as part of her hermit-like anxiety––would place tinfoil over the windows, creating a darkness that only emphasized the glowing bulbs of the two christmas trees she kept up all year. The dollar store was one of the few places we left the house for. My signs are based from sketches of these experiences, exploring how the social function of light has stayed the same for centuries––from fire to electric––by providing a transcendent space for sharing and connecting.

From old NYC to modern day Queens to the Vegas Strip, light signs maintain their unwavering exterior, always inviting you in.