drawing fusion
       
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neon and rolled aluminum, 5'H x 6.5'W x 1"D

The solid and the ethereal find common ground in the neon light sculptures of Craig A. Kraft. By combining neon with other materials, such as beautifully tooled shapes in rolled aluminum or life-size casts of the human body, a dynamic interplay of material qualities emerges.

 
In conversation Kraft speaks of how "neon lends itself well to [the act of] drawing." He defines his process as one of drawing with light, and indeed, a facility with glass bending allows his ideas to be so well articulated in supple curves that seem to zip through space, activating and reconfiguring it as they go. The energy contained within these gestural forms is only one aspect of Kraft's works. Beyond this is the symbiotic relationship set up between the emitted light and its effects, both on other materials and surrounding surfaces.
  Physically real and ethereal, light inhabits and exists fully outside the fragile neon tubes. Kraft's use of light in multiple colors heightens its dialogue with surrounding elements by creating an illuminated palette that becomes nuanced and interactive as it responds to space and bathes the smooth surfaces of rolled aluminum. This metal is a supporting element, yet one which yields to the whims of the lighted tubes as one chases the other, bending and twisting in tandem. Together they trace arcs and skeins as they thrust upward, hovering, or coil around surfaces, throwing quiet color patterns here and intense ones there.    
  In Kraft's acrylic and fiberglass negative body cast works, quite the opposite happens, as concave forms disperse large amounts of light across large textural surfaces from cleverly placed neon tubes, creating the stunning appearance of glowing from within. One such work, Falling Man, just received permanent installation on the roof of The Cell Theatre in New York City .