Andy Doig: WHEN I WENT HOME

Andy Doig: WHEN I WENT HOME
Until 8th December 2024
Helm Gallery
15 North Road
Brighton, BN1 1YA

Helm Gallery presents When I Went Home, a poignant exhibition by Brighton-based artist Andy Doig. Known for his captivating neon light sculptures, Doig draws upon an intensely personal chapter of his life: four months spent caring for his mother, now 91, as she navigated advancing dementia before transitioning to a care home. The exhibition is an intimate and touching exploration of home—not just as a physical place but as a vessel for memory, emotion, and change.

At the heart of the show is Doig’s ability to transform his mother’s words into brilliant, sculptural statements. Suspended in Helm’s dimly lit gallery, these neon phrases radiate humour, love, and melancholy, offering an empathetic reflection on ageing and the delicate bonds between parent and child.

Is this my home? Captures the confusion and loss of leaving a lifelong residence, while What have you done? examines the complicated undercurrent of guilt. Others, like Why are we not married? Temper the heaviness with gentle humour, paying homage to the dignity and pride of growing older.

Doig explains, “This isn’t simply about home as a concept—it’s about the shared experiences and emotions tied to that place. It’s about empathy.” Alongside these personal neon phrases, visitors encounter vivid lightboxes, visualizing the process of sorting through a lifetime of belongings—fragments of life both past and present.

An artist shaped by craft as much as a concept, Doig’s connection to neon began in 1992 at the British School of Neon, where he mastered the intricate process of glass bending. Early career stints in theatre, television, and film set the stage for his eventual focus on neon as an expressive medium.

Since 1995, his Brighton studio has been a hub of creativity, nestled under the arches along the seafront, where Doig continues to craft limited-edition works and teach at his Neon School.

His works have always carried an element of surprise. Reflecting on his former light gallery, 32 Upper North Street—designed as a window space for passersby to discover—Doig notes, “It was about stumbling across something unexpected.” That ethos carries into When I Went Home, where neon, often associated with commercialism, becomes a medium for introspection and storytelling. “You throw all your personality into the glass,” Doig reflects. “It’s sculpture, and those imperfections? They’re part of the story.”

Coinciding with When I Went Home, Helm Gallery unveils a reimagined ground floor, a design refresh that underscores the gallery’s mission to redefine the traditional viewing experience.

Co-founder Eden Maseyk explains: “On the walls of our ground floor gallery we’ve curated a tightly-threaded hang, consisting of over 50 new incredibly rare works by artists beyond our existing roster, each sourced from America. These new works blend seamlessly with our existing collection and offer a hand-picked selection that echoes our founders’ roots in graffiti and street-art.”

Departing from the stark white cube aesthetic, the new interior invites visitors into the world of warmth and approachability with soft, earthy tones, eclectic furnishings, lush greenery, and nods to the gallery’s proximity to Brighton Beach creates a calming and engaging atmosphere.

Through this, Helm Gallery seeks to make art a welcoming escape, removing barriers and opening its doors wider. In When I Went Home, Doig offers not just a reflection on home but an invitation—one that calls us to consider our own emotional landscapes, memories, and connections in a glow of tender, transformative light.

Andy Doig: WHEN I WENT HOME Until 8th December 2024 at Helm Gallery, Brighton

©2024 Helm Gallery