Auckland-based contemporary artist Paul Hartigan (b1953) is New Zealand’s leading proponent of neon art, with a four decade-long career. He is also one of New Zealand’s most significant makers of public art, widely recognised for his large-scale public light commissions, which have enhanced many of its urban spaces. Though respectful of neon’s history as a signage medium, Hartigan is not restricted by it, and uses this most urban of art media to create conceptually successful, publicly accessible installations that importantly, work both day and night.

Colony 2004, his spectacular Tangerine neon monochrome, commissioned by The University of Auckland for the Faculty of Engineering on Symonds Street, was awarded Best Public Sculpture, Metro Magazine Awards 2006. Hartigan was commissioned by Orion NZ Ltd in 2001 to transform the public face of an electricity substation in central Christchurch, Nebula Orion is the result, a monumental neon work that survived the earthquake of 2011 and continues to operate today!