Lili Lakich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lili Lakich
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Lakich in 1984
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Liliana Diane Lakich
June 4, 1944 |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | London School of Film Technique, Pratt Institute |
| Known for | Neon sculpture |
| Movement | First director for the Museum of Neon Art |
Liliana Diane Lakich, born on June 4, 1944, is an American artist. She is famous for creating amazing sculptures using neon lights. When she was a kid, she loved looking at bright neon signs. This love led her to a career making art that glows, which she felt had a special way of showing feelings.
Lili has been asked to create many artworks for both private collectors and public spaces. For example, she helped the city of Los Angeles with a street-lighting project. She also helped start the Museum of Neon Art (MONA). This was the first museum dedicated to art made with electric lights. Her glowing sculptures have been shown in important books about modern art.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
Lili Lakich was born in Washington, D.C.. Her family moved to Tucson, Arizona, because her dad was in the military. They later moved to California when he went to the Korean War. During these moves, they often took long road trips. On these trips, Lili saw many bright neon signs along the roads.
My family loved road trips. Our idea of fun was to drive somewhere on the weekend. We would pick our motel based on which one had the best neon sign.
—Lakich in an interview, 2002.
Lili remembers that after her dad came back from Korea, he bought a new car. They drove all over the United States. During the day, they read funny Burma-Shave signs. They stopped at every souvenir shop or roadside attraction that looked like a wigwam or a giant hamburger. But Lili loved driving at night the most.
At night, the darkness came alive with colorful images. There were cowboys twirling lassos and Indians shooting arrows. Huge trucks seemed to float in the sky with glowing wheels. These were neon signs trying to get drivers to stop at a motel or truck stop. Lili says they always stopped, but she mostly remembered the amazing neon signs.
Lili went to many different schools. She attended six 5th grades and three high schools. This was because her family moved often, even to Germany when her dad was stationed in Frankfurt. After high school, she went to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. She wasn't happy with the usual art classes there. So, she left after two years to study filmmaking at the London School of Film Technique in England.
Filmmaking felt too much like a group project for her. So, she returned to Pratt Institute. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1967.
During her time at Pratt, Lili went through a difficult time in her life. This led her to create her first light sculpture. It was a self-portrait with tiny light bulbs. A motor made them blink down her face like tears. She said this was her first electric artwork. For the first time, she felt she had truly expressed herself. For Lili, art is a way to deal with strong feelings. She felt that once she made a sculpture of herself crying, she could stop crying. The sculpture cried for her. She believes that if you can put difficult feelings into art, you can overcome them. They become lines, colors, and shapes. They are no longer a confusing feeling inside you. They become part of an object you can see.
Artistic Journey
After graduating from Pratt Institute, Lili Lakich moved to San Francisco for a short time. Then, in 1968, she settled in Los Angeles. She felt that Los Angeles, with all its lights and busy visuals, gave her many ideas.
Lili started showing her neon sculptures in 1973. Her first solo art show was in 1974. An art critic named Peter Plagens wrote about it. He thought her work was strong.
In 1980, Lili was one of ten artists invited to show their work in a special art exhibition. From 1982, Lili Lakich helped create and lead the Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles. She stayed there until 1999. She also wrote two books: Neon Lovers Glow in the Dark in 1986 and LAKICH: For Light. For Love. For Life. in 2007.
Her sculptures have been featured in important books about modern sculpture and feminist art. Her work is also found in many private and company art collections. She has had solo art shows in Tokyo, Paris, and Los Angeles.
Famous Artworks
Lili Lakich has created many well-known pieces.
Drive-In
In 1984, Lili created Drive-In. A company called Unity Savings asked her to make it for their new office in Beverly Hills. This office was on the old site of Dolores Restaurant. Dolores was a famous drive-in restaurant in Los Angeles. It had been torn down, which made many people sad. Lili thought it would be a great idea to create a tribute to the restaurant. This way, the new building could honor the past.
L.A. Angel
In 1992, Lili created the L.A. Angel. It is on a wall in downtown Los Angeles. The city needed a solution for a dark, tunnel-like area. A new building project had made the street very dim. The developers decided to install a light sculpture to make the area brighter. They worked with the Museum of Neon Art to ask a woman artist to create the work. Lili's sculpture is made of light aluminum sheets. It has an abstract human shape with streaks of neon lights. It represents the culture, industry, and spirit of Los Angeles. It also connects the city's past and present.
Tell Me About Yourself
A few years later, Lili was asked to create a sculpture for a large home in Santa Ana. She showed four different ideas for the project. The owners chose Tell Me About Yourself. Lili first built a model of the sculpture to check its size. Then, she used aluminum supported by steel to create the final artwork. This glowing sculpture was finished in 1995. It is unusual to see a neon sculpture outdoors at a home. But the owners and their guests love it. They can even spot it from an airplane when they fly home!
Flyaway
In 2009, Lili completed a large public art project called Flyaway. It is 114 feet long. It is located at the Van Nuys FlyAway Bus Terminal in Van Nuys. This sculpture is made of honeycomb aluminum. It shows two figures: Pegasus (a winged horse) and an abstract flying human shape. Both figures have streaks of neon lighting and argon tubing, making them glow.
Selected Works
- Blessed Oblivion (1975), at the Museum of Neon Art
- Where the Eagle Flies (1990), in the lobby of the Washington Building, Los Angeles
- Drive-In (1984), at Unity Savings, Beverly Hills, CA
- L.A. Angel (1992), on the 300 block of South Olive, Los Angeles
- TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF (1995), commissioned by Evelyn and Frank Freed, Santa Ana, California
- Guardian, at Miller Children's Hospital at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
- Buddha, at the Museum of Neon Art
- Flyaway (2009), at the Van Nuys FlyAway Bus Terminal, Los Angeles
