Nathaniel Rackowe

The neon in Nathaniel Rackowe's fluorescent light sculptures reflect the city's shifting light. Transformation progresses with a gradual change in atmosphere, temperature, and mood, as lights change from hot red to cool white. It's an urban light, neon, which hypnotically captures our attention, impossible to resist. Rackowe's geometric forms are almost like traffic signs warning of hazards ahead. Rackowe's sculpture looks back to American minimalism, to Dan Flavin and Donald Judd. He engages with their rigorous aesthetic, and dramatic use of light. But we live in confessional times, and there's a personal dimension to his sculpture that his predecessors didn't go in for. His is a reflection on contemporary life in the city–his materials and palette speak of buildings, street signs, construction sites.

Rackowe finds unexpected moments of urban beauty–lamplight shining on concrete steps, the symmetry of stairwell windows lined up the side of an apartment block, or blank light boxes used for advertising lit up at an empty bus stop. For example his sculpture GP06 (2013) stands on the floor, smoked glass rises up out of foundations made from breeze blocks. The glass, framed by strip lights, glows like windows at dusk. Concrete brings the sculpture back to elemental things, to the construction site. In Rackowe’s works raw materials are not forgotten in favour of the sensual qualities of light.

Solo exhibitions of Rackowe’s work have been presented at Bodson Gallery in Brussels, BISCHOFF/WEISS in London, Galerie Almine Rech in Paris, among other galleries. His work has been included in group shows at London’s ICA, Lawrie Shabibi in Dubai, Light Festival of Durham, Grand Palais in Paris, Galerie Jan Wentrup in Berlin, MoCA Goldman Warehouse in Miami, and Bangkok University Gallery.

Courtesy of House of the Nobleman