Golden Angel 1996

Stephen Antonakos made 'Golden Angel' with gold leaf and neon. Look at the surface of this piece. It's not trying to be slick or perfect. You can see how the gold leaf is layered, a bit wrinkled, not entirely covering the surface. I love the way the neon glows, bouncing off that imperfect gold. It's not just about a flawless finish. The work embraces this kind of raw, handmade quality. It makes you think about the process, the labor, and how the artist has embraced the quirks of the materials. It reminds me a little of Dan Flavin, another artist who used neon, but Antonakos brings a more tactile, human feel to it. It’s not so much about minimalism as it is about light and surface meeting in a very direct, almost spiritual way. You know, art doesn't always have to be about answers; sometimes, it's just about asking the right questions.