More!
Natalie Frost
Natalie Frost, More!, 2002, neon installation at Holy Jesus Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne
More! is a neon sign that refers to its distinct historical location as well as the changes in Newcastle upon Tyne’s aesthetic. More! is an appropriate demand given that the purpose of the building on which it is situated was a soup kitchen in the 1800s. The appearance of the work is in keeping with the signage of the more developed central areas of the city and it heralds the forthcoming development of the Swan House roundabout area on to which it faces.
Because the 17th century Holy Jesus Hospital has listed building status, the brassy neon intervention may be seen as inappropriate. Here, notions of conservation clash with a crass consumerism. But counter assumptions are also made as the work explores the position of conservation not as a neutral concept but as a set of agendas. Given this, the work looks at the ephemeral nature of popular culture and how it is accommodated – or not – within these agendas.
Natalie Frost, More!, 2002, neon installation at Holy Jesus Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne
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