Mid 70s, Toon Michiels made several trips to the United States, where he would rent a car to make road trips to cities like Reno and Las Vegas. Quickly, he became fascinated by the neon signs that hotels and restaurants put up alongside the road to persuade passer-by’s to pull over for a short or long term stop. The neon signs refer to the extensive imagery of popular American Western culture, like palm trees, cactuses and cowboys.
Michiels combines his own style with that of other artists and photographers in the 70s: the systematic approach of conceptual and minimal art, the first artistic colour photography and the rise of popular culture in for example architecture and urban development.
Visitors about the American Neon Signs by Day & Night