The end of October: the clocks go back, the nights draw in and the days get dreary. The colours of autumn fade to the bleak greys and blacks of winter, and your brain finally registers that we’ve got a whole six months of dismal weather to get through. But over in Connaught Village things aren’t looking so dull: globally renowned British artists Rob and Nick Carter have created two colourful neon art installations to boost even the most miserable spirits.
First up is Wavelength, a 152-tube creation big enough to span two entire shopfronts at 1 and 3 Porchester Place. The lights will run in an ever-evolving sequence through every colour in the spectrum, triggered by movement as you stroll past. The way it works means you can create your own visual experience of the artwork with the way you move for a dynamic light show. Forget walking in front of it – what about dancing?
The second piece was commissioned by Connaught Village and the Church Commissioners specially for the local community, with the intention of moving it around the area. Echoing the vibrant rainbow hues of Wavelength, 11 concentric neon hearts form the backdrop to the glowing white words ‘Connaught Village’, with the lights changing colour throughout the day.
The bright colours and modern feel of both pieces compliment the picture-perfect historic buildings and leafy squares of the Connaught Village. When you think of West London at its most beautiful, this is probably it: wonky historic buildings, tree-lined streets and a hodge-podge of cobbled streets.
It’s the perfect setting for sleek pieces by Rob and Nick Carter, who have a shop at 5A Bathurst Street. The husband and wife duo have been working together for 20 years, examining the boundaries between the analogue and digital worlds in mediums varying from photography to painting – and, obviously, neon. And at a time when things are looking particularly bleak, they really know how to light things up.
From 22 October 2020
Connaught St, London W2 2AA
connaught-village.co.uk