'Day Glo'

An accident in 1933 causes a dark room recovery, which in turn leads to the inspiration of fluorescent pigments for the Switzer Brothers. Working together Bob & Joe experimented with chemicals until they successfully created pigments that appeared fluorescent in daylight and glowed under UV/black lights.

These new pigments quickly became the staple of safety measures in work environments such as airports, construction sites, underwater & military operations. These pigments launched safety measures far beyond what we had known, aided magicians in fooling the eye, and sky rocketed psychedelic / black light art in a way that shook the 60’s and 70’s. Eventually they became the world’s largest producer of daytime fluorescents, known as Day Glo.

Nearly ninety years later we asked artists to conduct their own experiments with these colors and illuminate our dark winter months. What makes your day glow? What makes your soul glow? What brings light to your darkness? How can you catch the eye of a passerby with neon?

We accepted entries of all mediums and styles, as long as they utilized fluorescent colors in an intentional way.

Photo credit: Wendy Wyman - Her Side of the Room