Element Ten

Bio

Element Ten is a second-generation neon studio in Kansas City. Run by siblings Dylan Steinmetz and Olivia Shelton, and their father, Randy Steinmetz, the studio centers around preserving vintage signs of the past, while creating new works that drive the future of neon as an artistic medium.

artist statement

Vibrations is a demonstration of complementary elements. The linear paths were created digitally as vector paths in software, but the glass tubes were formed by hand - a different type of “digital.” Color is conveyed through emitted light and reflected light. A warped, fluid plane is contained by the rigid, angular frame. The hidden complexity of electronics and wires work in support of an outer simplicity. There’s a constant oscillation between all of these notions.

The back-and-forth process of collaboration is a reminder that the connection between two points is not necessarily a straight line. Two minds can meet at an unexpected middle. Working together to create this piece was not a practice in compromise; rather, we nudged each other toward more expansive thinking throughout the process.