Master craftsman behind Louis Sidoli neon art.
In the world of contemporary art, It’s easy to focus on the slick, highly polished final piece on the wall. But every original neon artwork I create begins with an extraordinary level of skill and tradition in an industrial unit in Birmingham. This is Paul Medlicott. He has been bending real glass neon tubes since he left school — nearly 50 years ago! The company, City Neon, has been making real glass neon signs since the early 1990s. It was founded by László Gregor, who fled Hungary after the 1956 revolution and also has many decades of glass-making expertise.
I’ve been working with Paul for over 12 years now, and together we’ve created about 150 neon artworks. I design every neon element myself as an integral part of the artwork, drawing on my own background as an electrical engineer. I began my art career in 2007 as a glass artist working with sheet glass, so I also have a craftsmanship background as well as technical expertise.
However, bending the glass tubes is a highly specialised craft that takes many days of intense, focused work and requires expert hands and specialist equipment. That’s why I partner with true masters like Paul. Once the glass is bent and tested, I personally handle all the final assembly — marrying the neon with the aluminium portrait to create the finished piece.
Watching Paul heat the glass in the intense flame until it becomes pliable, then carefully shaping it to follow my paper template with perfect precision, is always mesmerising. It’s old-school craftsmanship at its finest — work that only a handful of people left in the UK can still do at this level.
This partnership allows me to combine the best of traditional craft with my own artistic vision. In an age of mass-produced LED and digital art, there’s something powerful about continuing the real neon tradition. Huge respect to Paul and the other master craftsmen I work with who make my visions possible.
Testing real glass neon tubes on the workshop bench using a high voltage probe: Watch as the neon and argon gas inside illuminates when the probe passes over. This is a quick way to test neon tubes before installing them. You can clearly see the different colors each gas produces and check if the tubes are working properly. You'll see classic neon (orange-red) and argon (blue/purple) tubes lighting up on the bench. Super satisfying to watch! :
Neon workshop :
